Professor Dodoo appointed AU Standards Ambassador to AfCFTA Secretariat

The Director General of the Ghana Standards Authority (GSA), Professor Alex Dodoo, has been appointed the Standards Ambassador to the Africa Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Secretariat by the African Organisation for Standardisation (ARSO).

The appointment which was announced in a letter by the ARSO, said Prof Dodoo had a two-year mandate spanning 2020 and 2021 to play a key role in the implementation of AfCFTA.

He is expected to provide expertise in monitoring and elimination of non-tariff barriers.

He is also to ensure adherence to the World Trade Organisation’s Sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) measures aimed at the protection of human, animal or plant health from certain risks.

Prof. Dodoo would also be expected to facilitate collaborations between ARSO and the AfCFTA Secretariat, according to the letter of appointment.

“This letter from the ARSO Central Secretariat therefore officially communicate and inform you of your appointment by the 61st ARSO Council, as the Designated ARSO Ambassador to the AfCFTA Secretariat,” the letter said.

Dual role

With the appointment, Prof. Dodoo will serve the dual role of Director-General of the Ghana Standards Authority whilst serving as the Diplomatic Official to the AfCFTA Secretariat for and on behalf of the African Organisation for Standardisation.

The operational phase of the AfCFTA was launched in Niamey, Niger on 7 July 2019, with a one-year transition period before the real trading begins among state parties on 1 July 2020.

Ghana has been chosen to host the AfCFTA Secretariat.

Professor Dodoo is an Associate Professor at the Centre for Tropical Clinical Pharmacology, School of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Ghana.

He is the country representative to the International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO) and serves on the Council of the African Standards Organisation.

He has worked extensively on the development of norms and standards especially in healthcare in collaboration with the World Health Organisation and the Council for International Organizations of Medical Sciences (CIOMS).

This appointment places Ghana at the forefront of improving inter-African trade with a focus on improved quality of goods on the African market.

By adhering to the global SPS measures and by removing technical barriers to trade, African manufacturers can improve their market share and increase their competitiveness thereby creating jobs and wealth for the youth on the continent.