ASTM International – Helping Our World Work Better

Dan Kithome Newsletter

By: Jim Olshefsky, Director of External Relations ASTM International

Abstract:  The article is intended to provide a brief introduction about ASTM International, its role in the development of standards, and promotion of the communication between ASTM International and worldwide national standards bodies, including the African Organisation for Standardisation (ARSO).

About ASTM International

ASTM International, formerly known as the American Society for Testing and Materials, is a globally recognized leader in the development and delivery of voluntary consensus standards.  On June 16, 1898, seventy engineers and businessmen met in Philadelphia to form the American Section of the International Association for Testing Materials. The American Section’s first technical committee on steel initiated a series of discussions of testing and material standards for the railroad industry, where most of its members were employed.  At the fifth annual meeting of the American Section in 1902, they renamed the organization the American Society for Testing Materials.  In 2001, ASTM changed its name to “ASTM International” to better reflect ASTM’s support of a standards development process that incorporates consensus irrespective of national borders.  Today, over 12,000 ASTM standards are used around the world to improve product quality, enhance health and safety, strengthen market access and trade, and build consumer confidence.

ASTM’s leadership in international standards development is driven by the contributions of our members: more than 30,000 of the world’s top technical experts and business professionals representing 150 countries. Working in an open and transparent process and using ASTM’s advanced Information Technology (IT) infrastructure, ASTM members create the test methods, specifications, classifications, guides, and practices that support consumers, industries, and governments worldwide.

ASTM International standards are developed in accordance with the guiding principles of the World Trade Organization for the development of international standards: coherence, consensus, development dimension, effectiveness, impartiality, openness, relevance, and transparency.  ASTM International world headquarters is located in West Conshohocken, Pennsylvania, U.S.A.  The organization also has offices in Belgium, Canada, China, Peru, and Washington, D.C.  

Memorandum of Understanding Program

Launched in 2001, ASTM International’s Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) program promotes communication between ASTM International and national standards bodies worldwide, fostering awareness of the standardization systems of all parties involved. The purpose of the program is to increase greater worldwide participation in the ASTM standards development process and facilitate the development of national standards that will aid health, safety, environmental, and economic conditions.

ASTM has had an active role in Africa since the signing of its first MoU on the African continent with the Standards Association of Zimbabwe in 2002.  Since then, ASTM has signed MoU’s with 28 other African national standards bodies as well as two regional organizations; SADC Cooperation in Standards (SADCSTAN) in 2003 and the Arab Industrial Development and Mining Organization (AIDMO) in 2019.  A 2014 conversation between ASTM’s Vice President of Global Cooperation, Teresa Cendrowska, and officials from the Cameroon Agence des Normes et de la Qualité (ANOR) led to the signing of an MoU with the African Organisation for Standardisation (ARSO) in 2015.   

“The MOU will strengthen the relationship between our organizations to help meet the needs of people and businesses in Africa and around the world.  In addition, the MOU will aid in the development of standards for health, safety and the environment in ARSO member states,” concluded the ASTM President at the occasion of the signing of the MoU between ARSO and ASTM in 2015.

Dr. Hermogene Nsengimana, ARSO’s Secretary General, and Ms. Teresa Cendrowska, ASTM VP of Global Cooperation meet in Nairobi, Kenya at ARSO headquarters in 2018.  

ARSO, formerly the African Regional Organisation for Standardisation traces its genesis to the unfolding events and the prevailing mood of the African socio-political and economic Pan-Africanism of the 1970s and the culmination of which at a Conference held at the historic and important city of Accra, Ghana in 1977.  In January of that year, the African Governments under the auspices of the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) and the Organisation of African Unity (OAU) (currently African Union (AU)) convened the Founding Conference of ARSO to consider the first Constitution of ARSO and to witness the formation of the Organisation to speed-up African Economic Integration.  Today, ARSO serves as Africa’s intergovernmental standards body with the mandate of creating tools for standards development, harmonization, and implementation. Together, these systems work to enhance Africa’s internal trading capacity, increase Africa’s product and service competitiveness globally, uplift the welfare of African consumers, and serve as a standardization forum for future prospects in international trade.

The MoU signed between ASTM International and ARSO provides the opportunity for both organizations to have closer communications. It allows ASTM International’s technical resources to strengthen the relationship between the two parties to enhance their support for the needs of the ARSO Member States. ASTM International annually provides a complete subscription of its 12,000 standards to ARSO for its use in strengthening the ARSO standards program.  Currently, ASTM has 116 MoU’s with national standards bodies and regional bodies worldwide, the most recent of which was an MoU signed with the Standards New Zealand  in August 2020.

As reported by ARSO members in their respective annual reports to ASTM International, there are 6,632

citations to ASTM International standards from 131 ASTM technical committees. The use of ASTM standards yields many benefits and opportunities for the individual nations, the continent of Africa, and globally:

  • Significant cost and time reduction to deliver standards
  • Advances technical content and discussion
  • Provides a common technical, business and regulatory language
  • Enables the use of international standards
  • Limits potential for barriers to trade
  • Supports the UN Sustainable Development Goals

Individual MoU partner countries in Africa include Algeria, Angola, Botswana, Burundi, Cameroon, Congo, Cote d’Ivoire, Egypt, Ethiopia, Gambia, Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Mauritius, Morocco, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria, Rwanda, Seychelles, Senegal, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Eswatini, Tanzania, Tunisia, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

How ASTM Standards are Used

The information below provides some examples of how various African countries are utilizing ASTM International standards in several industry sectors.

ASTM Membership Requirements

Many professionals and students in Africa have taken advantage of the opportunity to participate as members of ASTM International, which is one of the benefits of the MoU program.  Membership with ASTM International offers a wealth of opportunities, including the ability to propose modifications to the content of the standards and to make contact with some of the world’s renowned experts.  ASTM membership is open to any interested party and requests for membership applications can be addressed to the author or found on the ASTM website.

ASTM Standard Development Process

The process used by ASTM International to develop standards is extremely flexible, refined over 120 years, to accommodate a diverse collection of activities. Test methods, specifications, classifications, practices, guides, and terminology are different categories of standards offered by ASTM. Areas ranging from petroleum, steel, and plastics, to homeland security, unmanned vehicles, and sustainability have all achieved standards-based solutions via ASTM’s standard development process.

ASTM receives a variety of requests for new standards development activities ranging from the development of a single standard to the formation of a new main technical committee. It’s important to note that not all requests ultimately reach fruition. As the organizational process evolves, it may be determined that the stakeholder’s interest is insufficient, other standards may exist that satisfy the particular need, or that it is premature for a consensus standards program. When a request is initially submitted, ASTM maps the scope and subject area to its existing committee population. If ASTM can find an appropriate venue, it coordinates the proposed activity with the officers of the committee and subcommittee(s) in question. If the request covers an area unrepresented within ASTM, the staff will proceed with their new organizational activity process.

All technical decisions regarding a proposed activity are made by the appropriate committee members who are technical experts from industry, government, academia, and consumers, not by the ASTM staff. Specific staff resources and activities include the following:

  • Staff management and administrative support for all technical committees
  • Professional editing
  • Providing templates for new standards
  • Web-based collaborative areas for pre-ballot standards work
  • Web conferencing
  • Electronic submittals and balloting of standards
  • Product and Personnel Certification Services
  • Interlaboratory study program
  • Training and symposia services

Should there be a need to revise an existing ASTM International standard, to closely meet specific needs, the first step is to contact the chair of the subcommittee with jurisdiction over the document in question to explain the rationale for that proposed change.  The request will trigger the formation of a task group to develop a revision. If it is not known which subcommittee has jurisdiction, the staff manager should be contacted or the ASTM International website should be searched to locate the specific committee, subcommittee, and staff manager for all approved ASTM International standards.

There are many different roles within the ASTM standards development process including: ASTM technical committee members, technical contacts for work items, subcommittee and main committee officers, and attendees at meetings. The ASTM Regulations’ Appendix B: ASTM International Responsibilities of Membership are intended to assist members in the ASTM process in executing their respective roles and responsibilities. Because no single set of guidelines can address every possible situation, ASTM members and visitors attempt to act in a manner which is consistent with the mission of ASTM and its policies, as well as the spirit of these guidelines. Concerns regarding member responsibilities are reviewed and resolved by the appropriate officers of the technical committee.

Once approval has been received from the subcommittee to begin a revision, a new work item should be registered using the registration form in the “Members Only” area of the ASTM website.  An electronic version of the ASTM standard are sent to the requester in Microsoft Word. Ballot submittal instructions are included along with the Word document. It should be noted that if any problems arise during the revision process, the staff manager of the committee will be available to resolve them.

The ballot must contain a cover letter explaining the reason for the proposed action. Examples of such reasons are the following:

  • Request by an organization or individual for a new standard
  • Substantive changes made in response to negative votes or comments on a previous ballot
  • Request for revisions to a standard
  • Any other circumstance prompting a subcommittee ballot

Subcommittee ballots are conducted by ASTM headquarters. The ballot results, negatives, and comments are included in a closing report which all subcommittee members can access via the ASTM website once the ballot is closed.  Sixty percent of the official voting members must return ballots before the ballot can close. Abstaining votes are counted for the requirement.  An affirmative vote of at least two-thirds of the combined affirmative and negative votes cast by the official voting members on each ballot item is required for a successful ballot of that item. Abstentions do not count in the calculation.

Negative votes received on subcommittee ballots are considered by the subcommittee that initiated the item. If substantive changes to the document are made in response to a persuasive negative vote, the item must be re-balloted. If, however, all negative votes are withdrawn or ruled not related or not persuasive, the item may go on to main committee ballot assuming all other ballot requirements are met.

