ISO and ARSO Sign Landmark Kigali Agreement to Strengthen Standards and Boost Trade Across Africa

In a move hailed as a milestone for Africa’s economic integration, the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and the African Organisation for Standardisation (ARSO) have signed on 9 October 2025, the historic Kigali Agreement—a five-year framework designed to deepen technical cooperation and advance the role of international standards across the continent.

The agreement arrives at a critical juncture for the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), the world’s largest free trade zone, encompassing 54 African Union member states. By aligning national and regional standards, the Kigali Agreement seeks to dismantle technical barriers to trade, promote regulatory harmony, and strengthen Africa’s position in global markets.

ISO Secretary-General Sergio Mujica described the accord as “a milestone in our long-standing partnership with ARSO and a major opportunity to deepen ISO’s impact across Africa.” He emphasized that the initiative “is not only about technical cooperation, but building a more inclusive, connected and sustainable future for the region.”

Under the new framework, ISO and ARSO will coordinate their standards development efforts, align work programmes, and promote the adoption of internationally recognized benchmarks that support industrial growth and regulatory convergence.

ARSO Secretary-General Dr. Hermogene Nsengimana underscored the agreement’s importance to Africa’s trade ambitions under AfCFTA, noting that “a seamless and unified continental market depends on the harmonization of standards.” He said the Kigali Agreement “gives ARSO and its members the tools and framework to accelerate that process—by reducing duplication, aligning priorities, and promoting the adoption of globally recognized benchmarks in the context of ‘One Standard–One Market.’”

The collaboration draws inspiration from the Vienna Agreement between ISO and the European Committee for Standardization (CEN), but is uniquely tailored to Africa’s regulatory and infrastructural realities. It will also be implemented in parallel with ISO’s upcoming Action Plan for Developing Countries, which focuses on inclusivity, capacity-building, and access to standards.

The announcement took place during ISO’s Annual Meeting 2025 in Kigali, hosted by the Rwanda Standards Board (RSB). The week-long event gathered participants from around the world—government leaders, industry representatives, academics, and civil society—to discuss how international standards can help achieve the global sustainable development agenda.

With this agreement, ISO and ARSO aim to ensure that shared standards not only facilitate trade but also support sustainable industrialization, economic resilience, and inclusive growth across Africa.

The next ISO Annual Meeting will be held in Paris, France, in 2026, hosted by AFNOR.