Suspension, Withdrawal & Reduction of Certification

Suspension, Withdrawal & Reduction of Certification

1. Overview

InterGlobal Certification (IGC) reserves the right to suspend, withdraw, or reduce the scope of a certificate to maintain the integrity of the certification process. Such actions are taken when a client’s management system no longer meets the requirements of the international standard or the terms of the Certification Agreement.

2. Suspension of Certification

Suspension is a temporary invalidation of a certificate. During the suspension period, the client's certification is not considered valid.

• Reasons for Suspension:
  • The client’s certified management system has persistently or seriously failed to meet certification requirements, including requirements for the effectiveness of the system.
  • The certified client does not allow surveillance or recertification audits to be conducted at the required frequencies.
  • The client has voluntarily requested a temporary suspension.
  • Failure to pay IGC service fees within the agreed timelines.
• Labeling and Status: All suspensions are clearly labeled within the Public Certificate Directory on our website. While suspended, the client must refrain from promoting its certification.

3. Withdrawal (Cancellation)

Withdrawal is the permanent cancellation of the certificate.

• Reasons for Withdrawal:
  • Failure to resolve the issues that led to a suspension within the timeframe set by IGC (usually within 6 months).
  • Serious misuse of the IGC certification marks.
  • Legal or ethical breaches that bring the reputation of IGC or the accreditation body into disrepute.
• Consequence: Upon withdrawal, the certificate is removed from the public directory, and the client must immediately cease use of all certification marks on both digital and physical media.

4. Reduction of Scope

If a client fails to meet the requirements for only certain parts of their certification scope, IGC will not cancel the entire certificate. Instead:

• IGC will reduce the scope by excluding the parts of the business or services that do not meet requirements.
• A revised certificate will be issued reflecting only the compliant “Reduced Scope.”

5. Restoring Certification

If the issues that led to a suspension are resolved to the satisfaction of IGC’s Technical Review team within the allowed timeframe, the certification will be restored.

• Restoration usually requires a Follow-up Audit or Special Audit to verify that corrective actions have been successfully implemented.
• Once restored, the “Suspended” label is removed from the Public Certificate Directory.

6. Appeals

Clients have the right to appeal a decision to suspend, withdraw, or reduce their scope. All appeals are handled by an independent committee to ensure the decision was fair, impartial, and evidence-based.