The ASTM Regulations mandate that all negative votes must be considered, and proper consideration of negative votes cast throughout the ballot process demands that due process be afforded to all negative voters. Negative votes received on subcommittee ballots are considered by the subcommittee that initiated the ballot item. Negative votes received on main committee ballots are considered by the subcommittee that initiated the ballot item and, if necessary, by the main committee. The subcommittee chair report at the main meeting must report on these negative votes and the subcommittee’s consideration of them, including rationales for any action taken and vote counts on motions. At the main meeting, the committee chair must allow discussion before taking a vote on any motions to uphold the actions of the subcommittee. A hand count of official voting members must be taken on these motions. The votes are recorded, along with the reasons for the motion, in the minutes.

After a standard has successfully cleared the three levels of peer review provided by ASTM (subcommittee, main committee, and Society), it is assigned a fixed alphanumeric designation and receives an official approval date. The document is then considered to be an ASTM standard and is capable of being cited in contractual language, referenced by a code body, or mandated by a state or local government.  Average development time for a new standard is approximately 18 months and eight months for a revision of a currently approved standard.

During the main committee ballot and Society Review, the ASTM editorial department works to ensure that the standard is in the correct format and is correctly tagged using Standard Generalized Markup Language (SGML).

Approximately eight weeks after a standard is approved, it is available for distribution as a stand-alone document in a variety of media (email, fax, hard-copy) and may be purchased from ASTM International via customer service (610-832-9585) or the ASTM International website (www.astm.org). All ASTM International standards are housed in specific volumes of ASTM’s annual book of standards.  Several translations of ASTM standards are also available for sale and can be found by visiting the Standards and Publications pages of the ASTM website.  

Proficiency Testing Programs

ASTM proficiency testing programs are statistical quality assurance programs that enable laboratories to evaluate & improve performance, as well as maintain and fulfill mandatory accreditation requirements.  As a proficiency testing program participant, laboratories receive different samples (representative of the product line) for each test cycle, electronic data submittal forms, and test instructions. The laboratory performs the test they normally conduct within their own facility using the specified ASTM methods cited in the program. Upon completing the tests, each laboratory electronically submits their test data to ASTM for use in generating statistical summary reports. 70 laboratories from 15 different African countries, are already participating in 35 different programs.

Visits of International Delegates to ASTM International

In 2019, ASTM staff met with a delegation of international experts at the Bi-annual meetings of ASTM committee D02 on petroleum products, liquid fuels, and lubricants in New Orleans, LA, USA. The visit focused on learning more about the U.S. standardization system, ASTM’s standardization process, and specifically ASTM standards for petroleum products. The delegation included experts from the petroleum industry globally, some of whom were traveling to the meetings on business and others who were participating in ASTM led programs.  ASTM regularly offers capacity building activities both in-person and online.

From left to right: Elton Patram, Guyana National Standards Bureau; Jaeuk Ahn, Korean Agency for Technology and Standards; Paul Ameh, Standards Organization of Nigeria; Jerome Nzuba, Kenya Bureau of Standards; Joyce Mbeyella, Colonial Pipeline Co. (originally Tanzania); Ricardo Villalva, Petro Ecuador

Opportunities for delegations or individuals to visit ASTM International are available to representatives of industry and government. These visits are for those who wish to use or better understand ASTM International standards and/or contribute to the content of the ASTM standards to reflect local market and regulatory needs.  Participants can meet with technical experts in their field and develop a network of contacts.  A typical program includes eight to ten participants who are technical experts within a sector or technical field.  Costs are covered primarily by the participants’ sponsoring industry or government, although ASTM staff plans and executes these programs, including key site visits, for which it does not charge the participants.

ASTM and ARSO will continue to take steps to encourage and support greater African participation in ASTM standards development activities and in laboratory proficiency testing programs. Together they will pursue professional exchange programs for ARSO experts to come to ASTM International Headquarters for extended study of the ASTM International standards development process. 

About the Author

Mr. Jim Olshefsky has worked at ASTM International for 22 years supporting the development and promotion of voluntary consensus standards for materials, products, systems and services.  In 2007, Mr. Olshefsky assumed the role of Director of External Relations where he helps to facilitate ASTM’s international outreach within ASTM’s Global Cooperation Department.  Mr. Olshefsky supports ASTM’s Memorandum of Understanding program with developing countries and his work is focused in Latin America, the Caribbean, and the Middle East.  His contributions include speaking to international audiences, students, and educators to promote the use of ASTM standards worldwide and to encourage increased standards education at universities.  Prior to moving to Global Cooperation, he directed ASTM’s Committee Services Department in the Technical Committee Operations Division and spent several years as a Staff Manager of various ASTM technical committees.  Mr. Olshefsky has a BS degree in Business Logistics from the Pennsylvania State University.

More information on the MoU program can be found on the ASTM International Web site (www.astm.org/GLOBAL) or contact Mr. Jim Olshefsky at jolshefsky@astm.org

Jim Olshefsky, ASTM International, attending the 2018 ARSO
General Assembly

Press Release – AFREXIMBANK and ITFC Partner with ARSO to Facilitate Intra-African Trade in Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices, under the Umbrella of the AATB Program

Dan Kithome International Cooperations, Press Release

The new initiative aims to harmonize African standards for pharmaceuticals and medical devices thereby enhancing intra-African trade, reducing substandard counterfeit products, and building resilient regional health systems.

(Jeddah, Cairo, Nairobi, 14 September 2020) – The African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) and the International Islamic Trade Finance Corporation (ITFC), have partnered with the African Organisation for Standardisation (ARSO), to launch a new Arab-Africa Trade Bridges Program (AATB) initiative called the Harmonisation of Standards for Pharmaceutical and Medical Devices in Africa, aimed at promoting the quality and safety of medicines and medical devices imported or produced on the continent.

Harmonized product standards are critical to the implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA), ensuring that producers of goods on the continent comply with one shared set of minimum regulatory and customer quality requirements, in turn allowing them to supply the continental market and beyond with goods that meet those standards. The harmonisation of standards also serves to enhance the quality of African manufacturing and boost intra-African and Arab-African trade and investment – one of the AATB’s key objectives.

The initiative, which will be implemented in a phased manner over three years, begins immediately with the harmonisation of standards for pharmaceutical products and medical devices for use in the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The second phase will analyse and assess existing international, regional, and national standards for their suitability in meeting the unique challenges faced by African healthcare industries before achieving the 3rd phase, which is the harmonization of the related African Standards and their adoption on the continent.

Commenting on the initiative, ITFC CEO, Eng. Hani Salem Sonbol said, “From a trade development standpoint, harmonizing the standards of pharmaceutical products and medical devices in Africa is a crucial first step in facilitating local production and trade within sector. Such standards provide a necessary baseline from which to regulate the sector more effectively, raising the quality of locally produced life-saving drugs and related products, and ensuring timely access to appropriate and affordable medicines, vaccines, and other health services for those who need them most. It will also act as a catalyst for Africa to benefit from a burgeoning pharmaceutical sector, expanding trade opportunities locally and beyond borders thus creating long term sustainable socio-economic impact on the continent”.

The initiative will also serve to enhance trade and investment within Africa’s healthcare industry by boosting the manufacture of high-quality homegrown products and services – objectives laid out within the AfCFTA.

Welcoming the initiative, Mrs. Kanayo Awani, Afreximbank’s Managing Director of the Intra-African Trade Initiative said, “At a time when the demand for quality medicines and medical devices is increasing, Africa needs to reinforce regional value chains to scale-up the supply of quality medical products. This would also contribute to building the continent’s resilience against pandemics like COVID-19 in the future. Furthermore, leveraging on the African Continental Free Trade Agreement, this joint initiative will also facilitate increased intra-African trade in pharmaceuticals and medical consumables.”

As part of a COVID-19 response, the harmonization of standards will facilitate the development of equivalent technical regulations among African countries. Therefore, distribution of medical supplies and equipment from one country to another can be fast-tracked.

A long-term outcome of the initiative will be the emergence of regional supply chains for pharmaceutical and medical devices, which will foster an ecosystem of innovation, local production and the development of medical products for diseases that are currently neglected.

Commenting on the initiative, ARSO’s Secretary General, Dr Hermogene Nsengimana, said “While on one hand COVID-19 has created social distancing as a new norm, on another hand it has brought Africa together by opening our eyes to the need for industrialisation. Standards circulated by ARSO and other standards organisations related to face masks, and hand sanitizers have been used widely by African SMEs to develop locally made personal protective equipment thereby shedding light on the role of standards in industrialization, safety, and trade. This Initiative with Afreximbank and ITFC, will not only help in increasing local production but will also create trust and enable cross border trade and investment for pharmaceutical products and medical devices.”

The African Organisation for Standardisation (ARSO) will play a key role in the development of standardization policies, applying existing principles and procedures that are already set out in the African Standards Harmonisation Model (ASHAM). ARSO’s involvement will be supported by its Council, in addition to a Joint Advisory Group comprised of Regional Economic Communities, and a series of technical committees, which will carry out the harmonisation work with the resources provided under this grant from AFREXIMBANK and ITFC.

-End-

About the International Islamic Trade Finance Corporation (ITFC)

The International Islamic Trade Finance Corporation (ITFC) is a member of the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) Group. It was established with the primary objective of advancing trade among OIC member countries, which would ultimately contribute to the overarching goal of improving socioeconomic conditions of the people across the world.  Since 2008, ITFC has provided more than US$51 billion to OIC member countries, making it the leading provider of trade solutions for the Member Countries’ needs. With a mission to become a catalyst for trade development for OIC Member Countries and beyond, the Corporation helps entities in Member Countries gain better access to trade finance and provides them with the necessary trade-related capacity building tools, which would enable them to successfully compete in the global market.

