The United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) is responding to the COVID-19 crisis through the implementation of a component of the UN Development Account (DA) COVID-19 technical cooperation project on Social Protection on the topic: "Strengthening consumer protection in the provision of health services (including e-health) in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic." This project will contribute through consumer protection policy to stronger social protection policies for rapid recovery from the COVID-19 crisis and increase resilience, especially of the most vulnerable populations, to the negative impacts of future exogenous shocks. Its mandate derives from Resolution 74/27 of the General Assembly that sets out to coordinate the UN-wide response to COVID-19.
Within this project, UNCTAD in close collaboration with the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) is organizing a regional webinar on "Consumer Protection and health during Covid-19: experiences from Latin America and the Caribbean" on Friday 12th March form 3-5pm (CET). This policy dialogue will spur discussions among high-level stakeholders, representatives from United Nations Regional Economic Commissions (RECs) of ECLAC, member States', consumer protection agencies and health authorities at regional level on how to strengthen social protection policies to "leave no one behind" during a pandemic and to aid rapid recovery.
The regional webinar will also serve to disseminate findings and recommendations of UNCTAD Report on "Strengthening consumer protection in the provision of health services (including e-health) in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic."
The event aims to:
(1) Iincrease the understanding of the potential cooperation issues between consumer protection agencies and health authorities and improve the knowledge of common goals and concerns of both policy areas;
(2) foster cooperation between public bodies on the topics arising out of the dialogue, either through policymaking or through the implementation of concrete initiatives and measures. This interactive event will prioritise sharing experiences and best practices that have emerged during this crisis among representatives and officials of Member State's Consumer Protection Agencies, Ministries of Health, Social Protection Agencies from Latin America and the Caribbean, the UN Economic Commission for Latin America, and the Caribbean (ECLAC), PAHO and the Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA).
This is an invitation-only event.
