1. ARSO General Assembly
THE ROLE OF QUALITY INFRASTRUCTURE WITHIN A FREE TRADE AREA - THE IEC CONTRIBUTION
Thanks for the invitation to IEC to be part of this ARSO GA.
How IEC can contribute to the emerging Africa Common Market
ARSO General Assembly
19– 21 June 2019 Nairobi, Kenya
François Ahoti
IEC-AFRC Director

2. Scope of the IEC
Millions of devices and systems that use or produce electricity and contain electronics.
World trade in electronics and electrical devices: 19.8% (USD 3,489 trillion)
Two legs : Standardization and Conformity Assessment
IEC work covers billions of electrical and electronic components, devices and systems that are used in homes, offices, health facilities and public spaces, power networks, cities, transportation, information technology, agriculture, manufacturing, and more. The IEC always looks at interoperability, safety, electromagnetic interference, the responsible use of hazardous substances, waste management and the environment.

3. IEC vision, mission and values
Vision : IEC everywhere for a safer more efficient world
“Our mission is to achieve worldwide use of IEC International Standards and Conformity Assessment Services that ensure the safety, efficiency, reliability and interoperability of electrical, electronic and information technologies, to enhance international trade, facilitate broad electricity access and enable a more sustainable world.”
Values

4. About IEC 172 Countries (Djibouti) 200 TC/SCs 20 000 experts
International Standards
4 Conformity Assessment Systems
> 1 million certificates
> 100 years (1906)
The IEC provides a neutral and independent knowledge platform where close to experts participate at the global level in approximately 200 Technical Committees …many thousand more work in mirror committees in each member country.
The IEC has around publications in its library, covering the whole breadth of electrical and electronic devices and systems.
The four IEC Conformity Assessment Systems help verify that products satisfy quality, safety and efficiency Standards.

5. AfCFTA and IEC
Annex 6 – Regard to what the Secretary general said the first day

6. How IEC Standardization infrastructure can help?

7. 1- Countries to establish NECs (free programme) or NCs, Select and declare national mirror committees and experts

8. 2- Countries to adopt IEC International Standards where relevant and declare the national adoptions

9. 3- Countries to participate in the ongoing standardization process by commenting draft standards open for comments (2 possibilities):
- From the country’s dashboard (Documents open for comments) - Make use of the public commenting platform (

10. 4- Result on the national and regional adoption of IEC International Standards (Ecowas – Afsec)
Adoptions or Recommendations
IEC
Standards
Country
National adoptions
Regional adoptions (ECOWAS Case - 30)
Continental recommended adoptions (AFSEC - 169)
Benin
169 2 5
Burkina Faso
174 26 7
Cabo Verde
Côte d’Ivoire
376 28 34
Gambia 31 01
Ghana
493 16 37
Guinea
103 6
Guinea Bissau
Mali
Niger 56 4
Nigeria
166 15
Liberia
Sierra Leone 27
Senegal 67
Togo
568 66
Countries without NC, without adoptions
Countries with national adoptions different from a country o another oountry

11. 4- Result on the national and regional adoption of IEC International Standards (EAC– Afsec)
Adoptions or Recommendations
IEC
Standards
Country
National adoptions
Regional adoptions (EAC Case - 30)
Continental recommended adoptions (AFSEC - 169)
Burundi 30 3 1
Kenya
533 88 23
Rwanda
150 20 18
South Sudan
Tanzania 69 27 5
Uganda
269 68 6
Different priorities at the continental , regional and national levels
Needs of better coordination
For information, launched on

12. 2 - Online delivrables of IEC Conformity Assessment Systems
IEC is built on 2 pillars
Standards Development
& Conformity Assessment activities
However, in order not to create any conflict of interest,
these 2 pillars are kept strictly separate in terms of the management structure.

13. CAB - Conformity Assessment Board
4 SYSTEMES D’EVALUATION DE LA CONFORMITE
CAB - Conformity Assessment Board
IECQ
Quality Assessment System for Electronic Components
IECEE
System of Conformity Assessment Schemes for Electrotechnical Equipment and Components
IECEx
System for Certification to Standards Relating to Equipment for use in Explosive Atmospheres
IEC RE
IEC General System for Certification to Standards relating to plant, equipment and services associated with Renewable Energy Systems
IEC Wind Energy Scheme
IEC Solar Energy Scheme
IEC Marine Energy Scheme

14. IEC CA Systems online delivrables
IECEE:
IECEx :
IECQ :
IECRE :

15. Recommendations
Countries to be members of ARSO and AFSEC (a recommendation from AU)
Countries to participate in international standardization actively (comments and adoption)
Regional and continental organizations to adopt or recommend the adoptions of international standards relevant for Africa (to avoid duplication of efforts, time and costs)
Need for the coordination of the priorities at the continental, regional and national levels
Permanent update of standards
Make use of IEC CA Systems and its online deliverables
Attend the 2019 IEC General Meeting in Shanghai (China)
See comments on previous slide
Establish NECs or review the NEC/NC composition or level to involve key stakeholders with high level representatives
NECs and NCs to have business plan connected to NDP and the SDGs
Send comments on selected technical fields
Participation in AFSEC Activities to better voice regional issues
Use of the IEC Conformity Assessment certificates database to assess the conformity of Electrotechnical Products
Use of all available supports form IEC (Mentoring Programme, Young Professionals, 90% Discount on adopted IEC Standards for Affiliates, ACAS free Elearning courses) 15

16. Conclusion
Standardization and conformity Assessment are keys for the AfCFTA
Not reinvent the wheel. Make use of the existing resources to move quickly forward and IEC has available resources (No cost for most of them).
IEC and IEC AFRC available to support.
Important effort is made by IEC to involve all countries in its global standardization and conformity assessment activities, especially for developing countries in Africa through the Affiliates Country Programme and the support of the Africa regional Centre
Affiliates and nomination of experts
Affiliates Plus and Access to more Standards
ACAS (to help for the use of IEC CA to facilitate trade and insure electrical safety)
Mentoring Programme to support and train NC and NECs
More experts allowed (one expert per TC/SC selected)
Participation in IEC standardization work by countries allows them to be actors and not only users
IEC- AFRC aims to help African countries to benefit fully from IEC work in order to facilitate intra regional and international trade of electrotechnical products regard to WTO objectives

17. ARSO General Assembly
THE ROLE OF QUALITY INFRASTRUCTURE WITHIN A FREE TRADE AREA - THE IEC CONTRIBUTION
ARSO General Assembly
19– 21 June 2019 Nairobi, Kenya
François Ahoti
IEC-AFRC Director