Harmonization of African food standards remains critical in promoting free trade across the continent, experts and officials said Monday during a meeting in Kigali, the capital of Rwanda.
Organized by the African Organization for Standardization, Africa’s intergovernmental standards body, the meeting was held in the framework of implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA), with participants from across Africa aiming to advance the development of harmonization of standards.
“Harmonizing standards sets a common language for facilitating and fast-tracking intra-Africa trade as all countries are committed to do so, and standards serve as benchmarks to remove technical barriers,” the Director General of Rwanda Standards Board Raymond Murenzi said during the opening ceremony.
Hermogene Nsengimana, the secretary general of the African Organization for Standardization, said in collaboration with members and partners, the intergovernmental standards body has been able to develop and harmonize more than 1,000 standards that are being used in the implementation of the AfCFTA.
“We are happy for countries and experts who continue to do commendable work to develop and or harmonize African standards. This is a good move we set as a continent to have One Standard, One Test, One Certificate-Accepted Everywhere,” he said.
Richard Niwenshuti, the permanent secretary in Rwanda’s Ministry of Trade and Industry, commended African countries engaged in putting efforts together to harmonize standards and other requirements. He noted that harmonization of standards is important in trade promotion, environment promotion, public health and sustainable development.
The week-long meeting running until Feb. 16 seeks to harmonize 200 standards that will serve as a strong basis in the continued move toward fast-tracking implementation of AfCFTA, according to Niwenshuti.
The African Organization for Standardization is mandated to coordinate the standards and conformity assessment procedures for harmonization aimed to facilitate intra-Africa trade.
The body has prioritized the harmonization of standards in identified eight priority sectors including fish and fisheries products, milk and milk products, horticulture, coffee, cocoa and tea, live animals, animal feeding, as well as agriculture and biotechnology.
