African Experts Responsible for Standards Development in a group photo
The Uganda National Bureau of Standards (UNBS) in conjunction with the African Regional Standards Organization (ARSO) is hosting over 60 Experts across the African Continent for a three-day training in Kampala, Golden Tulip Hotel held under the theme “The Standards we want – African Union Agenda 2063 and African Continental Free Trade Area, “The role of Standardisation and Conformity Assessment during the journey of 41 years”.
The Experts are drawn from the National Standards Bodies, Academia, Industry and other Regulatory Bodies responsible for developing and harmonizing Standards which are required to facilitate Intra-Africa Trade under the Africa Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
The training is intended to enhance skills and capacity of these Experts to effectively contribute to the Standard harmonization process at ARSO.
According to Mr. David Livingstone Ebiru, the Executive Director of Uganda National Bureau of Standards (UNBS), this capacity building of Experts is aimed at responding to the increasing demand for African Countries to increase the volume of trade among themselves, which is currently standing at 16%.
According to him, the Bureau is currently championing integration of Standards at both Regional and Continental level when the Regional Economic Blocs such as the East African Community (EAC), the Common Market for East and Southern Africa (COMESA), Southern African Development Community (SADC), InterGovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) are all aspiring to harmonize standards for their priority commodities to be traded under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) on the basis of having One Standard, One Test, One Conformity Certificate for Once Market.
According to Mr. Hermogene Nsegimana, the Secretary General of African Regional Standards Organization (ARSO), all the 55 African Countries have ratified the Africa Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Agreement.
He therefore urged the Experts to ensure that Standards for priority products and sectors that have been identified by Member Countries are fast tracked in order to realize the objective of the AfCFTA of increasing Intra-Africa trade among its 1.3 Billion people from the current 16% to at least 40% in the mid term.
Mr. Odrek Rwabwogo, the Senior Presidential Advisor of Exports and Industrial Development (PACEID) and also an Entrepreneur in the Dairy Sector, urged the Standards’ Experts to preserve African Heritage and Culture by prioritizing indigenous Standards for African Organic Products which don’t require any modifications to their natural content and nutritional and avoid temptation of the emerging influence of technology for Genetically Modified Products.
He informed the audience about Uganda’s 13 priority commodities to which are ready to be traded in the African Market, which include Coffee, Dairy products, Beef, Fish, Cereals, Grains, Horticulture, Pharmaceuticals, other Agricultural and industrial products.
The Chairman of UNBS National Standards Council, Mr. Charles Musekuura urged Experts to always bear in mind that the success of the Africa Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) is in their hands given that compliance to Quality Standards remains one of the major constraint for African products to access both Regional and International Markets.
He therefore asked the Experts to provide solutions to the current African problems of Market Access, through harmonization of Standards to facilitate and integrate trade and investments within the Continent.
UNBS will also be hosting the Joint Advisory Group (JAG) and Standards Management Committee (SMC) of ARSO during the week to further foster continued liaisons with Regional Economic Communities ((AMU, CEN-SAD, EAC, ECCAS, ECOWAS, COMESA, IGAD, SADC) in standardization and prioritize sectors/commodities that require harmonization of Standards at the Continental level as well as improve the management of procedures and processes for timely execution of harmonization programmes.
