14 - 17 October 2018
Kempinski Summerland Hotel & Resort
Beirut
, Lebanon
The regional workshop on consumer protection policy is organized as part of UNCTAD's MENA regional economic integration program through the adoption of competition and consumer protection policies, with the financial support of Swedish Government.
The main objective of this workshop is to present, discuss and validate the UNCTAD MENA guides written on the topics of dispute resolution and redress, complaint handling, electronic commerce, product safety and risk assessment as well as the protection of the consumer from gender equality.
The workshop is aimed at consumer protection agencies, government bodies responsible for gender equality, consumer associations and representatives of professional organizations with multi-stakeholder scope. The workshop will include theoretical presentations and practical sessions from national and international experts on each topic. Participants will receive a bibliography to prepare before the workshop. Past editions have been hosted in the premises of the Egyptian Consumer Protection Agency.
Consumer protection is a major means for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals, as an empowered consumer contributes to a more sustainable and inclusive development. For consumers to exercise their full potential, state and business policies need to be implemented. This is one of the most focused topics in the MENA Region.
In its resolution 70/186 of 22 December 2015 on Consumer Protection, the United Nations General Assembly recalled that "a robust legal and regulatory framework for consumer protection… serves an important public interest, contributing to economic dynamism and consumer welfare. The United Nations Guidelines for Consumer Protection add that " Businesses and their authorized agents should have due regard for the interests of consumers and responsibility for upholding consumer protection as an objective.”
Consumer protection not only contributes to sustainable and inclusive development, but also enhances the competitiveness of economies and on electronic commerce too. Higher standards of protection encourage online businesses to improve the goods and services they offer, being more competitive at national and international levels.
The UNCTAD MENA Programme workshop on Consumer Protection policy will address the UNCTAD MENA guidelines written on the topics of dispute resolution and redress, complaint handling, electronic commerce, product safety and risk assessment as well as the protection of the consumer from gender equality. Consumer protection is a shared responsibility between governments, businesses and consumers, and their participation is essential to ensure a sustainable and inclusive development.
Co-organizer(s):
Ministry of Economy and Trade, Lebanon
Sponsor / funding:
UNCTAD MENA programme/Government of Sweden/host country
Language(s)
English | Français | العربية |
