First ESCWA-UNCTAD Arab Consumer Protection Forum
Your Excellency, Mr. Abdulla Bin Adel Fakhro, Minister of Industry and Commerce of the Kingdom of Bahrain;
Dear Rola Dashti, Executive Secretary of ESCWA;
Excellencies,
Heads of Consumer Protection Agencies,
Distinguished delegates,
Ladies and gentlemen,
It is an honour for UNCTAD to partner with ESCWA in hosting the First Arab Consumer Protection Forum in Manama. This Forum offers a unique platform for dialogue with the potential to become a leading event for regional cooperation.
I regret not to attend in person but am glad to join you online.
At the outset, I want to express my great appreciation to the Government of Bahrain for their leadership and commitment to consumer protection in the Arab region. I would also like to congratulate the member States of ESCWA and the ESCWA secretariat for this pioneering initiative on regional cooperation in consumer protection.
Cooperation - in many areas, including consumer protection - is much needed to find solutions to the challenges we face.
As it currently stands, only 15 per cent of all Sustainable Development Goals are on track.
Today, about 3.3 billion people live in countries that spend more on debt servicing than on either health or education.
The Arab region is suffering a devastating conflict. The destruction in the Gaza Strip generated an enormous loss of life and is rendering the area unhabitable. UNCTAD early estimates show precipitous declines in living conditions, declining Gross Domestic Product per capita, soaring poverty and unemployment. Even optimistic scenarios suggest that Gaza’s recovery will take over a decade.
Along with the tensions and possible disruptions in the Red Sea, the conflict could have negative spillover effects in the region.
Dear friends,
The world is in great need of solidarity and multilateralism. In this scenario, the First Arab Consumer Protection Forum is a beacon of hope.
Good news are that we can build on a solid ground.
In the field of consumer protection, the UN holds the only multilateral instrument on this issue: The United Nations Guidelines for Consumer Protection. Member states of the United Nations have been implementing these Guidelines for almost forty years. They have served as a guiding light for policymakers to design, implement and improve consumer protection policies at national and regional levels.
In 2015, the guidelines were revised, bringing in emerging issues of special interest to the Arab region, such as the protection of vulnerable and disadvantaged consumers, e-commerce, financial services, and dispute resolution. The guidelines also established the Intergovernmental Group of Experts on Consumer Protection Law and Policy, hosted yearly at UNCTAD. That forum allows our 195 member States to exchange views and learn from one another.
While we do have a forum for global discussions, we also need active collaboration at regional level to support national efforts and strengthen cooperation. There is much that can still be done. According to the UNCTAD World Consumer Protection Map, 60 per cent of countries report having no experience in cross-border cooperation on consumer protection. Those who do are mainly developed countries. Such cooperation is valuable for improving national policies by exchanging best practices, for strengthening institutions by sharing experiences, and for ensuring fairer markets for consumers by pooling resources in the enforcement of consumer protection laws.
But international and cross-border cooperation can only take place when effective national laws, polices and institutions are in place. While many Arab countries have legal frameworks in place, it is important to support those that do not. We must strive for all Arab countries to enact laws and establish institutions. We must strive to build capacities to keep up with emerging challenges, from defective products sold online, fraud and scams, to ensuring that sustainable choices that protect the economy, the people and the planet are accessible to all.
The first Arab Consumer Protection Forum can make several important contributions.
This Forum can promote collaboration and coordination among consumer protection authorities in ESCWA member States. It can inform consumer protection policymaking and enforcement in the Arab region, guided by international best practices. And it can generate concrete recommendations for future activities aimed at advancing consumer protection policy and enforcement in the Arab region.
This Forum is happening in a year that is special for UNCTAD as we are celebrating the institution’s 60th anniversary. When UNCTAD was created sixty years ago, it was a Conference which gave developing countries a strong voice to bring to the forefront their challenges of participating in the global economy. The main challenges may have evolved but the need for global dialogue and addressing interconnected challenges and finding inclusive solutions remain critical. I invite you all to join our special celebration of UNCTAD 60 on 12 June.
Ladies and gentlemen,
The United Nations General Assembly entrusted UNCTAD with the mandate of protecting consumers and ensuring a fairer and safer economic environment that leaves no one behind. In our globalized and interconnected world, where goods and services are offered across borders, the welfare and safety of any consumer depends on the protection of all consumers.
We are very pleased to join our efforts with ESCWA which has the invaluable regional expertise.
I sincerely thank the ESCWA Secretariat for the excellent organization of this Forum and the Government of Bahrain for their warm hospitality.
I with you a successful meeting.
Thank you.