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