Accreditation is the formal recognition of a body’s competence to conduct a specific activity such as testing or certification. This recognition is based on a specific series of International standards. These standards address critical issues such as competence, impartiality and integrity. The extensive range of products and services available often make it difficult for the customer to decide which product or service best meets their quality and safety requirements. The supplier can therefore apply to have their product or service assessed objectively by an organization such as a certification body or test laboratory appropriate to the product or service. A certificate of conformance or test report is issued accordingly. These certificates or reports are only useful or reliable if the organization or individual conducting the assessment or test is competent and qualified. The accreditation of the organization, for a defined scope, is the mechanism that provides the customer with this confidence. The international nature of the standards means that a company or product in Pakistan can be assessed or tested to the same standards as a company in Switzerland or Australia, providing confidence in the comparability of certificates and reports across national borders.