Contact us 

Twitter: @ITFCCORP 

Facebook: @ITFCCORP 

LinkedIn: International Islamic Trade Finance Corporation (ITFC) 

Tel: +966 12 646 8337

Fax: +966 12 637 1064 

E-mail: ITFC@itfc-idb.org 

About the African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank)

The African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) is a Pan-African multilateral financial institution with the mandate of financing and promoting intra-and extra-African trade. Afreximbank was established in October 1993 and owned by African governments, the African Development Bank, and other African multilateral financial institutions as well as African and non-African public and private investors. The Bank was established under two constitutive documents, an Agreement signed by member states, which confers on the Bank the status of an international organization, and a Charter signed by all Shareholders, which governs its corporate structure and operations. Afreximbank deploys innovative structures to deliver financing solutions that are supporting the transformation of the structure of Africa’s trade, accelerating industrialization and intra-regional trade, thereby sustaining economic expansion in Africa. At the end of 2019, the Bank’s total assets and guarantees stood at USD$15.5 billion and its shareholders funds amounted to US$2.8 billion. Voted “African Bank of the Year” in 2019, the Bank disbursed more than US$31billion between 2016 and 2019. Afreximbank has ratings assigned by GCR (international scale) (A-), Moody’s (Baa1) and Fitch (BBB-). The Bank is headquartered in Cairo, Egypt.

For more information, visit: www.afreximbank.com.

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About the African Organization for Standardisation (ARSO

The African Organization for Standardisation (ARSO) traces its genesis to the unfolding events and the prevailing mood of the African socio-political and economic Pan-Africanism of the 1970s, the idea of a continental standardization body had received considerable impetus from the buoyant and optimistic mood that characterized the post-independence period in most of Africa.  The mood then, under the Organisation of African Unity (OAU),currently African Union, was one of pan-African solidarity and collective self-reliance born of a shared destiny with standardization viewed as a guidepost of the destiny and bedrock of African Economic Integration Agenda and a route to linking up of the fresh Africa’s economy with the rest of the world and to deliver the African Common Market for economic prosperity of the continent. ARSO was then established by OAU as intergovernmental organization, 1977 mandated to harmonize standards and conformity assessment to increase intra Africa trade and global trade. Under the AfCFTA agreement, ARSO is in charge of developing standards to be used by the State party. The standardization work is done by experts nominated by African Union’s member states who are members of ARSO, and the work is guided by the Africa Standard Harmonization Model (ASHAM).

About the Arab-Africa Trade Bridges (AATB) Program

AATB is a multi-donor, multi-country and multi-organizations program, aiming to promote and increase trade and investment flows between African and Arab member countries; provide and support trade finance and export credit insurance; and enhance existing capacity building tools relating to trade. The program specifically focuses on the key sectors of agriculture and related industries including textiles; health industry including pharmaceuticals; infrastructure and transport; and petrochemicals, construction material and technology.

Contact us 

Twitter: @aatb_program

Facebook: @aatbprogram

E-mail: aatb@itfc-idb.org 

ARSO Webinar: Understanding the ASHAM in promoting the Policy of One Standard One Market for the Implementation of the AFCFTA AGREEMENT, TBT ANNEX 6

Dan Kithome AfCFTA, Webinar

Register in advance for this meeting:
https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZUrduurpjwiHtaEcbZo4ZQWy7g9JmNkyhhf

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.

02.30 p.m. to 04.30 p.m. East African Time 21st July 2020

CONCEPT NOTE

Presiding Moderator: Dr. Hermogene Nsengimana, Secretary General, African Organization for Standardization

Speakers

  •  Highlights of the The African Standards Harmonisation Model (ASHAM)- Principles, Objectives, Structures and standards Harmonisation Process and the TBT Annex 6- Reuben Gisore, Technical Director, ARSO.
  • The Standardisation Process and the Role of Experts in the ARSO Standards Harmonisation Process under ASHAM – Shady Nabil, Ass. Professor (Egypt) – Chairperson for THC03 – Building and Construction.
  • The Roles of the Technical Committees, Sub- Committees and the Working Groups (TCs, SCs, WGs) – Ms. Amanda Gcabashe, South Africa – Chairperson of the ARSO THC 13 on African Traditional Medicine.
  • Summary and Way Forward: Dr. Hermogene Nsengimana, Secretary General, ARSO.

Rationale for the Webinar and Background Information on ASHAM.

The Abuja Treaty of 1991 establishing the African Economic Community Chapter XI, Article 67 where member states agreed to, among others, adopt a common policy on standardization and quality assurance of goods and services among member states. This was reinforced by the Conference of African Ministers of Trade (CAMI 17) in 2004, which highlighted the need for an Experts Led developed Policy Document for harmonising the African Standards and based on the WTO TBT Agreement principles of openness, consultation and transparency, as expressed in Annex 3 on the code of good practice in the preparation, adoption and application of standards.

Upon this background ARSO in collaboration with the EOS, Egypt organised the 1st Expert Working Group (EWG) Meeting on Evolution of African Standards Harmonisation Model (ASHAM) in Cairo, Egypt on 22-25 May 2007, hosted by the Arab Republic of Egypt AND sponsored by the Swedish International Development Co-operation Agency (Sida), with Experts from ARSO Member States, RECs and Representatives of AU and UNECA. The EWG evolved the ASHAM in two parts namely at the sub-regional and the regional levels.  The harmonisation model was addressed as a recommendation to the sub-regional harmonisation groups with a view to ensuring that all the sub-regional groupings were working according to the same principles which would create confidence among African countries to accept sub-regional harmonised standards.

The 42 ARSO Council, held on 31st March – 1st April 2011, at the Nicon Luxury Hotel, Abuja, Nigeria, under its resolution 2, ii, DIRECTED that the ASHAM Model be fully developed to include procedures and marketed to all African stakeholders in simple formats and especially through the NSBs and REC focal points. The first Draft was presented to the 43rd ARSO Council meeting, held in ECA Conference Centre, Caucus Room 10, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia ON 23rd – 24th June 2011, which, under its resolution 6, REVIEWED AND APPROVED the first draft of the Standards Harmonization Procedures Manual (ASHAM-SHP-01). The Draft was further validated during the ARSO-PTB Training on the Interplay between Standards and Technical Regulations in October 2011, in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The ARSO General Assembly, in its 18th Session held on 20 November 2011in Windhoek, Namibia, considered the ASHAM which was presented to the Assembly as ARSO General Assembly Document No.  18GA/4 – ASHAM-SHP-01, and under its resolution 13, RATIFED the ASHAM.

In furtherance of the  “One Standard-One market policy”  the AfCFTA Agreement in the objectives of the TBT Annex 6, calls for the need to identify and assess the instruments for trade facilitation such as harmonization of standards, equivalence of technical regulations, metrology, accreditation and conformity assessment, and the reinforcement of international best practices in regulation and standards setting, through establishing mechanisms and structures to enhance transparency in the development and implementation of standards, technical regulations, metrology, accreditation and conformity assessment procedures.

ASHAM REVIEW – THE 2ND EDITION 2019

In order to reflect the new emerging dynamics under the ARSO-RECS Standards Harmonisation Cooperation, the review of ASHAM was initiated in 2018 in which various changes in the ASHAM Structure, including the creation of the African Advisory Group (JAG) and Standards Management Committee (SMC) were created, to reflect the joint ARSO-RECs harmonization activities and joint priorities derived from RECs’ and AU development Agendas and as per the TBT Annex 6 directives on Cooperation Mechanisms in standards development and harmonisation.

Therefore, the 59th ARSO Council Meeting , held at the Boma Hotel in Nairobi, Kenya  on 6th December 2018 under the theme: “The Role of ARSO within the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), under its Resolution 8 on ARSO Council Committee (Technical Management Committee) Recommendations, on Item number 4, Proceedings of ARSO-RECs Meeting Report, Nairobi 22nd – 24th October, 2018, (a, iii) TOOK NOTE of the, NEED to ensure comprehensive Stakeholders Engagement in the selection of standardisation projects in ARSO-RECS common priority sectors, and under b, iii,  APPROVED, (i) the Review of the African Standards Harmonization Model (ASHAM) to reflect the joint ARSO-RECs harmonization and reflection of the adoption of the African Standards at RECs levels, (ii) the Establishment of the Joint Advisory Group (JAG) to guide the process of joint ARSO-RECs standards harmonization, and the Standards Management Committee (SMC) to be in charge of the management of procedures (ii)  The development of Joint New Work items generated by RECs and National country members and the analysis of the ARSO and RECS catalogues. Further, the 60th ARSO Council held on 17th and 18th June 2019, at Panari, Hotel, Nairobi, Kenya, under its resolution   8, ARSO Council Committee (Technical Management Committee) Meetings and Reports, on item 4, the ARSO-RECs Joint Harmonization Update, (a) TOOK NOTE of the review of the African Standards Harmonization Model (ASHAM) to reflect the joint ARSO-RECs harmonization activities and joint priorities derived from RECs and AU development agendas. On the same note, the 25th General Assembly held at the Panari Hotel, Nairobi, Kenya on 20th June 2019, under its Resolution 7 (ARSO’s Current activities Status) and Resolution 9 a, ii, on Report of the ARSO Council (59th and 60th GA Decisions) to the General Assembly, respectively HIGHLIGHTED and TOOK NOTE the Review of the African Standards Harmonization Model (ASHAM) to reflect the joint ARSO-RECs standards harmonization activities and reflection of the adoption of the African Standards at RECs levels, formally ENDORSED the ASHAM review process.

THE ASHAM

In Scope, the ASHAM document lays down the basic principles ((Openness, Transparency, Impartiality, Coherence, Consensus and Development Dimension), procedures and mechanisms by which the ARSO Technical Harmonization Committees (THCs), ARSO Central Secretariat and the ARSO Member States are to harmonize, publish and maintain African Standards and other deliverables. The procedures define the methodologies for the development, harmonization, adoption and publication of African standards. The ASHAM Document clarifies the standards Harmonisation process, outlining the different stages and the responsibilities. The ASHAM Document defines the various Structures including the Joint Advisory Group (JAG), the Standards Management Committee (SMC), The Technical Committees, The Sub-Committees (SCs), The Working Groups and the role of the National Bureau of Standards. The Document highlights the TCs leadership structures and responsibilities.

