About Standards
A standard is a formal document, generally developed by consensus, containing the requirements a product, process or service should comply with. Standards are essentially voluntary in nature.
The Somali Bureau of Standards (SoBS) develops, adopts, publishes and maintains Somali Standards (SS) for products, services, processes and management systems across key sectors including agriculture, livestock, fisheries, food, construction, manufacturing, health, energy, services and environmental management.
Somali Standards may be developed nationally by SoBS or adopted from recognized regional and international standards such as EAS, ISO, IEC and ARSO standards. All adopted or nationally developed standards use the official SS designation in the SoBS Standards Catalogue.
Active Technical Committees
SoBS takes part in regional and international standards development and coordinates national input through its mirror committees.
East African Community Standards Committee (EASC)
SoBS actively participates in a number of EASC Technical Committees, contributing to the development, harmonization and implementation of regional standards across key sectors.
SoBS also participates in international standardization work, including ISO/TC 34/SC 17 — Management Systems for Food Safety.
- EASC/TC 002Coffee and Cocoa
- EASC/TC 003Fish and Fishery Products
- EASC/TC 004Meat and Meat Products
- EASC/TC 005Food Additives
- EASC/TC 006Spices and Condiments
- EASC/TC 009Food Packaging and Labelling
- EASC/TC 010Food Hygiene and Safety Management
- EASC/TC 017Milk and Milk Products
- EASC/TC 021Building and Construction Materials and General Construction
- EASC/TC 069Organic and Inorganic Chemicals
- EASC/TC 076Services / Quality Management and Quality Assurance
Five National Mirror Technical Committees
Established by SoBS to support national participation in standards development and to coordinate Somalia's technical input into regional and international standardization activities.
They provide the national platform for experts and stakeholders to review standards, develop national positions and contribute technical input to corresponding EAC and international technical committees.
Hosts the National Electrotechnical Committee of Somalia (NECSO), which operates under SoBS.
Six ISO Technical Committees
Somalia, through SoBS, participates in six ISO Technical Committees covering key national priority sectors — enabling Somalia to contribute national technical positions, review draft standards and align Somali Standards with internationally recognized requirements.
- Cereals and Pulses
- Laboratory Design
- Food Safety Management
- Agricultural Equipment
- Milk and Milk Products
- Environmental Management Systems