Recently ,the African Organisation for Standardisation (ARSO), in collaboration with The Gambia Standards Bureau, held a high-level awareness session for government policymakers and stakeholders in key economic and trade sectors. The event took place at the Sir Dawda Kairaba Jawara Conference Center and aimed to foster a deeper understanding of the vital role of standardization in enhancing intra-African trade.
Led by Dr. Hermogéne Nsengimana, Secretary General of ARSO, and his dedicated team, the engagement emphasized ARSO’s commitment to harmonizing African standards and conformity assessment procedures as outlined in the AfCFTA Agreement TBT Annex 6.
The opening statement was delivered by the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Trade, Industry, Regional Integration, and Employment, representing the Minister of Trade. He told the participants that Annex 6 of the AfCFTA Protocol on Trade in Goods (Technical Barriers to Trade) directly responds to the need of harmonized standards by advocating for the use of International Standards as the basis of technical regulations as a means for regulatory alignment and cooperation among trading partners. This requirement is being facilitated by the harmonization work of the African Organization for Standardization and the African Electrotechnical Standardization Commission who produce harmonized standards for use by State Parties to facilitate trade within Africa using AfCFTA as a vehicle.
The memorandum of understanding signed with the AfCFTA Secretariat further strengthens this mission, encouraging member states to actively participate in standards harmonization initiatives and promoting mutual recognition in conformity assessment.
Together, through the AfCFTA, we’re laying the groundwork for a more integrated African.