Wherever feasible, and with the necessary modifications, the ASHAM procedures are based on the relevant ISO/IEC Directives. Cognizance has also been taken of the WTO TBT Agreements, and consideration of Annex 3 on best International Practices in standards development, adoption and application. The ASHAM document provides referenced documents which are indispensable for its application. For dated references, only the edition cited applies. For undated references, the latest edition of the referenced document (including any amendments) applies.

  1. The African Standards Harmonization Model (ASHAM)
  2. Treaties, Agreements and Protocols establishing the respective Regional Economic Communities and their attendant Standardization Bodies.
  3. ISO/IEC Directives ― Part 1: Procedures for the Technical Work
  4. ISO/IEC Directives ― Part 2: Rules for the structure and drafting of international standards
  5. WTO Agreement of Technical Barriers to Trade (WTO TBT Agreement)
  6. Procedures for Development of East African Standards, 2005
  7. Principles and Procedures for the Development of SADC Harmonized Texts, 2009
  8. Procedures for harmonization of standards in the COMESA Region, 2004
  9. Principles and Procedures for the Development of Tripartite Standards.

The Webinar

Objective of the Webinar

The Main objective is to offer a platform for discussion about the ARSO ASHAM, its objectives, Principles and Application in African Standards Development and Harmonisation as highlighted in the TBT Annex 6.

Specific Objectives

  1. Understanding the ASHAM Principles on standards harmonisation in line with the WTO TBT Agreements, Objectives and
  2. Undestanding the ASHAM Components and Structures, including the basic Committees (JAG, SMC, TCs, SCs, WGs) and their roles, including their leaderships.
  3. Understanding the basic ASHAM Reference Documents
  4. Understanding the Challenges and possible solutions in the implementation ASHAM.
  5. Understanding the Standards Hamonisation Process and the role of Experts

Outputs of Webinar

  1. Presentations of the ASHAM
  2. Discussions and Comments on the ASHAM
  3. Report of Webinar

Outcomes of Webinar

  1. Enhanced understanding of the ASHAM Principles, Structures and the ARSO Standards Harmonisation process and Activities, including the ARSO Standardisation Sectors and Technical Committees
  2. Enhanced Understanding of the Responsibilities of the Experts and Member States in ARSO Standards (ASHAM) Harmonisation process.
  3. Increased synergy and coordination in the Initiation and coordination in the development and Harmonisation of national and/or sub-regional standards as African standards, including role of RECs.
  4. Enhanced transparency in the development and implementation of standards, technical regulations, and metrology, accreditation and conformity assessment procedures.
  5. Capacity Building of the African Standaisation Experts.

ARSO LOGO WATERMARKImpact

  1. Increased Adoption and Implementation of African Standards
  2. Increased effectiveness of the NSBs national Mirror Committees and the Experts
  3. Greater Cooperation and coordination of the standards development and harmonisation process and the roles of all Technical Coomittees, Experts and Working Groups, as per the TBT Annex 6 of the AfCFTA.
  4. Compitent African Experts in standards Harmonisation Processes.
  5. Common policy on standardization and quality assurance of goods and services among member states, as per the Abuja Treaty Chapter XI, Article 67.
  6. openness, consultation and transparency, in ARSO Standaisation Process as expressed by the WTO TBT Agreement annex 3 on the code of good practice in the preparation, adoption and application of standards and TBT Annex 6, .

Mode of Presentation

Speakers from the ARSO member States may prepare brief slides of no more than 5 minutes to guide the discussions. The presentations will be projected by the ARSO Secretariat. Kindly forward the presentations early enough. The webinar will focus more on discussions. Speakers are requested to forward detailed notes to be used for reporting purposes.

Audience

ARSO Membership, Experts and Stakeholders.

Register in advance for this meeting:
https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZUrduurpjwiHtaEcbZo4ZQWy7g9JmNkyhhf

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.

De 14:30 à 16:30 Heure de l’Afrique de l’Est 21 Juillet 2020

NOTE CONCEPTUELLE

Président modérateur: Dr. Hermogene Nsengimana, Secrétaire général, Organisation africaine de normalisation (ORAN)

Intervenants

  • Points saillants du Modèle d’harmonisation des normes africaines (ASHAM) – Principes, objectifs, structures et processus d’harmonisation des normes et de l’annexe 6 des OTC – Reuben Gisore, directeur technique, ORAN.
  • Le processus de normalisation et le rôle des experts dans le processus d’harmonisation des normes de l’ORAN dans le cadre de l’ASHAM – Shady Nabil, Ass. Professeur (Égypte) – Président de la THC03 – Bâtiment et construction.
  • Les rôles des comités techniques, des sous-comités et des groupes de travail (CT, SC, GT) – Mme Amanda Gcabashe, Afrique du Sud – Présidente de l’ORAN THC 13 sur la médecine traditionnelle africaine.
  • Résumé et perspectives d’avenir : Dr.Hermogene Nsengimana, secrétaire général, ORAN.

Justification du webinaire et informations générales sur l’ASHAM.

Le Traité d’Abuja de 1991 établissant la Communauté économique africaine Chapitre XI, article 67 où les États membres ont convenu, entre autres, d’adopter une politique commune de normalisation et d’assurance qualité des biens et des services entre les États membres. Ceci a été renforcé par la Conférence des ministres africains du commerce (CAMI 17) en 2004, qui a souligné la nécessité d’un document politique élaboré par des experts pour harmoniser les normes africaines et basé sur les principes d’ouverture, de consultation et de transparence de l’Accord OTC de l’OMC, comme exprimé dans l’annexe 3 sur le code de bonne pratique pour la préparation, l’adoption et l’application des normes.

Dans ce contexte, l’ORAN a organisé, en collaboration avec l’EOS, la première réunion du groupe de travail d’experts (EWG) sur l’évolution du modèle d’harmonisation des normes africaines (ASHAM) au Caire, en Égypte, du 22 au 25 mai 2007, accueillie par la République arabe d’Égypte et parrainée par l’Agence suédoise de coopération internationale au développement (ASDI), avec des experts des États membres de l’ORAN, des CER et des représentants de l’UA et de l’UNECA. Le EWG a fait évoluer l’ASHAM en deux parties, à savoir au niveau sous-régional et au niveau régional.  Le modèle d’harmonisation a été adressé sous forme de recommandation aux groupes d’harmonisation sous-régionaux afin de s’assurer que tous les groupements sous-régionaux travaillent selon les mêmes principes, ce qui créerait la confiance des pays africains pour accepter les normes harmonisées sous-régionales.

Le 42ème Conseil de l’ORAN, tenu les 31 mars et 1er avril 2011, au Nicon Luxury Hotel, Abuja, Nigeria, en vertu de sa résolution 2, ii, A COMMANDÉ que le modèle ASHAM soit pleinement développé pour inclure des procédures et distribué à toutes les parties prenantes africaines dans des formats simples et en particulier par le biais des ONN et des points focaux des CER. Le premier projet a été présenté à la 43e réunion du Conseil de l’ORAN, tenue au Centre de conférence de la CEA, Caucus Room 10, Addis-Abeba, Ethiopie, les 23 et 24 juin 2011, qui, en vertu de sa résolution 6, A EXAMINÉ ET APPROUVE le premier projet du Manuel de procédures d’harmonisation des normes (ASHAM-SHP-01). Le projet a été validé lors de la formation ORAN-PTB sur l’interaction entre les normes et les règlements techniques en octobre 2011, à Addis-Abeba, en Ethiopie.

L’Assemblée générale de l’ORAN, lors de sa 18e session tenue le 20 novembre 2011 à Windhoek, Namibie, a examiné l’ASHAM qui a été présentée à l’Assemblée en tant que document n° 18GA/4 – ASHAM-SHP-01 de l’Assemblée générale de l’ORAN et, en vertu de sa résolution 13, A RATIFIÉ l’ASHAM.

Dans le cadre de la politique “Une norme, un marché”, l’accord ZLECAf, dans les objectifs de l’annexe 6 des OTC, souligne la nécessité d’identifier et d’évaluer les instruments de facilitation des échanges tels que l’harmonisation des normes, l’équivalence des règlements techniques, la métrologie, l’accréditation et l’évaluation de la conformité, et le renforcement des meilleures pratiques internationales en matière de réglementation et de normalisation, en établissant des mécanismes et des structures visant à améliorer la transparence dans l’élaboration et la mise en œuvre des normes, des règlements techniques, de la métrologie, des procédures d’accréditation et d’évaluation de la conformité.

REVUE ASHAM – 2E ÉDITION 2019

Afin de refléter la nouvelle dynamique émergente dans le cadre de la coopération d’ORAN et les CER en matière d’harmonisation des normes, la révision de l’ASHAM a été lancée en 2018. Diverses modifications ont été apportées à la structure de l’ASHAM, notamment la création du Groupe Consultatif Conjoint (JAG) et du Comité de Gestion des Normes (SMC), afin de refléter les activités d’harmonisation conjointes d’ORAN et les CER et les priorités communes découlant des agendas de développement des CER et de l’UA et conformément aux directives de l’annexe 6 des OTC sur les mécanismes de coopération en matière d’élaboration et d’harmonisation des normes.

