Addis Ababa, 17 July 2025 (ECA) – The United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) and the African Organisation for Standardisation (ARSO) have reached a major milestone in their joint efforts to promote environmentally sustainable trade in Africa. During the 72nd ARSO Council Meeting, held from 23 to 24 June 2025 in Zanzibar as part of the 31st ARSO General Assembly, ten new African Sustainability Standards were officially approved—representing a significant output of the ongoing Programme Cooperation Agreement (PCA) between ECA and ARSO.
The ten newly approved standards provide comprehensive guidance on ecolabelling and sustainability practices across key sectors—including construction, textiles, fashion, mining, tourism, and agriculture. These standards were developed by ARSO’s Technical Committee (TC61) on sustainability standards and are aligned with international principles of standardization, ensuring credibility, transparency, and broad applicability.
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FDARS 1883:2022 – Green building and construction — Ecolabelling and sustainability — Requirements
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FDARS 1884:2022 – Sustainable leather and footwear — Ecolabelling and sustainability — Requirements
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FDARS:2022 – Tourism accommodation facilities — Ecolabelling and sustainability — Requirements
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FDARS 1886:2022 – Sustainable textile — Ecolabelling and sustainability — Requirements
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FDARS 1887:2022 – Sustainable fashion — Ecolabelling and sustainability — Requirements
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FDARS 1888:2022 – Mining — Ecolabelling and sustainability — Requirements
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FDARS:2022 – Natural building stone production — Ecolabelling and sustainability — Requirements
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FDARS:2022 – Sustainable cotton — Ecolabelling and sustainability — Requirements
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FDARS 1892:2022 – Building sand mining — Ecolabelling and sustainability — Requirements
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FDARS:2022 – Tourism destination classification — Ecolabelling and sustainability — Requirements
These standards were developed under the joint ECA–ARSO project titled “Promoting the adoption of environmental standards to support globally competitive African value chains,” implemented through ECA’s Regional Integration and Trade Division. The project aims to facilitate sustainable trade across the continent and beyond by promoting the uptake of the Eco‑Mark Africa ecolabel.
Speaking on the approval, Mr. Melaku Desta, Acting Director of the Regional Integration and Trade Division at ECA, stated:
“The adoption of these ten sustainability standards reflects Africa’s commitment to green growth and to positioning African producers for competitiveness in an increasingly sustainability-driven global market.”
Dr. Hermogene Nsengimana, Secretary General of ARSO, added:
“These standards provide a foundation for promoting sustainable production and trade across Africa. Through the Eco‑Mark Africa label, we are offering a homegrown certification scheme that supports quality, sustainability, and market access for African goods and services.”
The approved standards will now be available for implementation by the relevant stakeholders, including private sector actors and authorities in member states, as well as interested partners beyond the continent.
For a deeper dive into the rationale and evolution behind these standards, read the blog “One Size Fits None: How Africa is Redefining Sustainability Standards on Its Own Terms” by Laura Naliaka and Reuben Gisore, available here.
The ECA–ARSO partnership, formalized through a Programme Cooperation Agreement in 2022, provides technical and financial support to advance standardization, capacity-building, and policy dialogue aligned with the AfCFTA and Agenda 2063.
Issued by:
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Economic Commission for Africa
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Addis Ababa
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