Unsafe consumer products continue to pose significant risks to public health and sustainable development. In recognition of the challenges, the General Assembly, in the United Nations guidelines for consumer protection, notes that all consumers should have the right of access to non-hazardous products. However, the globalization of trade and the rapid expansion of digital commerce have amplified the complexity of ensuring product safety, since more goods are swiftly crossing borders.
A recent global review found that 87 per cent of banned or recalled products remained accessible online, highlighting the urgent need for stronger oversight in digital marketplaces. UNCTAD data shows that less than 40 per cent of member States have comprehensive consumer product safety laws in place, leaving significant gaps in global consumer protection.
Discussions at this event will explore practical pathways for strengthening product safety through national reforms and international cooperation; and highlight key priorities, such as enhancing regulatory frameworks, improving risk assessment and injury data collection, strengthening product recall systems and establishing real-time mechanisms for information exchanges across borders, taking into consideration the particular needs of developing countries.
Programme
Opening remarks:
- Pedro Manuel Moreno, Deputy Secretary-General of UN Trade and Development (UNCTAD)
High-level panel and interactive discussion
Questions:
- What are the most urgent policy and regulatory gaps that countries, particularly developing countries, need to address in order to strengthen national consumer product safety frameworks?
- How can international cooperation be improved to prevent the cross-border distribution of unsafe products, particularly in the context of digital trade and electronic commerce?
- Which mechanisms or best practices exist, or should be developed, for real-time information-sharing on product recalls, bans and hazards among member States?
Moderator: Teresa Moreira, Head, Competition and Consumer Policies Branch, Division on International Trade and Commodities
Mr. Pedro Manuel Moreno of Spain, is Deputy Secretary-General of UNCTAD.
He has over 20 years of experience of working for multilateral and intergovernmental organizations in programme, management and strategic positions both in the field and at headquarters.
He was Deputy Secretary-General of the Communication for Development Committee at the Spanish National Commission with the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (1999-2004), and for the United Nations Development Programme, at the Country Office in Ecuador and, in New York City, as part of the Human Development Report team, at the Regional Bureau for Latin America and the Caribbean and at the Executive Office.
In 2014, he was appointed Chief of Staff of the Ibero-American Conference in Madrid, where he coordinated key political processes and South-South cooperation projects.
In September 2021, he was named Chief of Staff and Director of the Office of the Secretary-General of UNCTAD.
Ana Isabel Xavier is Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs and Cooperation in the Government of the Portuguese Republic.
Before that, she served as Secretary of State for National Defense (April 2024 to June 2025); Associate Professor at Universidade Autónoma de Lisboa (UAL); Visiting Professor at Iscte – Instituto Universitário de Lisboa; Integrated Researcher at the Centre for International Studies (CEI-Iscte); Researcher at CISD-IUM – Centro de Investigação em Segurança e Defesa of the Portuguese Military University Institute.
She also served as Deputy Director-General for National Defence Policy; President of the Board of the Association of Auditors of National Defence Courses; President of the Board of DECIDE - Association of Young Auditors for Defence, Security and Citizenship.
Ms. Xavier holds a PhD in International Relations from the Faculty of Economics
of the University of Coimbra; a Master's degree in Sociology of Development and Social Transformation (2006) and a degree in International Relations (2003) from the same Faculty.
She also holds a postgraduate degree (2005) in Human Rights and Democratization from the Faculty of Law of the University of Coimbra.
Cielo Elainne Rusinque Urrego is currently Superintendent of Industry and Commerce of Colombia.
Prior to that, she served as Director General of the Administrative Department for Social Prosperity. She has taught in the Postgraduate Certificate in Administrative Law at Colegio Mayor de Nuestra Señora del Rosario, worked as a research professor at Universidad Externado de Colombia, and lectured in Constitutional Law at Universidad de Cundinamarca. She currently teaches Constitutional Law at Universidad Externado de Colombia.
She has extensive experience as a lawyer, consultant, and litigator in both Colombia and France. Her professional background includes working at the law firm Mialot Avocats, serving as advisor to the Military Attaché of the Colombian Embassy in France, working in the Legal Office of the Mayor’s Office of Fusagasugá, and holding judicial assistant and secretary positions at the Office of the Attorney General of Colombia, at the National Directorate of Prosecutors, National Unit for Prosecution against Kidnapping and Extortion.
She is a lawyer from Universidad Externado de Colombia. She holds two master's degrees: one in Constitutional Law and another in Political Studies Research from Panthéon-Assas University (Paris II), where she is currently a PhD candidate in Constitutional Law. She is fluent in French.
Mr Hardin Ratshisusu is the Acting Deputy Commissioner and Acting Commissioner of the National Consumer Commission since 1 May 2024. He is also the Deputy Commissioner of the Competition Commission since 2016. He actively participates in international fora such as the OECD, BRICS, UNCTAD and ACF.
Mr Ratshisusu holds a BCom (Honours-Economics) from the University of Venda, a MCom (Economics) from the University of Witwatersrand and a Master of Business Leadership from the University of South Africa. He has completed the PURC/ World Bank Training Program on Utility Regulation and Strategy with the University of Florida as well as the Senor Executive Program for Africa with the Harvard Business School.
Pinuccia Contino is the Deputy to the Director for Consumers & Head of the Product Safety and Rapid Alert System unit in the Directorate-General for Justice and Consumers (DG JUST) of the European Commission.
In this capacity, she is responsible for the European Union's legislation on general product safety, including the brand new General Product Safety Regulation. Together with her dedicated team of product safety experts, she also supports dialogue and cooperation among the different product safety stakeholders and promotes product safety as a strategic priority on the global scene.
Pinuccia is Italian and holds a Master's degree in Political Sciences and International Relations. She is an Ambassador of Applied Compassion certified by Stanford University.
Helena Leurent is Director General of Consumers International, the membership organisation for 200+ consumer advocacy groups around the world in more than 100 countries.
Consumers International works with members and partners to empower consumers, to ensure consumers are treated safely, fairly and honestly worldwide, and to drive change in the marketplace on global consumer issues including digital access and rights, product safety and sustainability.
Prior to joining Consumers International, Helena worked for the World Economic Forum developing global partnerships and programmes with government, business, civil society and academia on issues such as advanced manufacturing, sustainable agriculture and humanitarian assistance.
Helena has also worked for Tesco Stores Plc, Unilever, McKinsey & Co and The LEK Partnership. Helena holds an MA from the University of Oxford and an MBA from the Kellogg School of Management.
Teresa Moreira is the Head of the Competition and Consumer Policies Branch, Division on International Trade and Commodities at UNCTAD. She joined UNCTAD in 2016 and previously served as the Consumer Director-General of Portugal and as a Member of the Board of the Portuguese Competition Authority when it was first created. She also served as Portugal’s Director-General and Deputy Director General for International Economic Relations and held senior positions at the Directorate-General for Competition.
Teresa worked for over 20 years as a Teaching Assistant at the Faculty of Law of the University of Lisbon in the areas of International Economic Law and European Law, as well as European Competition Law and European Economic Law at the graduate level.
Teresa holds a degree in Law and a master’s degree in European Law (European Competition Law) from the University of Lisbon, Portugal.
