African Organization for Standardisation

The African Organization for Standardisation, known as ARSO, is an intergovernmental standards body founded August 17, 1977 in Accra, Ghana, by the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa and the Organisation of African Unity. It began with 21 African governments and has grown to represent dozens of African countries, working to facilitate trade between African countries and the rest of the world through harmonized standards, and it also administers the continental Eco Mark Africa initiative.