Recommended Reading | Discussion on the Development Trends of the Long-term Mechanism Model for Certification and Accreditation Systems

Certification and accreditation are internationally recognized standards and important means to promote social development. The work of certification and accreditation relies on the support of the certification and accreditation system. It can be said that this system has been widely applied throughout the formation, circulation, and use of goods and services, playing an increasingly important role in ensuring food safety, maintaining integrity systems, and regulating and restraining industry self-discipline. China's certification and accreditation system is mainly applied to certification bodies, laboratories, and inspection bodies. The establishment of the national accreditation system has also laid the foundation for international mutual recognition. China's certification and accreditation sector has entered a period of rapid development, especially with the China National Accreditation Service for Conformity Assessment (CNAS) signing multilateral mutual recognition agreements with multiple international certification and accreditation organizations, achieving the goal of "one certificate accepted worldwide," greatly enhancing China's international influence in certification and accreditation. Based on this, the equivalence transformation of the certification and accreditation system has played a positive role in the development of China's certification and accreditation sector and provided strong technical support for guiding the high-quality development of China's certification bodies. The continuous development of China's certification and accreditation system has also promoted international mutual recognition, but some certification fields still need to continuously improve their level of international mutual recognition to form a new model of a long-term mechanism for the certification and accreditation system with Chinese characteristics. This article focuses on exploring the construction of a new model of a long-term mechanism for the certification and accreditation system from the perspective of certification bodies.

Construction of a New Model for the Long-term Mechanism of the Certification and Accreditation System

The certification and accreditation system was created to solve problems such as information asymmetry in transactions, reduce related costs, and enhance the role of market mechanisms. This new system has strongly promoted the smooth development of certification and accreditation activities, protecting certification bodies while also safeguarding consumers and enhancing stakeholders' trust in certification and accreditation.

Certification and accreditation are internationally accepted quality management methods, and the certification and accreditation system is the premise for promoting mutual recognition and trust internationally. Therefore, how to provide a transparent and trustworthy international pathway for certification bodies through the advancement of the certification and accreditation system has become a practical issue faced by all domestic certification bodies.

It is understood that some domestic certification bodies, in order to improve their credibility and meet the recognition requirements of different certified organizations, have obtained relevant foreign recognitions while acquiring CNAS accreditation. For example, accreditation qualifications from the American National Accreditation Board (ANAB) and the United Kingdom Accreditation Service (UKAS). If feasible, it is hoped that CNAS can build an international mutual recognition and trust platform for domestic certification bodies to achieve the goal of "one standard, one assessment, globally accepted." This would not only reduce the accreditation burden on certification bodies but also enhance China's accreditation reputation internationally and improve the effectiveness of international acceptance.

The certification and accreditation system should focus on achieving international mutual recognition as its core, actively carry out international exchanges and cooperation, and strive for recognition and utilization by more countries and regions. Especially, other management system certificates under CNAS accreditation for certification bodies can also help build a mutual recognition platform. Because the degree of mutual trust and recognition is not high, when domestic enterprises obtain management system certification certificates according to domestic certification and accreditation system regulations and export products, foreign customers sometimes question the certification certificates issued by domestic export enterprises. Based on this, building a trust platform within the accreditation system, especially in food and agricultural product certification such as Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) certification for dairy product manufacturers, Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) management system certification, and HACCP management system certification for dairy product manufacturers, can deepen accreditation work domestically and internationally and achieve seamless mutual recognition and connection, meaning "one certificate in hand, travel the world," allowing products and services to be mutually recognized worldwide.

Considering the implementation of relevant laws and regulations on certification and accreditation in China and the emergence of related standards in various industries, the existing unified certification model cannot fully adapt to the diversity of certification bodies and the product characteristics of applicant organizations to some extent. In other words, during certification audits, applicant organizations may formulate their own stricter corporate standards or standards related to products with national patent rights. During certification audits, higher standards are needed to focus on the applicant's products or services. Therefore, collecting standards from various industries within the certification and accreditation system will be more conducive to carrying out related certification work.

The author believes that all certification bodies approved by the Certification and Accreditation Administration of the People's Republic of China (CNCA) should be accredited by CNAS within the prescribed operating period. This can curb certification chaos and also reflect the authority and long-term operational guarantee mechanism of the certification and accreditation system.

On the official website of the China National Accreditation Service for Conformity Assessment, a column for soliciting opinions and publishing on the certification and accreditation system is set up, including a Q&A section for "new standards/rules/guidelines." If certification bodies have doubts about newly issued or revised certification and accreditation documents, they can obtain relevant answers through the CNAS official website column to better carry out certification-related work.

