Workshop on consumer product recalls

The United Nations Guidelines for Consumer Protection recognize consumers’ legitimate need to be protected from hazards to their health and safety. Businesses responsible for bringing goods to the market should ensure that while in their care these goods are not rendered unsafe through improper handling or storage and that while in their care they do not become hazardous through improper handling or storage. If they become aware of unforeseen hazards after products are placed on the market, they should notify the relevant authorities and, as appropriate, the public without delay.

Member States should, where appropriate, adopt policies under which, if a product is found to be seriously defective and/or to constitute a substantial and severe hazard even when properly used, manufacturers and/or distributors should recall it and replace or modify it, or substitute another product for it. If it is not possible to do this within a reasonable period of time, the consumer should be adequately compensated. 

The UNCTAD secretariat note on consumer product safety contains some examples of how countries have developed recalls systems.

As acknowledged by the ISO Guidelines for suppliers on consumer product recalls, products routinely travel across borders in order to meet increasing consumer demand as suppliers seek to lower cost and expand markets. While many products are safe and fit for intended use, statistics show that, each year, millions of people suffer injuries or illness, or die from unsafe products.

UNCTAD’s Working Group on Consumer Product Safety is organizing its first workshop on consumer product recalls to exchange experiences, identify good practices and challenges and explore avenues for cross-border cooperation.

Workshop objectives
•    Present models of Australia, Colombia, the European Union, Peru and the United Stated;
•    Identify main characteristics of successful consumer product recall models and share common challenges; and
•    Foster cross-border and international cooperation in product recalls.

This event is organized within the framework of UNCTAD’s Working Group on Consumer Product Safety, and only open to its participants.

Opening and moderator: Mr. Rafel Regla, Federal Consumer Attorney, Mexico and Mr. Arnau Izaguerri, Competition and Consumer Policies, UNCTAD

Speakers: 
•    Ms. Elyssa Membrey, Australian Competition and Consumer Commission
•    Ms. Yvonne Stein, Ministry of Finance, Sweden
•    Mr. Howard Tarnoff , Consumer Product Safety Commission, United States
•    Ms. Natalia Alvis Rodríguez, Delegate Superintendent for Consumer Protection, Colombia
•    Ms. Rosa Morán, National Institute for the Defence of Competition and the Protection of Intellectual Property, Peru