A SOAC-ARSO agreement signed for trusted certifications benefiting the African consumer

On the sidelines of the 2025 General Assembly of the African Accreditation Cooperation (AFRAC) held in Entebbe, Uganda, the Resident Representative in Côte d'Ivoire and Director General of SOAC, Mr. Marcel Gbaguidi, and Dr. Hermogene Nsengimana, Secretary General of the African Regional Organization for Standardization (ARSO/ORAN), signed a cooperation agreement on September 24, 2025. This agreement falls within the framework of the launch of ARSO's conformity marks, including ECO MARK. To ensure the credibility of certified products, ARSO has decided to rely on accredited certification bodies located on the continent. Certifiers wishing to be authorized to issue ARSO marks must first be accredited. SOAC has agreed to support this process by committing to evaluate all certifiers in the WAEMU zone who request it. The SOAC is, in fact, the sole accreditation body authorized to accredit conformity assessment bodies in this economic zone.