La 59ème réunion du Conseil de l’ORAN, tenue à l’hôtel Boma à Nairobi, Kenya, le 6 décembre 2018, sur le thème “Le rôle de l’ORAN au sein de la zone de libre-échange continentale africaine (ZLECAf), dans le cadre de sa résolution RESOLUTION 8: COMITE DU CONSEIL DE L’ORAN (Comité technique de gestion), sur le point numéro 4, Compte rendu de la réunion ORAN-CER, Nairobi du 22 au 24 octobre 2018, (a, iii) A PRI NOTE de la NÉCESSITÉ d’assurer un engagement complet des parties prenantes dans la sélection des projets de normalisation dans les secteurs prioritaires communs ORAN-CER, et sous b, iii, A APPROUVÉ, l’examen du modèle d’harmonisation des normes africaines (ASHAM) pour refléter l’harmonisation conjointe ORAN-CER et la prise en compte de l’adoption des normes africaines au niveau des CER et la création du groupe consultatif conjoint (JAG) pour guider le processus d’harmonisation conjointe des normes ORAN-CER; L’élaboration de nouveaux travaux de normes communs générés par les CER et les pays membres nationaux et l’analyse des catalogues de l’ORAN et des CER et la mise en place du Comité de gestion des normes (SMC) qui sera chargé de la gestion des procédures. En outre, le 60e Conseil de l’ORAN qui s’est tenu les 17 et 18 juin 2019, au Panari, Hotel, Nairobi, Kenya, en vertu de sa résolution 8, Réunions et rapports du Comité du Conseil de l’ORAN (Comité technique de gestion), sur le point 4, la mise à jour de l’harmonisation conjointe ORAN-CER, (a) A PRI NOTE de la révision du Modèle d’harmonisation des normes africaines (ASHAM) pour refléter les activités d’harmonisation conjointes ORAN-CER et les priorités communes dérivées des programmes de développement des CER et de l’UA. Sur la même note, la 25e Assemblée générale qui s’est tenue à l’hôtel Panari, Nairobi, Kenya, le 20 juin 2019, en vertu de sa résolution 7, sur le statut actuel de l’ORAN dans le cadre du plan stratégique 2017-2022, et de la résolution 9 a, ii, sur le rapport du Conseil de l’ORAN sur les activités du Conseil et le statut de l’ORAN depuis la dernière Assemblée générale de l’ORAN (24e AG), sur la base des résolutions des 59e et 60e réunions du conseil de l’ORAN, respectivement, A SOULIGNÉ et FAIT REMARQUER l’examen du modèle d’harmonisation des normes africaines (ASHAM) pour refléter les activités conjointes d’harmonisation des normes de l’ORAN et des CER et la prise en compte de l’adoption des normes africaines au niveau des CER, en approuvant officiellement le processus d’examen de l’ASHAM.

L’ASHAM

Le document ASHAM définit les principes de base (ouverture, transparence, impartialité, cohérence, consensus et dimension de développement), les procédures et les mécanismes par lesquels les comités d’harmonisation technique (THC) de l’ORAN, le secrétariat central de l’ORAN et les États membres de l’ORAN doivent harmoniser, publier et maintenir les normes africaines et autres produits. Les procédures définissent les méthodologies pour le développement, l’harmonisation, l’adoption et la publication des normes africaines. Le document de l’ASHAM clarifie le processus d’harmonisation des normes, en décrivant les différentes étapes et les responsabilités. Le document ASHAM définit les différentes structures, notamment le groupe consultatif conjoint (JAG), le comité de gestion des normes (SMC), les comités techniques, les sous-comités (SC), les groupes de travail et le rôle du bureau national des normes. Le document met en évidence les structures de direction et les responsabilités des TC.

Dans la mesure du possible, et avec les modifications nécessaires, les procédures de l’ASHAM sont basées sur les directives pertinentes ISO/IEC. Il a également été tenu compte des accords OTC de l’OMC et de l’annexe 3 sur les meilleures pratiques internationales en matière d’élaboration, d’adoption et d’application des normes. Le document ASHAM fournit des documents de référence indispensables à son application. Pour les références datées, seule l’édition citée s’applique. Pour les références non datées, c’est la dernière édition du document référencé (y compris les amendements) qui s’applique.

  1. Le modèle africain d’harmonisation des normes (ASHAM)
  2. Traités, accords et protocoles établissant les communautés économiques régionales respectives et les organismes de normalisation correspondants.
  3. Directives ISO/CEI – Partie 1 : Procédures pour les travaux techniques
  4. Directives ISO/CEI – Partie 2 : Règles pour la structure et l’élaboration des normes internationales
  5. Accord de l’OMC sur les obstacles techniques au commerce (Accord OTC de l’OMC)
  6. Procédures pour l’élaboration de normes est-africaines, 2005
  7. Principes et procédures pour l’élaboration des textes harmonisés de la SADC, 2009
  8. Procédures d’harmonisation des normes dans la région du COMESA, 2004
  9. Principes et procédures pour l’élaboration de normes tripartites.

Le webinaire

Objectif du webinaire

L’objectif principal est d’offrir une plate-forme de discussion sur l’ORAN ASHAM, ses objectifs, ses principes et son application dans le développement et l’harmonisation des normes africaines, comme le souligne l’annexe 6 des OTC.

Objectifs spécifiques

  1. Comprendre les principes de l’ASHAM sur l’harmonisation des normes conformément aux accords OTC de l’OMC, les objectifs et
  2. Comprendre les composantes et les structures de l’ASHAM, y compris les comités de base (JAG, SMC, CT, SC, GT) et leurs rôles, y compris leur direction.
  3. Comprendre les documents de référence de base de l’ASHAM
  4. Comprendre les défis et les solutions possibles dans la mise en œuvre de l’ASHAM.
  5. Comprendre le processus d’harmonisation des normes et le rôle des experts

Résultats du webinaire

  1. Présentations de l’ASHAM
  2. Discussions et commentaires sur l’ASHAM
  3. Rapport du webinaire

Résultats à long-terme du webinaire

  1. Meilleure compréhension des principes et des structures de l’ASHAM ainsi que du processus et des activités d’harmonisation des normes de l’ORAN, y compris les secteurs de normalisation et les comités techniques de l’ORAN
  2. Meilleure compréhension des responsabilités des experts et des États membres dans le processus d’harmonisation des normes ORAN (ASHAM).
  3. Synergie et coordination accrues dans l’Initiation et la coordination dans le développement et l’Harmonisation des normes nationales et/ou sous-régionales en tant que normes africaines, y compris le rôle des CER.
  4. Amélioration de la transparence dans l’élaboration et la mise en œuvre des normes, des règlements techniques et des procédures de métrologie, d’accréditation et d’évaluation de la conformité.
  5. Renforcement des capacités des experts africains en matière de normalisation.

Impact

  1. Adoption et mise en œuvre accrues des normes africaines
  2. Efficacité accrue des comités miroirs nationaux des ONN et des experts
  3. Une plus grande coopération et coordination du processus d’élaboration et d’harmonisation des normes et des rôles de tous les comités techniques, experts et groupes de travail, conformément à l’annexe 6 OTC de la ZLECAf.
  4. Experts africains compétents en matière de processus d’harmonisation des normes.
  5. Politique commune de normalisation et d’assurance qualité des biens et services entre les Etats membres, conformément à l’article 67 du chapitre XI du Traité d’Abuja.
  6. L’ouverture, la consultation et la transparence, dans le cadre du processus de normalisation de l’ORAN tel qu’exprimé par l’annexe 3 de l’Accord OTC de l’OMC sur le code de bonne pratique pour la préparation, l’adoption et l’application des normes et l’annexe 6 de l’OTC,.

Mode de présentation

Les orateurs des États membres de l’ORAN peuvent préparer de brèves diapositives d’une durée maximale de 5 minutes pour orienter les discussions. Les présentations seront projetées par le secrétariat de l’ORAN. Veuillez faire parvenir les présentations suffisamment tôt. Le webinaire sera davantage axé sur les discussions. Les orateurs sont priés de transmettre des notes détaillées qui seront utilisées à des fins de compte rendu.

Audience

Membres, experts et parties prenantes de l’ORAN

COVID-19 Interventions – The Standardisation Solution: Webinar

Dan Kithome COVID-19, Newsletter

ARE WE READY TO OPEN UP?

The COVID-19 Standards and Conformity Assessment Activities in ARSO Member States

The COVID-19 Standards and Conformity Assessment Activities in ARSO Member States

Date: 30th June 2020 at 1430HRS to 1630HRS East African Time

Register Here in Advance for this meeting: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZMsfu6orzouG9wEU_h1akW09K4yaypTpqdB

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.

CONCEPT NOTE

Presiding Moderator: Dr. Hermogene Nsengimana, Secretary General, African Organization for Standardization

Speakers

  1.  The African Traditional Medicine Guideline and Policy Document: African Traditional Medicine Interventions  and the African (ARSO) Standards on COVID-19 – ARSO Central Secretariat/ Reuben Gisore, Technical Director, ARSO
  2. COVID-19 Standardisation Interventions – Sharing Experience in Personal Protective Equipment – Mr. Abderrahim TAIBI, Director of IMANOR – Morocco/IMANOR
  3. What are you doing today to get ready for the new normal?” –  Intertek’s PROTEK Programme- an end-to-end health, safety and wellbeing assurance programme – Millicent Njuguna –Mwangi, Lead Auditor/Head of Audit East Africa at Intertek
  4. COVID-19 Standardisation Interventions – Sharing Experience in South Africa on How Standards Help in Opening Up of Schools – Dr Sadhvir Bissoon – Executive Standards – South Africa/SABS
  5. COVID-19 Standardisation Interventions – Sharing Experience in Cameroon on How Standards help in the Work Place – Francis Zibi Zibi from Cameroon/ANOR
  6. How to ensure the conformity of your PPE in COVID-19 times?” – Wesley AONDO, Head of Operations PVOC, COTECNA, Kenya.
  7. Summary and Way Forward: Dr. Hermogene Nsengimana, Secretary General, ARSO.
Key Speakers – Bio Data for the COVID 19 Intervention – The Standards Solution (Are we ready to open up?)Download

Rationale for the Webinar and Background Information

With the Covid-19 pandemic, declared a Public Health Emergency of International Concern by the WHO,  intensifying globally, including in Africa and in the face of such an alarming situation that is exacting a heavy toll on countries’ health-care services and threatening the World Economy, including Africa, African leaders, under the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) and the International Community, under the WHO are putting in place, both short and long term Public Health strategies to mitigate the pandemic, which has brought with it a paradigm shift and a re-orientation from the traditional ways of global life styles, leading to Travel bans, Social distancing, Use of Protective Personal Equipment, Lockdowns, culminating into  New ways of doing old things with new things replacing the old- “the New Norm”.

