Foreword

Language is the invisible infrastructure of healthcare quality. A standard criterion that cannot be understood by the facility staff it governs, a consultation that excludes practitioners because it is conducted in a language they do not read, a survey conducted through a broken interpretation chain — each of these is a quality failure, not merely a communication inconvenience. This policy exists because ASF operates across a language landscape that includes at least a dozen primary languages across its current and target countries of operation.

The United Nations’ commitment to multilingualism (Resolution 67/292, 2013) establishes that multilingualism is a core value of international organisations. Accreditation Canada’s official bilingualism framework, and the ISQua EEA criterion on language accessibility, establish that the same commitment applies to health accreditation bodies specifically. This policy operationalises those commitments for ASF’s context — across English, Georgian, and the languages of ASF’s growing geographic scope.

1. Purpose

ASF operates across multiple languages. Its primary publication languages are English and Georgian. It receives consultation submissions in multiple languages. It accredits facilities across a geographic range that encompasses dozens of languages. This policy establishes three things: which version of a standard controls when versions in different languages differ; how translations are authorised and attributed; and what ASF does to ensure that language is not a barrier to participation in governance, consultation, or accreditation.

2. Controlling Version

The English-language version of every ASF standard, governance document, and policy is the controlling version. In any case of discrepancy between the English text and a text in any other language — including the Georgian-language version published alongside the English as a parallel official text — the English text prevails. This controlling-version rule is stated on the title page of every ASF document that is published in more than one language.

The Georgian-language version of each standard is produced by ASF or under ASF’s supervision, reviewed for substantive accuracy against the English text before publication, and published simultaneously with the English version. It is not a translation in the sense of a later, secondary rendering — it is an official parallel text. Nevertheless, the English version controls in the event of discrepancy.

For all other translations — produced by third parties under the terms of the Open Access and Intellectual Property Policy (ASF-IP-001-v1) — the title page must state that the English original controls and that the translation has not been endorsed by ASF unless ASF has separately confirmed this.

3. Authorised Translations

ASF may authorise a translation of a published standard into a third language where: (a) there is evidence of significant demand from facilities or health systems operating in that language; (b) a qualified translator with both language competence and familiarity with healthcare quality terminology is available; and (c) a subject-matter reviewer with competence in the relevant clinical and quality domain is available to review the translation for substantive accuracy.

An authorised translation carries the statement “Authorised translation, reviewed by Accréditation Sans Frontières. The English original controls in the event of discrepancy.” It is published on the ASF website with attribution to the translator. The translation is updated at each standard revision — an authorised translation that has not been updated within twelve months of a standard revision loses its authorised status and reverts to the third-party translation terms of the IP Policy.

4. Language Accessibility in Governance and Consultation

The requirement in the Methodology Manual (ASF-MAN-001-v4, Section 2.2) that consultation announcements be published in dominant local languages, and that no language requirement systematically exclude practitioners in ASF’s countries of operation, is implemented through the following specific obligations:

• Consultation submissions: Submissions to public consultations may be made in any language. ASF will arrange translation of any submission that is not in English or Georgian at ASF’s cost, or will acknowledge receipt and ask the submitter to provide a summary in English or Georgian where translation is not feasible within the consultation timeframe. No submission is disregarded solely because of its language.
• Council meetings: English is the working language of the International Standards Council. Where a Council member or Revision Panel member requires interpretation or translation support to participate effectively, ASF provides it, with the cost borne by ASF. The need for language support is not grounds to question a candidate’s suitability for a governance role.
• Survey conduct: The Surveyor Training Standard (ASF-SURV-STD-v2) requires surveyors to be able to conduct a survey in a language in which the facility’s staff can communicate, or with a qualified interpreter. ASF matches surveyors to surveys partly on the basis of language competence. The accreditation decision is not affected by the language in which the survey is conducted.
• Facility-facing materials: The plain language summary required for each public consultation (per ASF-EDI-001-v1, Section 9) is produced in English and Georgian as a minimum, and in other languages where the standard has specific application.

4b. Sign Language and Deaf Patient Access

Sign languages are distinct natural languages, not manually coded versions of spoken languages. Deaf patients who use a national sign language as their primary language face a qualitatively different language access challenge from patients who are hearing but speak a different spoken language. This is addressed in ASF’s patient communication criteria (Hospital Standard 2, Ambulatory Standard 2) through the interpreter access requirements. This policy makes explicit that sign language access is a language access issue, not a disability accommodation issue, and is governed by this policy and the EDI policy jointly.

ASF consultations will include explicit outreach to Deaf community organisations and associations of Deaf healthcare professionals in countries of operation. Where feasible, plain language summaries will be available in a video format accessible to sign language users.

4c. When Surveyor and Facility Share No Common Language

ASF matches surveyors to facilities partly on the basis of language competence. Where no certified surveyor with the required facility-type competency is available in the facility’s primary language — which may occur in Crisis and Transitional category settings — a qualified interpreter who is independent of the facility’s management must be present for the entire survey. The interpreter is briefed on the process, their role scope, and the confidentiality requirements of the Code of Conduct. The survey report is written in English (or Georgian), with a translated summary provided to the facility. The fact that an interpreter was used, and the interpreter’s independence status, are recorded in the survey report and disclosed in the survey file.

5. Priority Languages for Future Translation

Based on ASF’s current geographic scope and the populations served by ASF’s facility categories, the following languages are priorities for authorised translation in the 2026–2029 period, in order of priority:

1. Russian (Caucasus, Central Asia)
2. Arabic (MENA region, refugee health contexts)
3. Armenian (South Caucasus)
4. French (Sub-Saharan Africa, where ASF’s Crisis and Transitional criteria are most directly relevant)
5. Azerbaijani (South Caucasus)

Translation into these languages will be progressed as translator and reviewer capacity becomes available. No timeline commitment is made in this policy; the Annual Activity Report will record progress.

References

1. United Nations. Resolution 67/292 on Multilingualism. New York: UN General Assembly; 2013.
2. Accreditation Canada. Official Languages Policy. Ottawa: Accreditation Canada; 2024.
3. ISQua External Evaluation Association. ISQua EEA Standards, 6th edition. Dublin: ISQua; 2024. Criterion on language accessibility.
4. France. Code de la propriété intellectuelle, Art. L112-1 (works in all languages protected equally). Paris: Légifrance; 2026.