Based on the existing certification and accreditation system, during the annual accreditation review of accredited certification bodies, in addition to reviewing all subsidiaries and branch centers filed by each certification body, random inspections of offices can also be conducted, either simultaneously with the annual accreditation review or in batches. The purpose is to identify weak links in certification, provide positive guarantees for regulating market certification, lay a good foundation for the better development of certification bodies, and ensure the implementation of the certification and accreditation system.

CNAS can conduct evaluations and classify levels for accredited certification bodies and announce them on the official website to provide more applicant organizations with a basis and reference for selection. Choosing a fair, just, authoritative, and standardized certification body for certification is the need and wish of every applicant organization. It is recommended that CNAS build a long-term effective operational mechanism for the certification system guarantee involving certified organizations, certification bodies, and accreditation bodies to avoid certification risks and maintain the sustainable, effective, and healthy development of the certification industry.

Certification and Accreditation System Leading the Steady and Long-term Development Trend of Certification Bodies

It can be said that China's certification and accreditation system has been integrated into the international accreditation system and related industries and market structures, playing an important role in international accreditation organizations. Especially with the inclusion of Chinese members in working groups such as WG, China has gained a more advantageous position in international discourse, reflected in the following aspects:

The certification and accreditation system has promoted the overall progress and implementation of China's industrial structure, while also ensuring the development of international trade and the improvement of the human environment. Especially in environmental remediation, the country has successively introduced relevant laws and regulations to protect the human environment and implemented activities such as the Blue Sky Protection Campaign, which have improved the environment essential for human survival. All these rely on the guarantee provided by the certification and accreditation system.

The national certification and accreditation system provides technical support for market spot checks, food safety inspections, and the "double random, one public" mechanism, meeting the requirements of laws and regulations such as the "Product Quality Law," "Mandatory Product Certification Management Regulations," and "Industrial Product Production License Management Regulations," while greatly protecting consumer interests.

Domestic counterpart working groups such as ISO/CASCO/WG/35/36 undertake tracking research on international certification and accreditation standards and participate in the formulation and revision of international standards, greatly enhancing China's status and discourse power internationally and gaining recognition from relevant member countries.

Certification and accreditation should leverage the momentum of the "Belt and Road" initiative, establish cooperation mechanisms with countries along the route, and, adhering to the principles of cooperation, development, and joint construction, explore a path of certification and accreditation characterized by "cooperation, rejuvenation, and win-win outcomes." As President Xi Jinping has expressed new expectations for the "Belt and Road" initiative: We are willing to work with our partners to build the "Belt and Road" into a path of cooperation to unite against challenges, a path of health to safeguard people's health and safety, a path of recovery to promote economic and social restoration, and a path of growth to unleash development potential. Through high-quality joint construction of the "Belt and Road," we will work together to promote the building of a community with a shared future for mankind.

In summary, a complete certification and accreditation system is the foundation and necessary condition for accomplishing effective certification and accreditation work. Therefore, establishing an effective market spot-check supervision, penalty, and exit mechanism, as well as establishing and improving industry self-discipline and integrity system, can better promote recognized certification bodies to serve applicant organizations and better maintain the reputation of the certification industry. Currently, the certification and accreditation system is not yet sound enough in the operation process of industrialized industry development, especially the related research on certification and accreditation systems for economic and social development is still immature. Reducing recognition risks must always be regarded as a long-term and persistent basic system in certification and accreditation work, keeping pace with certification and accreditation, rigorously, normatively, and effectively operating, deeply tapping the potential of certification and accreditation, and escorting the long-term healthy development of certification bodies.

Conclusion

It can be said that comprehensively deepening the reform of "delegation, regulation, and service" optimization work directly reflects the continuous release of dividends from innovation in the recognition system, leads the practical exploration of new models and new stages of recognition openness, and strongly promotes the high-quality development of the certification industry. Therefore, the urgent need to build a certification and accreditation system that is legalized, internationalized, convenient, accessible, and recognized is an important measure to implement the new development concept, promote the high-quality development of certification bodies, and build modernization and a community with a shared future for mankind.

Due to the impact of the international pandemic, certification and accreditation work should guide certification bodies to focus domestically, vigorously upgrade their own brands, diligently improve internal capabilities to become stronger, and adapt to the ever-changing external environment by expanding the boundaries and positioning of their own brands. As the saying goes, "respond to myriad changes with one change," achieving a leap forward for certification bodies themselves and striving to be innovators and leaders in the certification and accreditation system within the certification industry.

Certification bodies must strictly implement the relevant provisions of the certification and accreditation system, and every step of self-improvement is a conquest over uncertainty. On a longer development path, certification bodies also need to cultivate more industry knowledge and align with international standards, making the certification and accreditation system a stepping stone for continuous progress. While supporting the growth and strengthening of certification bodies, it will also lead domestic certification bodies steadily on the path of mutual recognition and international integration.