The 71st session of the Council of the African Regional Organization for Standardization (ARSO) started on Monday, hosted for the first time in Casablanca, Morocco.
This first ARSO meeting in Morocco marks a pivotal moment for the Kingdom, solidifying its standing in standardization across Africa, Morocco’s News Agency (MAP) reported.
The ARSO Council, convening twice annually, is dedicated to developing harmonized African standards to promote trade among African Union member states and ensure quality compliance in African markets. It oversees the work of technical committees responsible for drafting harmonized standards to facilitate African economic integration, particularly within the framework of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
Speaking at this session, Abderrahim Taibi, Director General of the Moroccan Institute for Standardization (IMANOR), said that “Morocco, a council member since 2022, plays an active role in shaping ARSO’s directions and strategies for standardization efforts across Africa.” He noted that the organization creates standards that serve as reference points to facilitate intra-African trade and support the development of the AfCFTA.
Taibi added that Moroccan professionals and companies’ participation in standardization committees is essential to defending Moroccan products’ specificities. “This involvement not only helps prevent standards that could disadvantage national products but also enables the submission of new proposals to promote Moroccan goods across the continent.”
Taibi also highlighted that Morocco “would propose the creation of new committees to serve the interests of Moroccan businesses at these meetings.”
The initiatives are carried out in close collaboration with industry professionals. This engagement aligns with Morocco’s political and economic achievements in Africa and would harmonize standards with the country’s progress across various sectors on the continent.
ARSO’s President Alex Dodoo underscored the significance of standardization for the continent’s economic development. He said: “The diversity of perspectives in the session is vital for the African community, as it fosters a richer dialogue and a deeper understanding of the various types of assistance, support, and guidance required.”
Dodoo added that to ensure constructive discussions on sustainable Artificial Intelligence (AI), “it is essential to establish a clear framework.” The framework includes integrating decentralization as a central agenda item, enabling in-depth and inclusive exchanges. “AI can support African economies by addressing specific needs and unlocking growth potential in this area,” ARSO President noted.
ARSO’s Secretary General Hermogene Nsengimana stated: that “Oover the next three days, the council would convene to review continent-wide harmonized standards.” The main objectives include approving 141 new African standards to strengthen the coherence and harmonization of standards across various sectors.
The council will also discuss innovative strategies to enhance Africa’s influence in international standardization to help countries and stakeholders integrate effectively into the AfCFTArican Continental Free Trade Area, thereby facilitating smoother and more competitive intra-African trade.
“The meeting will include an assessment of sustainability issues, a critical topic in the current context, with council members working together to identify actions for sustainable development that address contemporary challenges, to promote environmentally responsible practices within African standards,” Nsengimana stated.
IMANOR’s membership in the ARSO Council is defending the interests of Moroccan operators, aiming to provide them providing them with easier access to African markets through standards that will serve as common technical references.