At ABAC® Center of Excellence Limited, we are affiliated with leading certification and accreditation bodies around the world. These affiliations and accreditations help demonstrate the high level of experience, knowledge and credibility we provide in anti-bribery, risk and compliance management to our clients on a daily basis. That’s why ABAC® has achieved essential accreditations from the United Kingdom Accreditation Service (UKAS), Emirates International Accreditation Center (EIAC) and membership in the Association of British Certification Bodies (ABCB). ABAC® is also a member of the “Partner in Corporate Governance” programme with the Malaysian Institute of Corporate Governance (MICG) and a Corporate Member of Transparency International Malaysia (TI-M).
ABAC® was established in 2016 by CRI Group, a global leader in risk, compliance and anti-bribery management systems. ABAC® was launched to provide certification and online training in anti-bribery and anti-corruption risk management and compliance for organisations worldwide. ABAC® CEO Zafar I. Anjum, CFE, said that the company is proud to be accredited by, and affiliated with, international accreditation bodies: “Our engagement with high-profile bodies like EIAC, ABCB and UKAS demonstrates the effectiveness of our ISO 37001:2016 Anti-Bribery Management System certification and training, along with our ISO 31000:2018 Risk Management- Guidelines; ISO 37000:2021 Governance of Organisations; ISO 37002:2021 Whistleblowing Management System; and ISO 37301:2021 (formerly ISO 19600) Compliance Management system (CMS) programs.”
United Kingdom Accreditation Service (UKAS)
ABAC® is accredited by UKAS for administering ISO 37001:2016 Anti-Bribery Management System certification. Pursuant to this, UKAS accredited ABAC® in the UK, Malaysia and Dubai for ISO 37001:2016 Anti-Bribery Management Systems (ABMS) certification in accordance with ISO/IEC 17021-1: 2015 conformity assessment requirements for bodies providing audit and certification of management systems. UKAS is the sole national accreditation body for the United Kingdom and is recognised by the government, to assess against internationally agreed standards, organisations that provide certification, testing, inspection and calibration services.
Accreditation by UKAS demonstrates the competence, impartiality and performance capability of ABAC Certification services. UKAS is a non-profit-distributing private company, limited by guarantee, and is independent of Government. Zafar Anjum, CEO of CRI Group and ABAC®, said “We are honoured that UKAS has accredited the ABAC® for the scope of ISO 37001:2016 Anti-Bribery Management System. We know this anti-bribery management standard is critical for any organisation seeking to prevent bribery, demonstrate “adequate procedures”, and stay in compliance with new and emerging laws and legislation.”
“As the United Kingdom’s sole national accreditation body, UKAS’s endorsement is critical in knowing ABAC® Certification Auditors’ and subject-specific experts’ competencies and our certification process for ISO 37001:2016 ABMS are at the highest level,” said Huma Khalid, Scheme Manager at ABAC®
Emirates International Accreditation Centre (EIAC)
ABAC® Certification is also accredited by EIAC, making it the first accreditation of its kind awarded to a certification body specialising in global anti-bribery and anti-corruption, risk and compliance standards. EIAC was established pursuant to Law number (27) for the year 2015, issued by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE, Ruler of Dubai, to become the governmental accreditation body of the Emirate of Dubai. EIAC’s main activity is to accredit Conformity Assessment Bodies (CABs), both Governmental and Private, within the UAE and overseas. “EIAC is an esteemed accreditation body, and we are honoured to have earned the first accreditation of its kind for ISO 37001:2016 Anti-Bribery Management System standard,” Anjum said.
Association of British Certification Bodies (ABCB)
ABAC® is a proud member of ABCB, the recognised voice of accredited certification bodies in the UK. ABCB represents the views of its members to UKAS, IAF, EA and government to name a few. ABCB empowers accredited certification bodies by putting members first and representing their interests in the UK, Europe and globally on all matters relating to conformity assessment.
What this means for ABAC® is having a voice in the industry and government – to provide input and expertise on matters of policy and upcoming regulations, compliance standards, and laws. “Our membership with ABCB provides a seat at the table, which is critically important as standards and regulations undergo continual changes,” Anjum said. “It also provides us with advanced notification of potential revisions to those standards and regulations. This can be a critical advantage to our clients, and to us as we tailor our certification programs to meet these updates.”
Malaysian Institute of Corporate Governance (MICG)
ABAC® is a member of the “Partner in Corporate Governance” (PICG) programme with the Malaysian Institute of Corporate Governance (MICG). MICG was founded in 1998 to define and promote corporate governance best practises in Malaysia. “We strongly support MICG’s vision and mission, where its principal activities are to promote and encourage corporate governance development, provide education and training for the benefit of its members and other interested institutions or bodies in Malaysia”, Anjum said. “ABAC® is proud to be a member of the PICG programme with MICG, in their efforts to bring needed education, training and best practices for organisations in both the private and public sectors.”
Transparency International Malaysia (TI-M)
ABAC® is proud to be a Corporate Member of The Malaysian Society for Transparency and Integrity. Founded in 1998, TI-M is an independent, non-governmental and non-partisan organisation committed to the fight against corruption. TI-M’s mission is to eradicate corruption and promote transparency, integrity and accountability throughout society. Sharing these goals, ABAC® supports such efforts through its training and certification programs, making it a perfect fit for corporate membership. “ABAC® is proud to support TI-M’s goals of integrity, transparency, accountability and independence as a Corporate Member,” Anjum said. “In this role with TI-M, we contribute ideas and initiatives through anti-corruption works to enhance good governance, integrity, ethics and moral values in organisations.”
Visit the ISO 37001 Certification page and learn more about how your organisation can benefit from ABAC Certification today.
