STANDARDISATION ACTIVITIES OF ARSOSTANDARDISATION ACTIVITIES OF ARSO

PRESENTATION OF DAMIAN UDDENNA AGBANELOPRESENTATION OF DAMIAN UDDENNA AGBANELOON THE OCCASION OF ON THE OCCASION OF

UNITED NATIONS ECONOMIC COMMISSION FOR UNITED NATIONS ECONOMIC COMMISSION FOR EUROPE (UNECE) COMMITTEE FOR TRADE, INDUSTRY EUROPE (UNECE) COMMITTEE FOR TRADE, INDUSTRY

AND ENTERPRISE DEVELOPMENT WORKING PARTY ON AND ENTERPRISE DEVELOPMENT WORKING PARTY ON REGULATORY COOPERATION AND STANDARDISATION REGULATORY COOPERATION AND STANDARDISATION

POLICYPOLICY

AFRICAN REGIONAL ORGANISATION

FOR

STANDARDISATION

200422-24 NOVEMBERGENEVA

INTRODUCTIONINTRODUCTION

On behalf of African Regional Organisation for Standardisation (ARSO) I commend the UNECE Committee for Trade, Industry and Enterprise Development for this unique opportunity to participate in, and make brief presentation on Standardisation Activities of ARSO during this occasion of the fourteenth session of its working party on Regulatory Cooperation and Standardisation Policies. Thank you for the honour and privilege to share with you.

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ESTABLISHMENT AND SOCIO-ECONOMIC ESTABLISHMENT AND SOCIO-ECONOMIC RESPONSIBILITY OF ARSORESPONSIBILITY OF ARSO

ARSO was founded in 1977 as Africa Intergovernmental agency. The Organisation holds the Standardisation sector in Africa and its membership comprises NSBs of African countries.

The General Assembly, Council and General Secretariat constitute the Organs of ARSO.

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RE-ENGINEERING IN ARSORE-ENGINEERING IN ARSO

giving and adding improved value to socio-economic stakeholders and ARSO respectively.

repositioning ARSO as the apex regional “standardisation-co-ordination” body;

identifying and working mutually with relevant stakeholders for the collective good;

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The dynamics of our time has made the re-engineering of ARSO imperative. Such evolution is aimed at, among others:

RE-ENGINEERING IN ARSO (ContRE-ENGINEERING IN ARSO (Cont.).)

imparting on the management of the socio-economic well-being of our society through effective regional standardisation co-ordination, co-operation and collaboration;

developing ARSO models of self-sustaining programmes and change culture;

developing evolving African Standardisation Road Map

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contributing consensus regional standardisation inputs into the African Common Market Project.

raising awareness among government decision makers, businesses, suppliers, consumers, and society at large, on the importance and benefits of standards and standardisation in enhancing competitiveness and alleviating poverty.

assisting members in building capacity in areas of standards development and conformity assessment procedures with a view to be compliant with the WTO/TBT and SPS Agreements.

RE-ENGINEERING IN ARSO (Cont.)RE-ENGINEERING IN ARSO (Cont.)

THE ARSO REENGINEERING STRATEGY DOCUMENTTHE ARSO REENGINEERING STRATEGY DOCUMENT

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The ARSO Council recently approved the The ARSO Council recently approved the ARSO ARSO Re-engineering Strategy document.Re-engineering Strategy document.

ARSO Re-engineering Strategy DocumentARSO Re-engineering Strategy DocumentThis evolving strategy document symbolises, and This evolving strategy document symbolises, and signifies a new impetus stimulating a new signifies a new impetus stimulating a new momentum in standardisation activities in Africa. momentum in standardisation activities in Africa. Driven by stated mission and vision of ARSO, this Driven by stated mission and vision of ARSO, this strategy document constitutes an essential tool for strategy document constitutes an essential tool for realisation of the above objectives. Hence its realisation of the above objectives. Hence its implementation becomes very imperative.implementation becomes very imperative.

• ARSO MissionARSO Mission

To facilitate intra-African and global

trade by promoting quality through co-ordination and harmonization of standards and conformity assessment in Africa.

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•ARSO VisionARSO Vision

To be a representative and credible focal point for Standardisation, Conformity Assessment and Quality Promotion in Africa to support the sustainable development of the continent. The Organisation is an Advocate of its members’ common views in international fora and delivers a valuable set of support services to National Standards Bodies and other stakeholders.

