NEW YORK-In recognition of the first-ever official U.S. celebration of International Accreditation Day on June 9, 2009, the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) is pleased to launch a paper competition focused on the value of accreditation in the global marketplace. All interested parties are invited to submit their papers by April 24, 2009.

ANSI is the U.S. representative to the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and a U.S. representative to the International Accreditation Forum (IAF).

“With industry, government and consumers the world over recognizing the importance and value of third-party accreditation, ANSI is pleased to formally recognize International Accreditation Day and kick off the U.S. celebration with our new paper competition,” says Lane Hallenbeck, ANSI vice president of accreditation services.

International Accreditation Day was launched as a global event in 2008 by the International Accreditation Forum (IAF) and the International Laboratory Accreditation Cooperation (ILAC). Each year on June 9, IAF and ILAC invite their national representatives from around the world to mark the occasion with dedicated celebrations to honor the important role that accreditation plays in the global standards and conformity assessment community.

All interested stakeholders are invited to participate in the U.S. celebration of International Accreditation Day by submitting a paper of no more than 2,000 words that highlights the value of accreditation in the global marketplace. Papers will be judged by representatives from ANSI’s Conformity Assessment Policy Committee, International Conformity Assessment Committee, Accreditation Committee for Product Certifiers, Personnel Certification Accreditation Committee, and Certificate Accreditation Program Accreditation Committee.

The best paper will be awarded a $1,000 prize and will be published-along with the second- and third-place papers-on the ANSI Web site,www.ansi.org. Entries should be sent to Elizabeth Austin, ANSI director of communications and public relations, at[email protected]or faxed to (212) 398-0023. All papers must be received by April 24, 2009, to be considered.