http://www.arso-caco.org/

ARSO Certification System (ARSO-CERT) is a regional certification system established by ARSO following the expansion of ARSO’s mandate by the Lagos Plan of Action for the Economic Development of Africa (1980 – 2000). ARSO CERT is a continental certification marking scheme intended to certify the quality of and promoting African products. Following the approval by 48th Council for the re-launching of the ARSO Certification System, the ARSO Secretariat renamed ARSO-CERTCO to ARSO Conformity Assessment Committee (ARSO CACO) with expanded mandate to oversee all forms of conformity assessment with in Africa.

ARSO CACO seeks to enable member states to produce and offer consistent and improved quality of goods/products and services through harmonisation of common quality control, inspection and testing activities using standards as a medium.

ARSO CACO OBJECTIVES

  • Provide for an African Certification System for processes, goods, products and services produced in accordance with the Africa Standards (ARS) issued by ARSO.
  • Improve the quality of goods in Africa.
  • Provide a forum for collaboration in Conformity Assessment activities in Africa with a view to affording mutual benefits to the participating members of ARSO CACO.

Participating Member States: (1) Botswana (2) Burkina Faso (3) Cameroon (4) Chad (5) Congo DR (6) Cote D’Ivoire (7) Djibouti (8) Egypt (9) Ethiopia (10) Ghana (11) Kenya (12) Madagascar (13) Malawi (14) Morocco (15) Mauritius (16) Namibia (17) Nigeria (18) Rwanda  (19) Sierra Leone (20) Senegal (21) Seychelles (22) Somalia (23) South Africa (24) South Sudan (25) Tanzania (26) Togo (27) Tunisia (28) Uganda (29)Zambia (30) Zimbabwe

Leadership

Chairperson: Kenya – Caroline Outa

Vice Chairperson: – Tunisia-Anissa Chamakh

Secretary: South Africa – Mr Katima Temba

Sub committee on Standards Implementation

Chairperson: Nigeria – Moshood Adebayo Shittu

Vice Chairperson: Seychelles – Felina Rose

Secretary: Egypt – Esraa Mustafa Emara

Working Groups under Sub committee on Standards Implementation

CACO WG 1: Policy and Governance (Convenor – Eng. Esraa Ahmed Abdelaziz (Egypt), Secretary – Mr Kahuma Philip (Uganda))

CACO WG 2: Products and Sustainability Certification Schemes (Convenor – Leslie Chesaango (South Africa), Secretary – Nathalie Eyeffa (Cameroon))

CACO WG 3: Services (Convenor -Diana Rakotoarisoa (Madagascar), Secretary – Mr Adebola Olajide (Nigeria))

CACO WG 4: African Traditional Medicine (Convenor – Sheila Cherono (Kenya), Secretary – Dr. Sarah Mwangi (Kenya))

Sub committee on Technical Regulations

Chairperson: Rwanda – Alex Gisagara

Vice Chairperson: Cote D Ivoire – Sophie Ahoulo

Secretary: Egypt – Eng. Mohammed Hassan

Working Groups under Sub committee on Technical Regulations

TR-WG 1: Crops and plant protection (Convenor – Sheila Cherono (Kenya), Secretary – Dr. Sarah Mwangi (Kenya))

TR-WG 2: Animal resources (Convenor – Prof Jacob Alhassan Hamidu (Ghana), Secretary – Samuel Kwatia (Ghana))

TR-WG 3: Infrastructure (Convenor – , Secretary – )

TR-WG 4: Building and construction (Convenor – Dr. Shady Nabil Hammouda (Egypt), Secretary – Ms. Eng. Ekram Said Hassan (Egypt))

TR-WG 5: Pharmaceuticals and medical devices (Convenor – Mr Benson Abama (Ghana), Secretary – Ms Boyoguino Loris Fernanda (Cameroon)) 

TR-WG 6 -Fishery & Aquaculture

ARSO CACO WG -MRAs

ARSO CACO WG – Market Surveillance (Convenor – Mr. Bongani Khanyile (South Africa), Secretary – Mr Peter Kaigwara (Kenya)) 

ARSO CACO WG-4th Industrial Revolution

Pharmaceutical TR SC WG5

Chairperson: South Africa – Momeena Omarjee

Secretary: Nigeria – Benson Abam