Accreditation Key to Facing Global Trade Challenges and Sustainable Economy
Global trade is currently facing increasingly complex changes. Beyond tighter competition in products and services, businesses must also meet new requirements related to safety, quality, supply chain traceability, and environmental sustainability. Amid these conditions, accreditation has become a strategic instrument to build trust and ensure that testing, inspection, certification, and verification results are widely accepted internationally.
This issue was a key focus of the Asia Pacific Accreditation Cooperation (APAC) Annual Meeting 2026 held in Nusa Dua, Bali. The meeting of accreditation bodies from the Asia Pacific region carried the theme “Innovation, Trust and Sustainability: The Power of Accreditation” with the sub-theme “Accreditation to Facilitate the Global Acceptance of Conformity Assessment Results”. The theme underscores the importance of accreditation in supporting innovation, strengthening trust, and achieving sustainable development through global acceptance of conformity assessment results.
The APAC Annual Meeting 2026 was attended by delegates from accreditation bodies, international organisations, and stakeholders from various countries in the Asia Pacific region. The event was opened by Bali Governor I Wayan Koster, together with the Head of the National Standardisation Agency (BSN) and Chair of the National Accreditation Committee (KAN), Donny Purnomo Januardhi Effyandono, and the Chair of APAC. The presence of these stakeholders reflects the importance of international collaboration in strengthening accreditation systems to address global trade challenges, digital transformation, and the sustainable development agenda.
Speaking in Nusa Dua, Bali, on Monday (22/6/2026), Donny Purnomo stated that accreditation is no longer viewed merely as a technical process for assessing an institution’s competence, but has become an integral part of the economic infrastructure that determines a nation’s competitiveness. “Amid rapid technological development and increasing global market demands regarding quality, safety, and sustainability, accreditation acts as a trust builder. Accreditation ensures that bodies conducting testing, inspection, certification, and verification possess accountable competence, so their results are trusted by regulators, businesses, and consumers,” Donny said.
According to him, global trade challenges are continuously evolving. Besides facing digital transformation and the emergence of new technologies such as artificial intelligence, electric vehicles, renewable energy, and health technology, the world is also confronting stronger demands for sustainable business practices. One concrete example is the implementation of the European Union Deforestation Regulation (EUDR), which requires various commodities entering the EU market, including palm oil, to be proven deforestation-free. This policy demonstrates that product competitiveness today is determined not only by quality and price, but also by the ability to demonstrate compliance with increasingly stringent sustainability requirements.
“Sustainability cannot merely be declared; it must be proven. Therefore, a credible conformity assessment system and competent bodies to carry out certification and verification are needed. Accreditation serves as the foundation ensuring that this process runs independently, transparently, and reliably,” Donny explained. In the context of the palm oil industry, BSN through KAN continues to strengthen the accreditation system to support the implementation of Indonesian Sustainable Palm Oil (ISPO). Strengthening the accreditation of ISPO certification bodies is expected to enhance the credibility of certification results, reinforce supply chain traceability, and support compliance with global market demands regarding sustainability.
Through mutual recognition arrangements held by international and regional accreditation organisations, testing, inspection, and certification results from KAN-accredited bodies can be accepted in various countries without the need for retesting. This helps reduce technical barriers to trade, lower compliance costs, and accelerate market access for Indonesian products.
The strengthening of the national accreditation system is also reflected in Indonesia’s achievements in developing its National Quality Infrastructure. Based on the 2025 Global Quality Infrastructure Index (GQII) results, Indonesia ranked 23rd globally and highest among ASEAN countries in the field of National Quality Infrastructure. Even more impressive, in the accreditation pillar, Indonesia ranked 4th out of 185 countries evaluated. This achievement demonstrates strong international recognition of Indonesia’s accreditation system and serves as an important asset to support increased national competitiveness.
Despite having gained strong international recognition, Donny believes that Indonesia’s accreditation system must continue to evolve to meet future economic challenges. Developing new accreditation schemes to support the digital economy, advanced technology, energy transition, and sustainability verification needs is a strategic agenda that must be continuously strengthened. “Accreditation is not merely a technical instrument, but an infrastructure of trust that supports economic growth. When testing, inspection, and certification results are trusted globally, Indonesian products have a greater opportunity to penetrate international markets,” he concluded.