# Exclusion to Data Obligations

According to clause **5.2 CB Justification for Exclusion** of the [IAF MD: 2023](https://iaf.nu/iaf_system/uploads/documents/IAF_MD_28_Issue1_26102023.pdf), CB may not be able to perform some or all of its data obligations:

* Those CBs that have an accepted exclusion will provide at least quarterly, aggregated analytical data to IAF Database including the number of certifications for each standard and/or other normative document, scope, sector and geographical location (including the number of sites within the scope of a multi-site certification), to support aggregated analytics for all CBs and ABs.

With that, the system provides a way for the AB to manually define who are the CBs who want to be excluded from the data obligations.

### To exclude a CB from the data obligations:

{% stepper %}
{% step %}
Navigate to the **Certification Bodies Listing** page.
{% endstep %}

{% step %}
Locate and select the Certification Body (CB) that has requested exclusion.
{% endstep %}

{% step %}
Go to the **Participation Status** section within the CB's profile. 
{% endstep %}

{% step %}
Click the **Edit** button to enable modifications.
{% endstep %}

{% step %}
Check the **Excluded** checkbox to update the CB's status.

<img src="/files/pcYQ8xgcGxJNh2ReTLp7" alt="" data-size="original">

{% endstep %}

{% step %}
Click the **Save changes** button
{% endstep %}

{% step %}
A modal should ask you if want to continue excluding the CB, if yes click the **Confirm** button
{% endstep %}
{% endstepper %}

Once done, the CB status will then be updated with the following status:

* **Non-Participating, Conformance,** which remains valid until the end of the current quarter.
* When the grace period expires, the CB status will be updated based on their data compliance for that quarter.
* If the CB uploads aggregated data during the quarter, their status will remain as is.&#x20;
* If the CB does not upload aggregated data to the IAF CertSearch database, their status will change as **Non-Participating, Non-Conformance**.


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