BEGIN:VCALENDAR VERSION:2.0 PRODID:unctad.org BEGIN:VEVENT UID:6adb1b19d563e DTSTART:20221122T123000Z SEQUENCE:0 TRANSP:OPAQUE DTEND:20221122T133000Z LOCATION:Geneva\, Switzerland SUMMARY:Launch of report: Access by consumers to essential services: Energy \, water and sanitation CLASS:PUBLIC DESCRIPTION:UNCTAD will launch its report entitled\, "\;Access by consu mers to essential services: Energy\, water and sanitation\,"\; on 22 N ovember 2022 from 1.30 to 2.30 p.m. in Room XXIII of the Palais des Nation s\, Geneva and online as a side event to UNCTAD’s Trade and Development Commission\, thirteenth session. \n\nThe war in Ukraine is posing serious disruptions to the global energy markets\, putting Governments and consum ers under enormous pressure. In a recent Brief\, the United Nations urges governments to identify and target vulnerable populations and to provide s olutions for accessing and affording energy. The cascading crises of the w ar in Ukraine\, the COVID-19 pandemic and the climate emergency highlight the importance of consumer policies to protect citizens from vulnerability and exclusion.\n\nThe United Nations Guidelines for Consumer Protection r ecognize access by consumers to essential goods and services and the prote ction of vulnerable and disadvantaged consumers as two of consumers legiti mate needs. The Guidelines also recommend that Member States promote unive rsal access to public utilities and formulate\, maintain or strengthen nat ional policies to improve rules and statutes dealing with provision of ser vice\, consumer information\, security deposits and advance payment for se rvice\, late payment fees\, termination and restoration of service\, estab lishment of payment plans and dispute resolution between consumers and uti lity service providers\, taking into account the needs of vulnerable and d isadvantaged consumers. Government intervention is necessary to meet consu mer needs in public utilities\, and its extent is an implicit global recog nition of their importance. \n\nUNCTAD launches the report entitled\, &qu ot\;Access by consumers to essential services: Energy\, water and sanitati on\,"\; aiming to provide policy makers with background on the emergi ng trends and considerations as well as policy options\, focusing on the k ey requirements for inclusive and affordable access. The report launch wil l be followed by a discussion to provide a global overview of consumers’ situation in relation to these essential services\; and identify effectiv e solutions to address the challenges by Government authorities.\n\nPurpos e of this event:\nThe event aims to discuss the ways in which Government authorities can effectively address and enhance consumers’ access to ess ential services\, in particular energy\, water and sanitation. \n\nThe co nsumer policy framework needed\, engaging competition and consumer protect ion authorities and sectoral regulators\, to overcome the multiple challen ges faced by consumers in the current context will also be discussed by th e panelists. The case studies examined in the volume will serve as an anch or for the more general debate.\n \nKey objectives:\n•    Discuss t he key insights from the report and exchange experiences on the consumer p olicy needed to enhance and \n     improve access by consumers to es sential services of energy\, water and sanitation.\n•    Discuss the experiences of the member States and international organizations and thei r vision on the most\n     promising opportunities to improve access and quality of service.\n•    Support developing countries in updati ng their policy frameworks in a strategic way in the light \n     of sustainability\, including demand and supply side efficiencies and fiscal options for demand reduction.\n  \nParticipants and targeted audience:\ nThe webinar will bring together policymakers\, international civil servan ts\, and academics in an attempt to expose the policy experience of compet ition\, consumer protection and sectoral regulation perspectives. \n\nThe event targets policymakers in developed and developing countries\, as wel l as academics and other stakeholders such as civil society organizations\ , activists and scholars.\n\nDelegates participating at the twelfth sessio n of the Trade and Development Commission are invited to attend.\n\nProgra mme:\nOpening remarks: Ms. Teresa Moreira\, Head Competition and Consumer Policies Branch\, UNCTAD\n\nPresentation of the report: Access by consumer s to essential services:  Energy\, water and sanitation\n\n•    Mr. Robin Simpson\, international consumer protection expert\n•    Mr. Arnau Izaguerri\, Economic Affairs Officer\, Competition and Consumer Poli cies Branch\, UNCTAD Discussant\n•    Ms. Natalie Harsdorf-Borsch\, Acting Director General\, Austrian Federal Competition Authority\n•    Ms. Debora Ponce Ogaldez\, Counsellor Permanent Mission of Guatemala to the World Trade Organization\n\nConclusion: Ms. Teresa Moreira\, Head Comp etition and Consumer Policies Branch\, UNCTAD\n \n\nJOIN ONLINE\n\nMeetin g ID: 954 4877 9066\nPasscode:  472808\n https://unog-un-org.zoom.us/j/95 448779066?pwd=WDFCeTRHQS9IQ09sTFBOa1REMHRGUT09\n\nView meeting on unctad.o rg\nhttps://unctad.org/meeting/launch-report-access-consumers-essential-se rvices-energy-water-and-sanitation DTSTAMP:20261023T083017Z END:VEVENT END:VCALENDAR