BY ANIMASHAUN AFEEZ ANUOLUWAPO
The World Anti-Doping Agency formalised a five-year Memorandum of Understanding with Global Accreditation Cooperation Incorporated in Prague last week, aimed at strengthening technical assessment and recognition processes.
Global ACI emerges as the new international authority in the field of accreditation, with responsibilities covering laboratories, certification and inspection bodies, proficiency testing providers, and validation and verification bodies. Its scope also extends to reference material producers and biobanks, within the quality infrastructure that underpins the fight against doping.
During the Global ACI General Assembly held in the Czech capital, Olivier Rabin, Senior Director of WADA‘s Science and Medicine Department, delivered a keynote presentation on the agency’s role in laboratory accreditation. He also formalised a cooperation framework that provides for the exchange of information on the criteria used to assess and accredit anti-doping centres around the world.
The agreement also provides for the development of harmonised guidelines to optimise the application of those criteria and the identification of opportunities for mutual representation on committees and working groups linked to these processes and to anti-doping laboratories.
The creation of Global ACI follows the agreement reached by the International Accreditation Forum and the International Laboratory Accreditation Cooperation to establish a single international accreditation organisation. The body was officially launched and became fully operational on 1 January 2026, taking over the activities previously covered by IAF and ILAC with the aim of streamlining global efforts to promote accreditation and quality infrastructure.
The relationship between WADA and ILAC, now Global ACI, dates back to the first MOU signed in 2007 and has been renewed several times since then. That framework supports the assessment process for anti-doping laboratories to verify their compliance with the standards set out in the International Standard for Laboratories, its related Technical Documents and the ISO/IEC 17025 standard.
“WADA is appreciative of the opportunity to take part in this first edition of the Global Accreditation Cooperation Incorporated General Assembly and is pleased to have come to an agreement on a Memorandum of Understanding that will guide our collaboration in the years to come”, Rabin said. “The creation of Global ACI is a positive and practical step in ensuring that laboratory accreditation processes and standards are harmonized internationally. Accreditation is a critical part of ensuring that anti-doping laboratories around the world are maintaining the standards laid out in the rules.”
Rabin added that “WADA had a long-standing and successful relationship with the International Laboratory Accreditation Cooperation and is confident that this MOU with Global ACI will have a similar impact in ensuring that WADA-accredited laboratories around the world are performing at optimal levels.”
Global ACI Chair Brahim Houla stressed that the organisation “is pleased to count WADA among its international partners, and we look forward to playing a role in the efforts that go into ensuring WADA-accredited laboratories are meeting the standards necessary to ensure the protection of clean sport. It was a pleasure to welcome WADA to this year’s General Assembly, and we are excited to work collaboratively over the course of the next five years and beyond.”
The MOU also establishes that WADA and Global ACI will meet once a year and invite representatives as observers to their respective annual meetings, specifically the WADA Foundation Board meeting and the Global ACI General Assembly.