SHORT TERM OBJECTIVES SHORT TERM OBJECTIVES

1. Adoption of annual ARSO General Assembly as against the previous triannual.

2. Membership Improvement Drive and Promotional activities

ARSO Sub-regional Liaison Officers Created;

Procedure for ARSO/NSBS/Private Sector awareness programmes on standardisation and its benefits is in place;

Agreement by AU Ministers of Industry, Customs and Immigration to support ARSO activities secured;

Improved procedure for assistance in establishment of NSBs in African countries which do not have and improvement of the existing ones.

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SHORT TERM OBJECTIVESSHORT TERM OBJECTIVES (cont.) (cont.)

3. Identified Critical Success Factors

Commission of African Union (AUC)

United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA)

Socio-Economic Stakeholders within and outside Africa.

Imparting on socio-economic management of Africa

Improved value adding activities to the stakeholders and to the Organisation itself.

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3. Identified Critical Success Factors (Cont.)3. Identified Critical Success Factors (Cont.)

National, sub-regional and international standardisation organisations.

Donor/co-operation organisation.

Revised and evolving ARSO Constitution.

Financial sustainability.

Team work.

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SHORT TERM OBJECTIVESSHORT TERM OBJECTIVES (cont.) (cont.)

4. Regional Standards

Regional procedure for co-ordination of standardsharmonisation at the sub-regional and/or national levels as regional standards is being drafted;

Regional Advisory Committee on Competitive tools (REACTS) created and is being constituted;

Draft ARSO co-ordinated MoU is completed and circulated to African countries preparatory for adoption/adaptation by member States;

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4.4. Regional Standards (Regional Standards (cont.)cont.)

Encouragement of adoption/adaptation of international standards (of ISO, IEC, CODEX, OIML) as national/regional standards.

Facilitation of Good Regulatory Practice model in Africa through link with AU/UNECA.

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SHORT TERM OBJECTIVESSHORT TERM OBJECTIVES (cont.) (cont.)

5. Human Resources Development

Regional procedure for identification and co-ordination of member States’ training needs (for instance, in areas of productivity management (quality and environmental management system, for example), trade issues (TBT/SPS, Good Regulatory Practice, Common Regulatory Objectives, among others)) approved;

Donor –sponsored/ARSO co-ordinated training/awareness workshops in African countries identified as a factor in improving continental Standardisation and ARSO membership.

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WAY FORWARDWAY FORWARD

• ARSO has planned some long-term objectives, which include:

Establishment of Network of Testing, Metrology and Instrumentation Centres in Africa - by 2006

Development of ICT Systems in ARSO by 2005Improved membership of ARSO - 62% by 2006Self sustaining income generating

programmes – 50% by 2005 Assistance in establishment and strengthening

of NSBs in African countries - 5 by 2006

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CONSTRAINTSCONSTRAINTS

• Our constraints includeRegional networking.Absence of institutional framework.Lopsided availability of information

technology.Inadequacy of funding.Inadequacy of trained personnel.

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APPRECIATIONAPPRECIATION

AU - African Union BADEA – Arab Bank for Economic Development in Africa CEN - European Committee Standards ITC – International Trade Centre IDRC – International Development Research Centre IEC – International Electrotechnolgy Commission ITU – International Telecommunication Union ISO – International Organisation for Standardisation NML/CSIR – National Metrology Laboratory/Council for Scientific and

Industrial Research (South Africa) OIMIL - International Organisation for Legal Metrology PTB – Physikalish-Technische Bundesanstalt - Germany Sida – Swedish International Development Agency SIS - Swedish Institute of Standardisation UNECE - United Nations Economic Commission for

Europe UNESCO – United Nations Economic, Scientific and Cultural

Organisation UNCTAD – United Nations Committee on Trade and

Development UNIDO – United Nations Industrial Development

Organisation UNDP - United Nations Development Programme WTO – World Trade Organisation

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Finally we want to take this Opportunity to appreciate support from the following:

THANK YOU VERY MUCH AND GOD BLESSTHANK YOU VERY MUCH AND GOD BLESS

African Regional Organisation for Standardisation (ARSO)

3rd Floor, International HouseMama Ngina Street

P. O. Box 57363-00200NAIROBI, KENYA.

Tel: 254-020-224561/330895/Fax: 254-020-218792

E-mail: arso@bidii.com http: www.arso-oran.org

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PARTNERSHIP WITH US.

We are Here….

UNECE Geneva 2004

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