MEDIA RELEASE

ISO and ARSO sign landmark Kigali Agreement to boost technical cooperation and advance free trade in Africa

Kigali, Rwanda, 9 October 2025 – The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and the African Organisation for Standardisation (ARSO) have today signed the historic Kigali Agreement, establishing a framework to strengthen technical cooperation and accelerate the adoption and impact of international standards across Africa. 

The agreement comes at a pivotal moment for the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), the largest free trade area in the world covering 54 African Union member states, and a flagship initiative of the African Union’s Agenda 2063. Technical standards are essential to AfCFTA's success, enabling regulatory harmonization, assuring product and service quality, and facilitating cross-border trade. 

Under the Kigali Agreement, ISO and ARSO will coordinate standards development, encourage work programme alignment, and promote the alignment of national and regional standards to strengthen harmonization and reduce technical barriers to trade across the continent.

ISO Secretary-General Sergio Mujica said the landmark Kigali Agreement represented a bold step in strengthening the role of international standards as enablers of development, trade and integration across Africa.

“The Kigali Agreement is a milestone in our long-standing partnership with ARSO and a major opportunity to deepen ISO’s impact across Africa,” Mr Mujica said.

“This Agreement is not only about technical cooperation, but building a more inclusive, connected and sustainable future for the region. Through shared standards, we can strengthen industrial development, support regulatory convergence, and empower national standards bodies to shape solutions that reflect local needs and global expectations.

“ISO is proud to support Africa’s journey toward greater economic integration under AfCFTA.”

Inspired by the Vienna Agreement - the cooperation agreement between ISO and the European Committee for Standardization (CEN) - the Kigali Agreement is tailored to Africa's diverse regulatory and infrastructure realities, while aligning with the priorities of AfCFTA and the African Union’s broader development goals.

The five-year agreement coincides with the next cycle of ISO's Action Plan for Developing Countries, ensuring that the organizations' collaboration will be firmly anchored within ISO's broader strategy to improve inclusivity, capacity building, and access to standards for developing nations. 

ARSO Secretary-General Dr Hermogene Nsengimana said the announcement marked a transformative step in building a stronger, more coordinated standardization system for Africa.

“AfCFTA’s vision of a seamless and unified continental market depends on the harmonization of standards,” Mr Nsengimana said.

“This Agreement gives ARSO and its members the tools and framework to accelerate that process - by reducing duplication, aligning national and regional priorities, and promoting the adoption of globally recognized benchmarks in the context of ‘One Standard-One Market’.”

“Ultimately, this will help unlock trade, drive industrial development, and ensure that African products and services can compete fairly and successfully on global markets.

“We look forward to implementing this agreement with ISO and working together to build a future where standardization supports Africa’s ambitions for growth, resilience, and inclusive development.”

The announcement was made during ISO’s Annual Meeting 2025, hosted in Kigali, Rwanda by Rwanda Standards Board. The event, which has gathered thousands in person and online, has taken place throughout the week from 6-10 October, and focused on advancing action on International Standards and their role in achieving the global sustainable development agenda.

ISO AM25 is open to all with an interest in standards, providing a unique opportunity for global leaders, national standards bodies, civil society, international organizations, the private sector, policymakers, academics and young professionals to engage in forward-looking dialogue. The 2026 edition will take place in Paris, France – to be hosted by the Association Française de Normalisation (AFNOR).

Participants globally can engage online via www.iso.org/annualmeeting.

More information about ISO is available at www.iso.org.  

ENDS

For more information or interviews, please contact:

Katie Clift

Public Relations at ISO

+351 913 976 202

press@iso.org / ext-clift@iso.org

Vanessa Von der Mühll

Head of Communications and Engagement at ISO

+41 79 842 97 34

vondermuhll@iso.org

About ISO:

ISO (International Organization for Standardization) is an independent, non-governmental international organization with a membership of 170 national standards bodies. Through its global network, it facilitates the development of voluntary and market-relevant International Standards that support innovation and provide solutions to global challenges. ISO has published more than 25,000 International Standards and related documents covering almost every industry, from technology to food safety, to agriculture and healthcare. For detailed information, visit www.iso.org.

About ARSO:

The African Organisation for Standardisation (ARSO) is the African Union’s specialised agency for standardisation, tasked with harmonising standards and conformity assessment procedures to promote intra‑African trade and ensure access to global markets. ARSO was formed in 1977 with the principal mandate to harmonise African Standards, Conformity Assessment & Procedures in order to reduce Technical Barriers to Trade and therefore promote Intra African and International Trade as well as enhance the industrialization of Africa. 

About AfCFTA:

The African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), approved in 2012, is one of the Flagship Projects of Agenda 2063 Africa’s development framework. The AfCFTA aims at accelerating intra-African trade and boosting Africa’s trading position in the global market by strengthening Africa’s common voice and policy space in global trade negotiations.

About RSB:

Rwanda Standards Board (RSB) is a Government institution that was created in 2002 with the overall mission of providing standards based solutions for trade promotion and consumer protection. RSB has developed and published more than 4130 Standards covering the areas of food and agriculture, engineering, service, water and environment, chemistry, chemical and consumer products. Its mission is to provide quality and affordable standardization, metrology, quality testing and certification services for sustainable socio-economic development. Visit https://www.rsb.gov.rw for more information.