The WHO’s Regional Office for Africa in hosting a virtual ‘hackathon’ bringing together 100 leading innovators to pioneer creative local solutions to the COVID-19 pandemic and to address critical gaps in the regional response, with proposals including the provision of Quality and Safe personal protective equipment (PPE). Already the African Traditional Medicine and Herbal solutions are being touted to provide solutions, for example the Madagascar Artamisia covid-organics and the Kenyan Zedupex, thus highlighting the importance of the Standards to mitigate the issues of efficacy, Safety, Quality & Quality Control, Processing and harvesting ,  Pharmacogivilane and Administrative issue.

The COVID-19 Standardisation Solutions

The COVID-19 Pandemic has offered yet a more concrete evidence of the enduring role of standards and the related quality infrastructure components (technical regulations, conformity assessment regimes (testing, certification, inspections), metrology, accreditation, market surveillance and quality assurance), in enhancing Government policy objectives, not only in trade of products and services, but also in Public Policy, human health, Safety and environmental management.

The standards and the related quality infrastructure organizations are in the frontline to ensure safe the production of quality and safe products, as there is increased and essential demand for safe and quality Personal Preventive Equipment (PPE) measures (face masks, sanitizers, safe water and soaps, medical gloves, clinical electrical thermometers, medical waste management and disposal), to counterbalance the the counterfeits. Across the Globe, the Standardisation Community are offering free of Charge standards and conformity Assessment for the manufacturing of Safe and Quality PPEs, as the COVID-19 Pandemic evolves rapidly and uncertainly. Like their international counterparts (ISO, ASTML, AFNOR, CEN-CENELEC, SAC-China, SIS, INTERTEK, COTECNA) the National Bureau of Standards and Certification Bodies have taken leadership role to offer, free of charge, the necessary standards and guidelines for the manufacture, testing and certification of the PPEs. Many ARSO members (Cameroon/ANOR –12 standards; Kenya/KEBS – 14 Standards; Morocco/IMANOR-  3 Standards and Various Conformity Assessment Activities; South Africa/SABS – 24 standards; Uganda/UNBS – 8 Standards; Tanzania/TBS – 4 Standards; Malawi/MBS – 4 standards; Egypt/EOS 27 Standards) have submitted to the Central Secretariat their published standards on COVID -19 interventions, and available at https://www.arso-oran.org/standards-for-covid-19/. Like in many ARSO member States  which are running COVID-19 based Conformity Assessment Programmes, the Intertek in particular runs a PROTEK Programme which is an end-to-end health, safety and wellbeing assurance programme for people, workplaces and public spaces, offering audits, training, inspection, verification and certification solutions.

With about 27 African Standards in different stagers (9 ARS, 4 FDARS, 4CD, 13 WD), including ARSO FDARS 1470: 2019 Hand Sanitizers (alcohol based) – Specification, ARSO has expedited the Standards approval for medical and pharmaceutical products, and urged the African NSBs to make medical standards freely available and create customs ‘Green Lanes’ for super-fast clearance of medical supplies to help mitigate the virus and ensure people have access to the safe, essential products they rely on. In consideration of the role of African Traditional Medicine in stopping the COVID-19, ARSO has published the African Traditional Medicine Policy Document to guide the Development and implementation of ATM Standards for COVID-19 and for handling such pandemics in future.

The COVID-19, therefore, provides an opportunity for standards comparison and harmonisation, which is also correspondingly growing, with a need for new collaborative initiatives and rapid implementation of the necessary interventions in a timely manner and at the appropriate scale slow down save lives and live hoods, while minimizing economic, public and social impacts. The call therefore for effective Quality Infrastructure at the national, regional and Continental levels (with effective Quality Policies) in Africa as per the directives already laid out in various Continental and International policies, including the Abuja Treaty, The Lagos Plan of Action and currently, the AfCFTA Protocol (TBT Annex 6 and SPS Annex 7), as well as the WTO TBT/SPS Agreements, is underlined to strengthen Africa’s resilience and capacity, to deal with such pandemics in future.

The Webinar

Objective of the Webinar

The Main objective is to offer a platform for discussion on the Standardisation interventions against the COVID-19 among the ARSO members.

Specific Objectives

  1. Understanding the role of Standardisation in the fight against COVID-19 Pandemic
  2. Indicating various standards used by various ARSO members
  3. Underlining the role of African Traditional Medicine in the fight Against COVID-19
  4. Initiating new standardisation collaborative initiatives and programmes for timely and necessary interventions
  5. Facilitating standardisation cooperation among the ARSO members on COVID-19
  6. Sharing of Experience on the covid-19 standardisation activities among the ARSO member States
  7. Highlighting challenges and possible solutions on standards and conformity Assessment activities by the ARSO Members in the mitigation of COVID-19

Outputs of Webinar

  1. Presentations and list of Standards and Conformity Assessment activities for the interventions of COVID Standards
  2. Discussions and Comments on the standardisation interventions and experiences on COVID-19
  3. Report of Webinar

Outcomes of Webinar

  1. Clear understanding on role of standards and Conformity Assessment in offering solutions to the COVID-19
  2. Best Conformity Assessment practices on the COVID-19 Pandemic.
  3. Insight on COVID-19 standards identification, comparison and harmonisation initiatives
  4. Strategies and solutions on standards and conformity Assessment activities for mitigation of COVID-19
  5. Private Sector participation and Support for the COVID-19 Standardisation initiatives

Impact

  1. Safe and Quality essentisl Products (face masks, sanitizers, safe water and soaps, medical gloves, clinical electrical thermometers, medical waste management and disposal) for the management of the COVID-19.
  2. Mechanisms and strategies to bolster Africa’s resilience, through standardistion, to respond to future pandemics, such as COVID-19, to save lives and livelihoods.
  3. Impetus for the need of effective Quality Infrastructure at the national, regional and Continental levels (with effective Quality Policies) in Africa as per the directives already laid out in various Continental and International policies, including the Abuja Treaty, The Lagos Plan of Action and currently, the AfCFTA Protocol (TBT Annex 6 and SPS Annex 7).

Mode of Presentation

  • Speakers from the ARSO member States may prepare brief slides of no more than 5 minutes to guide the discussions. The presentations will be projected by the ARSO Secretariat. Kindly forward the presentations early enough. The webinar will focus more on discussions. Speakers are requested to forward detailed notes to be used for reporting purposes.

Audience: ARSO Membership and Stakeholders

Congratulations: New Appointments at the ARSO Member States:

Dan Kithome Newsletter
Sudan.
Dr Sharif Mohamed Sharif appointed the New Directeur General of Sudanese Standards and Metrology Organisation (SSMO). SSMO has its headquarters in Khartoum. A part from ARSO, SSMO is a member of ISO, the African Regional Organization for Standardization (ARSO), the Arab Standards and Metrology Organization (ASMO), and Codex Alimentarius Commission, the Arab Industrial and Mining Organization (AIDMO), the Islamic Institute for Standardization, the International Institute for Cereal Science and Technology (ICC), African Electro-technical Standardization Commission (AFSEC), International Organization for legal metrology (OIML), an affiliate member of IEC. Besides being the focal point for SPS and TBT WTO Agreements. SSMO also signed several; bilateral agreements with the following: the Kenyan Bureau of Standards (KEBS), the Korean Agency for Standardization (KATS), the Jordan Institution for Standards and Metrology (JISM), the Syrian Arab Organization for Standardization and Metrology (SASMO), the Egyptian Organization for Standardization and Quality (EOS), the Saudi Arabia Standards Organization, the Syrian Standards Organization (SASO), Emirates Authority for Standardization (ESMA), Turkish National Center for Standardization (TSE), Libyan National Center for Standardization (LNCSM), General Administration for Chinese Standards (SAC),Uganda National Center for Standardization (UNBS), Tunis National Institute for Standardization (INORPI) and the in the process of signing with the Ethiopian Standards Authority (QSAE).    

Highlights of the 25th ARSO General Assembly Events – 17th -21st June 2019

Dan Kithome Newsletter

The UN General Assembly in its 74th Plenary held on the 6th April, 2017 declared 27th June as Micro, Small and Medium-sized Enterprises Day, recognizing the importance of Micro, Small and Medium-sized Enterprises in achieving sustainable development goals and in promoting innovation, creativity and sustainable work for all.  with this, Economic and Trade policies are becoming alive to the fact that Investing in SMEs is a long-term and smart strategy, with sustainable returns that multiply across societies, as the world over, SMEs are the cornerstone of most economies. They account for about half of global gross domestic product (GDP) and 60 %–70 % of employment. In Africa, they make up the lion’s share of enterprises and hire a large portion of the workforce, mainly the poorer, more vulnerable segments of society, such as youth and women. Investing in them will make them contribute more to GDP growth because of increased SME productivity, and it would mean better jobs and higher pay in the low-wage segments of the economy. Their increased competitiveness and productivity, through Policy reform, development of the trade support ecosystem and capacity building, including better regulatory environment and adopting of the Quality culture, standardisation, can contribute to solving one of Africa’s greatest socio-economic challenges, unemployment, poverty and hunger. It is estimated that Africa’s workforce will increase by a staggering 910 million people between 2010 and 2050, of which 830 million will be in sub-Saharan Africa.  The ARSO SMEs Standardisation programme (including, the Made in Africa Expo, the African Day of Standardisation Forum, Simplified outreach Materials, Capacity Building and Training Workshops, and involvement in African Industries in the ARSO Standards Development and Harmonisation projects) seeks to addresses some of the, following barriers highlighted below by Experts (Henk J. de Vries et al. 2013, New opportunities – Improving SME access to standards- https://www.iso.org/news/2013/02/Ref1711.html; SME Competitiveness: Standards and regulations matter http://www.intracen.org/uploadedFiles/intracenorg/Content/Redesign/Projects/SME_Competitiveness/Part%20I.pdf,; UNCTAD/ITE/TEB/2005/1- improving the competitiveness of SMEs through enhancing productive capacity, BSI):

