production facilities to the requirements alleged by a sustainable or organic certification accepted in the importing countries .
History of the ECOMARK Africa : The Africa Ecolabelling Mechanism ( AEM ) main strategy document developed through a regional consultative process and facilitated by the United Nations Environment Programme ( UNEP ) in cooperation with the African Union Commission and the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa ( UNECA ) had identified the African Organization for Standardization ( ARSO ) to host the AEM Secretariat . While the AEM Secretariat was established in Nairobi , it did not attain the technical and organizational legal status to enable it to provide the African eco-label within Africa . In the process , the Eco Mark Africa was developed and registered under the German Agency for International Cooperation ( GIZ ).
The decisions of the consultative meeting of the stakeholders of AEM held in Kampala , Uganda on 1 st of June 2016 , and the subsequent approval by the ARSO Governing Council and the General Assembly in its 22 nd ARSO General Assembly events in Arusha , Tanzania on 20 th -25 th of June 2016 , passed a resolution operationalizing African Eco- Labelling Mechanism ( AEM ) under ARSO as ECOMARK Africa ( EMA ) and as part of ARSO certification schemes operationalized within ARSO conformity assessment committee .
The African Eco-labelling Mechanism ( AEM ) whose primary purpose was to promote
trade amongst African countries and the international community remain the same as ECOMARK Africa ( EMA ). EMA is a registered trademark in EUIPO and the mark can be used to brand African export products as sustainable . Through the ARSO Technical Harmonization Committees , sustainability standards ( ARS-AES ) were published by ARSO covering four sectors , agriculture , fisheries , forestry and tourism . The purpose of the Eco Mark Africa certification scheme is to award EMA certification to those enterprises conforming to ARS-AES . EMA would provide confidence to all interested parties that a product fulfils certain specified requirements of sustainability in the production process of goods produced and services provided within Africa and thus will open new markets within or outside of Africa .
ARSO Conformity Assessment Program : The ARSO Conformity Assessment Program ( ACAP ) System is represented by a set of interrelated elements intended to allow the systematic implementation of the certification process .
The ACAP ’ s documental system is based on the ISO international standards and guidelines for conformity assessment . Rules for qualification of certification bodies is based on ISO / IEC 17065-2012 conformity assessment : Requirements for bodies certifying products , processes and services .
Rules for qualification of Testing Laboratories
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