Tehran – Iran’s Constitutional Council has officially approved a parliamentary bill that allows the country to join the Asia-Pacific Accredited Cooperation (APAC), telling the strategic steps of Tehran’s continued efforts to integrate more deeply into regional and international standardization networks.
The announcement was made on Monday by Hadi Tahan Nazif, a spokesman for the Constitutional Council. He confirmed in a post on social media platform X that the law passed legal and religious scrutiny.
“The bill for the membership of Islamic Republic in Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) has been found to be inconsistent with Sharia and the Constitutional principles,” he writes, but the organisation in question is Asia-Pacific Accreditation Cooperation (APAC).
The approval paves the way Iran officially participates in APAC, a regional entity dedicated to strengthening its accreditation system and promoting mutual recognition of conformity assessments among member states. With the merger of Asia-Pacific Research Institute Accreditation Cooperation (APLAC) and Pacific Accreditation Cooperation (PAC) in 2019, APAC plays a key role in enhancing trade reliability and technical cooperation across the region.
The bill received overwhelming support in Iranian parliament during the public session held on April 16th. Legislators discussed the details after hearing detailed reports from the Congressional Committee on Industry and Mining. Following the debate, the bill passed with 184 votes, 14 votes and two of the 212 lawmakers with abstention.
Under the law, the Iranian government is permitted to proceed with APAC membership in accordance with the laws of the organization and is obligated to pay the corresponding membership fee. In line with its constitutional obligations, the bill also provides that all actions must comply with Articles 4, 77, 125 and 139 of the Iranian Constitution.
Additionally, the law includes a transparency clause that requires the government to present an annual report to Parliament. This report outlines financial costs, commitments implemented, and practical benefits derived from APAC membership, allowing Congressional oversight of engagement with the organization.
Iran’s subscription to APAC is expected to improve the reliability of its conformance assessment and increase the global position of exports and services, particularly in the technology and industrial sectors. The move also illustrates broader policy trends, rather than expanding institutional ties with Asia-Pacific countries in light of changing global dynamics and evolving regional alliances.