  1.  Barriers Restricting SMEs’ Awareness of Standards
  2. lack awareness of the importance of standards for their own company or the potential added value of standards
  3. Barriers Restricting SMEs’ Use of Standards
  4. Once SMEs know that standards exist that can be useful for their company, they may then face problems in finding and tracing relevant standards  Selecting which among the standards require a good measure of market intelligence and contact with buyers as well as experience in assessing the relative demands, costs, and benefits of each—something for which there is almost no data whatsoever;
  5. Finding the right standard, interpreting the text, implementing the standards and for solving those problems. Education is part of the solution. For Obtaining standards, the process may still not be easy and straight-forward. Even after, obtaining, SMEs may then face problems in understanding the standards as a result of difficult technical content, technical language, non-availability of a version in the national language, too many references to other standards, insufficient information to highlight the differences from the previous version of the standard, or a lack of information about the context of the standard.
  6. On implementation, SMEs may then have difficulties in implementing standards because of their complexity, a lack of knowledge, skills or resources to do so. Many of the barriers and issues faced here are similar to those mentioned above, in that understanding is a first step to effectively using a standard. Outreach.
  7. The reason for the implementation of a standard is to achieve business goals, and it is important that SMEs are able to evaluate the implementation of these standards and the impact of their use. However, the management of smaller firms is largely involved in the daily operational practice, and there is little time or money available for activities that are not directly related to this primary process. Further, SMEs may not find the time, or have the ability to assess the implementation of standards, meaning that they will not fully identify or understand the benefits of implementation, learn from the experience or modify their implementation as a result.
  8. Barriers Restricting SMEs’ Participation in Standards Development
  9. SMEs may also face a sequence of barriers, each of which may hinder them from benefiting from becoming involved in the process of standardisation (i.e. the development of standards). On the other hand, SMEs may be aware of standards but not realised that they can actively participate and influence the development process. Once SMEs are aware of the fact that they can become actively involved in standardisation, they may not be aware of the importance of participation or its potential benefits. This problem has two sides: low awareness amongst SMEs and employees, and a failure to create awareness through appropriate and sufficient communication activities. Once SMEs are aware and interested in the development of standards, they may face problems in tracing relevant standards development projects. An important reason for non-participation and not becoming involved in standardisation is simply being unaware of the standardisation process. Lack of resources (money, time, skills and knowledge) is another reason, where the costs of participation in terms of the time required, travel expenses and membership fees can be proportionally higher for SMEs.

Highlights of the 25th ARSO General Assembly Events – 17th -21st June 2019 –:

ARSO held the annual ARSO Week, the 25th ARSO General Assembly in Nairobi, Kenya on 17th – 21st June 2019 at Panari Hotel, with the events including:

  1. 60th ARSO Council and the 3rd ARSO Champions meeting – 17th – 18th (Monday-Tuesday) June 2019 (ARSO Council and Champions members only).
  2. One day forum for the Africa Day of Standardisation and the Opening of the 25th ARSO General Assembly Events – 19th (Wednesday) June 2019 (all invited members and stakeholders).
  3. One day Meeting for the 25th ARSO General Assembly – 20st (Thursday) June 2019(all invited members and stakeholders).
  4. Industrial visits and other related social events organised by the Host – 21st (Friday) June 2019 (all invited members and stakeholders).
  5. The Made in Africa Expo to run concurrently with the events from 17th – 21st (Monday – Thursday) (June 2019.

The events, hosted by the Government of the Republic of Kenya, through the Kenya Bureau of Standards were attended by representatives from twenty-four (24) member States, Algeria, Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, Egypt, Ghana, Kenya, Liberia, Madagascar, Malawi, Namibia (Proxy Zambia), Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Tanzania, Togo, Uganda, Zambia and Zanzibar (Observer member) and Policy Makers, Regulatory Bodies,  Automotive Industry Experts/Stakeholders, representatives from national regional, Continental and International Organisations (AAS, AMC Group Africa, AFREXIM BANK,  AFRAC, AFSEC, AFRIMETS, African Union, AFNOR, BSI, CEN-CENELEC/SIS, COMESA, DNVGL, ECOWAS,GSO, DNVGL, IEC, Intertek, ISO, ITU, KCFCS, KABM, KENAS, KATS/Korea,  KOFINAF, NEPAD, NRCS,PTB, RNF,  SAC, SMIIC, TMEA, UL, UNECA, UNIDO.

The opening ceremony was presided over by Hon. Mr. Peter Munya, the Kenyan Cabinet Secretary for Trade, Industries and Cooperatives, and addressed by Dr. Oswald Dr. Chinyamakobvu, Senior TBT/SPS Expert, African Union Commission, ARSO President, Dr. Eve Gadzikwa, KEBS Managing Director, Mr. Bernard Njiraini (addressing the delegates), and the ARSO Secretary General, Dr. Hermogene Nsengimana.

Mr. Munya emphasised on the importance of the AfCFTA as a key African Agenda 2063 Flagship Project that will trigger a virtuous cycle of more intra-African trade, which in turn will drive the structural transformation of economies from low productivity and labour intensive activities to higher productivity, with a marked  impact on Poverty reduction and significant benefits to millions of African citizens. He called on all Standardisation Stakeholders to work closely with Policy Makers to address the challenges posed by TBTs within the opportunities under AfCFTA Protocol.Hon. Peter Munya (center), together with the ISO President, Mr. Eddy Njoroge, 2nd Right and Dr. Nsengimana, 2nd left, following proceedings of the African Day of Standardisation Forum.

Dr. Chinyamakobvu outlined the current re-orientation of policy at the Africa Union, with the African Quality Infrastructure development being given high priority, under the Pan African Quality Infrastructure (PAQI). Dr. Eve Gazikwa emphasised the integral part being played by Quality Infrastructure in the implementation of the Free Trade Areas and called on the Standardisation community in Africa to collaborate in strengthening Quality Infrastructure in Africa’s. Mr. Bernard Njiraini emphasised on the role of the African National Bureau Standards (NSBs) on the implementation of the AfCFTA, while Dr. Nsengimana highlighted the strategic role of ARSO and the importance of the partnerships among the various Stakeholders, including the Private Sector and Development Partners in addressing the TBT Challenges under the AfCFTA.

In their Contributions, the ISO Secretary General Sergio MUJICA and the ISO President Elect, Mr. Edward Njoroge called on the increased, the need for strong voice of African countries in ISO Standardisation work and participation of ARSO members in the ISO Governance structures, and greater cooperation with ARSO within the opportunities in the AfCFTA Agreement and in  the ISO initiatives on Sustainable development Goals.

The African Day of Scandalisation Forum on 19th June 2019, left no doubt that, while international trade provides opportunities for companies to benefit from important economies of scale, a proliferation of different standards and technical regulations and inconsistency in quality requirements, including the African Automotive Industry, drastically reduce these benefits. The overall recommendation of the Forum is the need for a common Regulatory Framework for Africa driven by the three global principles of “once tested (harmonised standards/equivalence policy), once certified (harmonised conformity assessment procedures), accepted everywhere (Accreditation and Mutual recognition arrangements)”, along with building Institutional Capacity and greater Awareness among African Institutions, Policy Makers, Producers and Traders (SMEs), the Academia, Consumers and the General Public, and with ARSO and the standardisation stakeholders (RECs, the AU, UNECA, Afreximbank, AfDB, NEPAD (PAQI institutions-AFRIMETS, AFRAC, AFSEC)and the Private Sector)  playing a greater role.

The Events also witnessed the signing of cooperation MoUs between ARSO and the International Trade Union (ITU) and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Standardization Organization (GSO), and side-line meetings on ARSO Cooperations and programmes implementation with:

  • KATS especially on the discussion on the KATS-Korea invitational Training for the ARSO members scheduled for 19th – 23rd August 2019, in Seoul, Korea.
  • ISO on the Regional engagement to “explore tailor-made approaches to address the needs of the ISO African members through ARSO.
  • SIS – ARSO-SIS Cooperation on Strengthening Quality Infrastructure in Africa their respective ISO members.
  • INBAR on the potential of standardisation to boost trade in bamboo and rattan products within the framework of the AfCFTA, and the participation of ARSO in the INBAR strategy aligned with SDGs within the INBAR Africa’s Projects dedicated Activities/Components invited training program for ARSO members
  • ITU on the Standardisation opportunities, including the online solutions, within the ITU programmes and activities for the benefit of ARSO members
  • SAC – on cooperation in standardisation on the Action Plan of Standard Connectivity on Building the Belt and Road (2018-2020), involving infrastructure development and investments in 152 countries and international organizations in Asia, Europe, Africa, the Middle East, and the Americas.
  • UL – Discussions on the Areas of mutual interest for ARSO and UL, including the structured cooperation through signed MoU on sharing the UL standards with ARSO for reference / adoption / adaption, and the ARSO Standards education and awareness programs.

