Cristina Draghici
ISO/CASCO Secretary and Director of Conformity Assessment and Consumer Matters

The Uganda National Bureau of Standards (UNBS) hosted the International Organization for Standardization’s Committee for Conformity Assessment (ISO/CASCO) 38th Plenary and Workshop, from 23 to 26 April 2024, in Kampala, Uganda. Attended by nearly 140 delegates representing CASCO members, liaison organizations, and ISO/TCs, the event embraced a hybrid format, blending both onsite and remote participation. Throughout the week, attendees engaged in a dynamic mix of formal sessions, panel discussions, and informative workshops, delving into CASCO’s technical and policy initiatives alongside key ISO projects.

The Plenary week started with an update on the revisions of some of the core standards in the CASCO Toolbox. Dr. Stefanie Vehring led a session on the fundamentals and guidelines for conformity assessment schemes. The session covered updates to ISO/IEC 17007 Conformity assessment – Guidance for drafting normative documents suitable for use for conformity assessment, ISO/IEC 17067 Conformity assessment – Fundamentals of product certification and guidelines for product certification schemes, and the development of ISO/IEC TR 17035 Conformity assessment – Guidelines for validation and verification programmes. Key highlights included the expanded scope of ISO/IEC 17067 and how these documents were interconnected to offer comprehensive guidance for scheme developers.

Wayne Terry provided updates on the revision of ISO/IEC 17024 Conformity assessment – General requirements for bodies operating certification of persons (2012). The discussions focused on key aspects and changes within the working group, particularly addressing the implications of Artificial Intelligence (AI) on certification processes for individuals.

Gerard Maxwell provided an update on the revision of ISO/IEC 17020 Conformity assessment – Requirements for the operation of various types of bodies performing inspection (2012). The session highlighted key aspects of the revision, discussed the future of the standard, and addressed the implications of these changes for the community.

Participants also learned about the Online Standards Development (OSD) platform and gained insights into ISO’s Action Plan for Developing Countries 2026-2030.

Throughout the week, the Plenary engaged in interactive sessions to tackle vital topics pertinent to ISO/CASCO, including digitalization, sustainability, and knowledge dissemination to upcoming generations within the conformity assessment community.

The week culminated in a workshop on the role of conformity assessment in facilitating trade under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Agreement, featuring powerful panel discussions moderated by media figure Maurice Mugisha.

Diana Ogwal Akullo, from the AfCFTA Secretariat, set the stage by introducing AfCFTA’s objectives and significance, emphasizing its role in enhancing intra-African trade and economic integration. Conformity assessment emerged as a critical aspect for AfCFTA’s success while the implementation of conformity assessment mechanisms across diverse African markets still presents challenges, including the need for collaboration, capacity building, and harmonization of standards. The two panels delved deeper into these aspects, with key takeaways emphasizing the urgent need to raise awareness regarding standards and conformity assessment among stakeholders, particularly policymakers, small and medium-sized enterprises, and consumers. Additionally, challenges such as limited access to conformity assessment infrastructure, located far from borders, were addressed, along with the necessity for cooperation in implementing conformity assessment and technical regulations to streamline trade processes and reduce costs. Emphasizing the importance of international standards in underpinning effective conformity assessment and mitigating non-tariff barriers, experts exchanged best practices and underscored the critical role of Quality Infrastructure (QI) in AfCFTA’s success and global relevance.

Recordings and presentations from the public sessions are available online.