UNBS to represent Africa at continental standardisation body

__________________

The Uganda National Bureau of Standards (UNBS) has won triple victory at the continental standardisation leadership by the African Organisation for Standardisation (ARSO).

The UNBS Executive Director, Eng. James Kasigwa has been selected to represent Africa at the ARSO, due to Uganda setting up standards different from other countries in Africa.

This was during the recently concluded 31st ARSO General Assembly in Zanzibar under the theme “Accelerating Fair and Just Trade in Africa under the African Continental Free Trade Area through an African Coherent Regulatory Framework and Harmonised Standards”.

In a release issued by UNBS on Friday, Kasigwa has been nominated as the African candidate for election to the Council of the International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO) under Group 4 for the term 2026 – 2028 after a competitive election that saw Eng. Kasigwa emerge the winner.

The 72nd ASRO Council meeting endorsed Uganda’s candidature, represented by the UNBS as an African candidate for election to the Council of the International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO) under Group 4 for the term 2026 – 2028.

Eng. Kasigwa revealed that UNBS was voted to the ARSO Council due to its key policy organ within ARSO, responsible for oversight of the organisation's activities, a committee that reports to the ARSO General Assembly for a three-year tenure that starts July 2025 –June 2028.

He thanked ARSO Members for their trust in Uganda and lobbied for more support ahead of the ISO Council elections that will be held during the ISO annual meeting in October 2025, in Kigali, Rwanda.

“Our key priority areas at the ISO council include diversity, digital transformation and engagement with policymakers. We need to amplify the African voice at the international level and adopt a common African position on policy decisions,” he said.

This trio's representation to the ISO Council, ARSO Council and SMC provides a strategic platform to influence continental and international standardisation policies. He asserted that this will benefit national and continental interests in line with Uganda’s and Africa’s development priorities.

He said this opportunity will facilitate accelerated trade for Uganda and Africa under the East African Community, the African Continental Free Trade Area (ACTFC) and international markets.

He explained that these organisations improve performance, meet regulatory requirements for export markets and build trust with customers and partners.

He asserted they create an enabling environment for global trade under its Vision 2030 and better.

Joel Peter Oryang, the UNBS head of regional and international liaison, was voted to ARSO's Standards Management Committee (SMC), which manages the implementation of the procedures and processes for harmonisation of African Standards for the three-year tenure that starts July 2025 – June 2028.

Oryang said the above milestones achieved by Uganda underscore the confidence placed by ARSO members in the demonstrated leadership offered by UNBS at the policy and technical level within the continent and the international level.

With a diverse network of members and experts constituted in the over 800 technical committees, ISO has developed over 25,000 international standards in virtually every field.

Role of UNBS

UNBS is a Government Agency responsible for developing, promoting and enforcing national standards for the protection of public health. It also monitors safety and the environment against harmful and sub-standard products, as well as ensuring fair trade.

The African Organisation for Standardisation (ARSO) is Africa’s inter-governmental standards body formed by OAU (currently AU) and UNECA in 1977, to develop tools for standards development, standards harmonisation, and implementation of these systems to enhance Africa’s internal trading capacity.

These standards help organisations improve performance, meet regulatory requirements for export markets and build trust with customers and partners, creating an enabling environment for global trade. Under its Vision 2030, to make lives easier, safer and better.

Africa’s product and service competitiveness globally, uplift the welfare of African consumers and serves as a standardisation forum for future prospects in international trade referencing.