27th June – ARSO Joins the World in Celebrating the MSMEs Day – 27th June – MSMEs International Day

Dan Kithome Newsletter

The UN General Assembly in its 74th Plenary held on the 6th April, 2017 declared 27th June as Micro, Small and Medium-sized Enterprises Day, recognizing the importance of Micro, Small and Medium-sized Enterprises in achieving sustainable development goals and in promoting innovation, creativity and sustainable work for all.  with this, Economic and Trade policies are becoming alive to the fact that Investing in SMEs is a long-term and smart strategy, with sustainable returns that multiply across societies, as the world over, SMEs are the cornerstone of most economies. They account for about half of global gross domestic product (GDP) and 60 %–70 % of employment. In Africa, they make up the lion’s share of enterprises and hire a large portion of the workforce, mainly the poorer, more vulnerable segments of society, such as youth and women. Investing in them will make them contribute more to GDP growth because of increased SME productivity, and it would mean better jobs and higher pay in the low-wage segments of the economy. Their increased competitiveness and productivity, through Policy reform, development of the trade support ecosystem and capacity building, including better regulatory environment and adopting of the Quality culture, standardisation, can contribute to solving one of Africa’s greatest socio-economic challenges, unemployment, poverty and hunger. It is estimated that Africa’s workforce will increase by a staggering 910 million people between 2010 and 2050, of which 830 million will be in sub-Saharan Africa.  The ARSO SMEs Standardisation programme (including, the Made in Africa Expo, the African Day of Standardisation Forum, Simplified outreach Materials, Capacity Building and Training Workshops, and involvement in African Industries in the ARSO Standards Development and Harmonisation projects) seeks to addresses some of the, following barriers highlighted below by Experts (Henk J. de Vries et al. 2013, New opportunities – Improving SME access to standards- https://www.iso.org/news/2013/02/Ref1711.html; SME Competitiveness: Standards and regulations matter http://www.intracen.org/uploadedFiles/intracenorg/Content/Redesign/Projects/SME_Competitiveness/Part%20I.pdf,; UNCTAD/ITE/TEB/2005/1- improving the competitiveness of SMEs through enhancing productive capacity, BSI):

  1.  Barriers Restricting SMEs’ Awareness of Standards
  2. lack awareness of the importance of standards for their own company or the potential added value of standards
  3. Barriers Restricting SMEs’ Use of Standards
  4. Once SMEs know that standards exist that can be useful for their company, they may then face problems in finding and tracing relevant standards  Selecting which among the standards require a good measure of market intelligence and contact with buyers as well as experience in assessing the relative demands, costs, and benefits of each—something for which there is almost no data whatsoever;
  5. Finding the right standard, interpreting the text, implementing the standards and for solving those problems. Education is part of the solution. For Obtaining standards, the process may still not be easy and straight-forward. Even after, obtaining, SMEs may then face problems in understanding the standards as a result of difficult technical content, technical language, non-availability of a version in the national language, too many references to other standards, insufficient information to highlight the differences from the previous version of the standard, or a lack of information about the context of the standard.
  6. On implementation, SMEs may then have difficulties in implementing standards because of their complexity, a lack of knowledge, skills or resources to do so. Many of the barriers and issues faced here are similar to those mentioned above, in that understanding is a first step to effectively using a standard. Outreach.
  7. The reason for the implementation of a standard is to achieve business goals, and it is important that SMEs are able to evaluate the implementation of these standards and the impact of their use. However, the management of smaller firms is largely involved in the daily operational practice, and there is little time or money available for activities that are not directly related to this primary process. Further, SMEs may not find the time, or have the ability to assess the implementation of standards, meaning that they will not fully identify or understand the benefits of implementation, learn from the experience or modify their implementation as a result.
  8. Barriers Restricting SMEs’ Participation in Standards Development
  9. SMEs may also face a sequence of barriers, each of which may hinder them from benefiting from becoming involved in the process of standardisation (i.e. the development of standards). On the other hand, SMEs may be aware of standards but not realised that they can actively participate and influence the development process. Once SMEs are aware of the fact that they can become actively involved in standardisation, they may not be aware of the importance of participation or its potential benefits. This problem has two sides: low awareness amongst SMEs and employees, and a failure to create awareness through appropriate and sufficient communication activities. Once SMEs are aware and interested in the development of standards, they may face problems in tracing relevant standards development projects. An important reason for non-participation and not becoming involved in standardisation is simply being unaware of the standardisation process. Lack of resources (money, time, skills and knowledge) is another reason, where the costs of participation in terms of the time required, travel expenses and membership fees can be proportionally higher for SMEs.

There are Newly approved harmonised African Standards for adoption and implementation by African countries

Dan Kithome Newsletter
  1. ARS 1472:2018, Cleaning chemicals for use in food industry
  2. ARS 1476:2018, Acidic liquid toilet cleaners — Specifications
  3. ARS 1483:2018, Calcium ammonium nitrate (CAN) fertilizer — Specifications
  4. ARS 1487:2018, Potassium chloride (muriate of potash) fertilizer — Specification
  5. ARS 1488:2018, Potassium sulphate (sulphate of potash) — Specification
  6. ARS 670-1:2019, Compressed earth blocks – Part 1 Definitions classifications specifications
  7. ARS 670-2:2019, Compressed earth blocks — Part 2 Earth mortars
  8. ARS 670-3:2019, Compressed earth blocks — Part 3 Test methods
  9. ARS 670-4:2019, Compressed earth blocks — Part 4 Code of practice for production and construction
  10. ARS 1306-1:2019, Guide for concrete — Part 1: Materials and testing
  11. ARS 1307:2019, Guideline for energy efficiency in buildings
  12. ARS 1308:2019, Guidelines for structural design for heavy duty pavement constructed of concrete or clay paving units
  13. ARS 1336-2019, Guidelines for laying of precast concrete or clay paving units

Good Financial Practics and Development of Stronger and credible institutions for financial Management and elimination of Corruption

Dan Kithome Newsletter

Goal 16 of the SDGs calls on all African member states to build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels with a focus to promote rule of law; reduce illicit flows, corruption and bribery.  The UN Secretary-General, António Gutierrez, highlights that corruption could be one of the greatest impediments to the achievement of the 2030 Agenda Sustainable Goals in Africa, and advising for strong institutions that bring together departments across sectors to analyse emerging governance and corruption challenges in Africa (UNDP 2017). José Ugaz, Chair of Transparency International (2014), has also emphasised that corruption represents a major obstacle to reaching all the SDG goals as it hampers economic growth and increases poverty, depriving the most marginalised groups of equitable access to vital services such as healthcare, education and water and sanitation.  The ARSO’s ARS 1651 (E) – Good Financial Grant practice Requirements, developed under the ARSO Technical Harmonization Committee Number 12-2 on Financial Services with Experts from across African countries and from Finance background, and  launched on 12th December, 2018, in Pretoria South Africa, is meant to facilitate Excellence in Grant Financial Management in Africa and advocating for strong and credible Financial institutions and practices to curb the war on corruption. It provides details of the requirements, specifications and criteria to be applied, to implement good financial grant practice, hence reducing the risk of corruption, bribery and fraud.

Good Health and Well-being – ARSO Project for Harmonisation of African Standards on African Traditional Medicine

Dan Kithome Newsletter

The SDGs GOAL 3 is on Good Health and Well-being, advocating for effective health care services for all. For Africa, Traditional Medicine acts as the first line of treatment for many people as Numerous traditional African medicines, due to their accessible, affordable and cultural acceptance, are undeniably, the main or only treatment of diseases or maintaining good health, as 80% – 90 % of people in Africa depend on traditional medicine for their primary healthcare (WHO, 2003) and the demand is growing at between 10 % to 20 % annually across the world. Dur to this, in its Traditional Medicine Strategy 2014-2023, the WHO aims at building the knowledge base and formulating national policies; strengthening safety, proven quality and effectiveness through regulation; and, promoting universal health coverage by integrating T&CM services and self-health care into national health systems. With this, several African countries and Regional Economic Communities (RECs) have put in place initiatives to incorporate ATM in their healthcare systems, however the regulatory framework is weak.  With Experts from all over the continent, ARSO has initiated, in 2013, a programme on developing a continental regulatory Framework for the African Traditional Medicine, including, harmonisingAfrican Standards (ARS) and developing Conformity Assessment regimes to promote quality and safety of African Traditional Medicine, through a dependable regulatory Framework.

Environmental Protection – Africa’s Clean Mobility Initiative on common Continental Regulatory Framework.

Dan Kithome Newsletter

Source: Ariadne Baskin –  African (Clean Mobility Week) March 13 2018.

The world is increasingly urbanising, with Africa’s urban dwellers projected to hit around a billion in 2050. This trend has resulted in mobility revolution with an increased rate of motorization, but with devastating health results in key African cities such as Cairo, Nairobi, Johannesburg, Cape Town and Dakar (Hitchcock, Conlan, Kay, Brannigan, & Newman, 2014), with the need for clean and safe mobility in Africa attracting the attention of the policy makers, owing to over reliance on used vehicles, and owing to the fact that , dirty air in Africa could be killing 712,000 people a year, prematurely, compared with approximately 542,000 from unsafe water, 275,000 from malnutrition and 391,000 from unsafe sanitation (Dr Rana, 2016).

The United Nations (UNEP) is leading several global partnerships supporting a shift to cleaner and more efficient vehicles, including the Global Fuel Economy Initiative, eMob – promoting electric mobility, and the Partnership for Clean Fuels and Vehicles (PCFV). The PCFV is the leading global initiative to support countries in introducing cleaner (used) vehicles standards, regulations and policies.  ARSO in collaboration with Afreximbank has initiated, May 2019, under the ARSO Technical Working Group 08-4, a programme for the development of Regulatory Framework to Africa’s automotive sector, targeting the adoption of Clean Mobility solutions through standardisation. This initiative promoting transition to clean fuels and vehicle technologies, supported with harmonised continental regulatory Framework, and addresses the SDGs, 3-Good Health and Well-being; 6-Clean Water and Sanitation; 7-Affordable and Clean Energy; 11- Sustainable Cities and Communities; 13- Climate Action. The Automotive Stakeholders, held a meeting on 19th June 2019 in Nairobi, Kenya to develop roadmap for activities. First harmonisation meeting is scheduled for August 31st, 2019. 18 standards for harmonisation has been identified, with four being given the first priority:

  • Evaluation of new vehicles – Vehicle model homologation, South Africa (Team Leader) & Ghana volunteered to develop the WD.
  • Testing of roadworthiness of used motor vehicles – Code of practice, Zimbabwe (Team Leader) & Kenya volunteered to develop the WD.
  • Code of practice – Roadside roadworthiness assessment of motor vehicles, Tanzania (Team Leader) & Zanzibar volunteered to develop the WD.
  • Code of practice – Vehicle test station evaluation with Sierra Leone (Team Leader), Nigeria and Rwanda volunteered to develop the WD.