ASTM Vice President for Global Cooperation Teresa Cendrowska spoke at the African Regional Organization for Standardization general assembly held Aug. 11-14 at the African Union Commission headquarters in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. ARSO is a memorandum of understanding signatory with ASTM, as are 21 of the 35 ARSO member countries. Twenty-four of the ARSO member bodies were present at the meeting.

The ARSO meetings comprised the Africa Day of Standardization, the general assembly meeting and the consumer seminar. Cendrowska's presentation was titled "Developing Standards for International Markets Access and Relevance – Perceptions from ASTM International." Cendrowska addressed ASTM's relationship with various ARSO members, their engagement in ASTM Global Cooperation training programs and how their common use of certain ASTM standards is beneficial to harmonization, as well as to regional trade.

This presentation was one among others in a panel session that included representatives from the African Union, the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), the European Committee for Standardization (CEN) and the Pacific Area Standards Congress.