The digital revolution has propelled consumers to the forefront of international trade. Today's digital consumers have access to an unprecedented choice of goods and services. But just as great as the potential benefits of e-commerce to consumer welfare are the challenges faced by consumers using e-commerce: unsafe products, unfair business practices, inadequate online dispute resolution, breaches to consumer privacy, and lack of coordinated action among member States.
For consumers be active players in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals, we must empower them and enhance their confidence in digital markets. Consumer policies should be reviewed to accommodate the special features of e-commerce and to ensure that both consumers and businesses are aware of their rights and obligations in the digital marketplace.
This session will identify areas where national and regional consumer protection frameworks and institutional capacities need to be strengthened to better protect consumers and to ensure sustainable and inclusive digital markets.
Moderator: Dr. Uwe Petry, Head of the Economic Affairs Division, Permanent Mission of Germany in Geneva
Speakers:
- Ms. Amanda Long, Director-General Consumers International
- Mr. Teodoro C. Pascua, Undersecretary for Consumer Protection Group, Philippines
- Mr. Eric Pelletier, Vice-President and Head of International Government Affairs for Alibaba Group
- Mr. Brian Lingela, Director Consumer Protection, CCPC, Zambia
- Ms. Deon Woods-Bell, Counsellor, International Consumer Protection, Federal Trade Commission, United States of America
- Mr. Peter Bischoff-Everding, Deputy-Head of Unit for consumer law at the DGJUST, EC
- Prof. Dr. Christian Thorun, ConPolicy Institut für Verbraucherpolitik
- Ms Lisa Felton, Head of Consumer Regulations, Group Public Policy, Vodafone
