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Experts Meeting in Geneva to Discuss Competition and Consumer Protection

The United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) is this week (July 3 -7 2017) hosting the 2nd Session of the Intergovernmental Group of Experts on Consumer Protection Law and Policy, and the 16th Session of the Intergovernmental Group of Experts on Competition Law and Policy in Geneva, Switzerland.

The Intergovernmental Groups of Experts are the global fora for competition and consumer protection at the international and intergovernmental levels. They provide a forum for discussion and exchange of good practices, and produce recommendations for member states on the implementation of the United Nations Set on Competition, and the United Nations Guidelines for Consumer Protection, respectively.

The Intergovernmental Group of Experts (IGE) on Competition Law and Policy is a body established under the United Nations Set of Multilaterally Agreed Equitable Principles and Rules for the Control of Restrictive Business Practices (UN Set) to monitor the application and implementation of the Set. The UN Set is a multilateral agreement on competition policy, which was negotiated and adopted by General Assembly resolution 35/63 on 5th December 1980.

The United Nations Guidelines for Consumer Protection are a set of principles outlining the main characteristics of effective consumer protection legislation, enforcement institutions and redress systems. They also assist interested member states in formulating and enforcing domestic and regional laws, rules and regulations that are suitable to their own economic and social and environmental circumstances, as well as promoting international enforcement cooperation, and encouraging the sharing of experiences in consumer protection.

Welcoming delegates yesterday, the Secretary General of UNCTAD, Dr. Mukhisa Kituyi, recalled the 1962 landmark speech by US President Robert Kennedy which first laid out the founding principles of consumer rights: which is the right to safety, to be informed, to choose and to be heard.

He noted that international trade is taking place in a fast-evolving world, where developments such as e-commerce provide new opportunities, but also new challenges for consumer welfare. ‘’Consumers face even greater challenges in developing countries, where their access to quality products and information is often hampered by institutional constraints,’’ Kituyi said.
Delegates from developing countries concurred, stressing the importance of technical support and cooperation for implementing consumer protection regimes, and taking full advantage of the digital economy.

The Competition Authority of Botswana is expected in the not too distant future to take over enforcement of the Consumer Protection Act. Officials from the Authority and the Competition Commission are attending the IGE forums.

Source: UNCTAD; CUTS Competition Online Forum