We are delighted to welcome the creation of the Union of Associations of African Actors in Refrigeration and Air Conditioning (U-3ARC) consisting of 25 association from 24 countries. Following in the footsteps of AREA and their experience with continental associations for the contractors, and with our support, the first meeting was held on 17 May. The next meeting has been organised for the 24-26 September in Ouagadougou in Burkina Faso and will be the first General Assembly of these 25 associations.

Alongside nine board members from African countries, the President, Madi Sakande, is a friend of AREA and has worked in Europe and in particular, Italy. He was also very active during World Refrigeration Day 2019 and was present at the AREA booth at MOP31 in Rome. In addition, he is a master trainer for the UNEP Refrigeration Drivers Licence (RDL) project.

We look forward to seeing how we can support the development of this Union and working together to achieve our common goal of advancing the refrigeration, air conditioning and heat pump industry.