Strengthening consumer product safety in Sub-Saharan African countries

UNCTAD supports Rwanda in building a modern consumer product safety system that protects consumers, strengthens markets, and aligns with international standards.

Overview

This project supports Rwanda in strengthening its consumer product safety frameworks in response to the country’s urgent need to better protect consumers from unsafe goods. It supports the government in developing effective and efficient regulatory systems, enhancing institutional capacity, and raising stakeholder awareness to reduce risks associated with hazardous products.

Consumer product safety is essential to protecting public health, building consumer trust, and fostering sustainable and inclusive market development. Yet, many countries in Sub-Saharan Africa face significant gaps in legislation, institutional capacity, testing infrastructure, and market surveillance. Through targeted technical assistance and knowledge-sharing aligned with international best practices and United Nations frameworks, this initiative addresses these challenges.

The project builds on the momentum generated by the adoption of the United Nations Principles for Consumer Product Safety by the General Assembly in December 2025 and aligns with the United Nations guidelines for consumer protection. It also promotes stronger regional and international cooperation to prevent the cross-border circulation of unsafe consumer goods.

About the Project

The project will support the development of practical and sustainable product safety systems in Rwanda, including improved legal and institutional frameworks, inspection and enforcement tools, and stakeholder engagement.

Objectives

Strengthen legal and institutional frameworks for consumer product safety.
Enhance the technical capacity of national authorities to implement regulation, market surveillance, and enforcement.
Promote international best practices and cooperation in product safety.
Increase awareness among businesses and consumers of product safety rights and responsibilities.
Lay the groundwork for future reforms and long-term institutional development.

Methodology

The project will be implemented through a structured and participatory approach combining diagnostics, advisory support, capacity-building, and stakeholder outreach. Key activities include:

Diagnostic review and national assessment: Comprehensive mapping of existing laws, institutional arrangements, enforcement mechanisms, and testing infrastructure to identify gaps and priority areas, benchmarked against international standards.
Policy and legal recommendations: Tailored recommendations to support national reforms, including regulatory design, institutional coordination, and risk-based approaches.
Capacity-building: Online training workshop to strengthen technical skills in inspection methods, product testing, traceability, and recall procedures.
Stakeholder engagement and awareness-raising: Workshop and outreach activities to engage businesses, consumer groups, and other stakeholders to promote compliance and safe consumption.
Dissemination and knowledge-sharing: Sharing findings, recommendations and lessons learned through a dissemination event to support regional and global learning.

Implementation will be carried out in close coordination with national authorities, the United Nations country team, and other relevant stakeholders.

Intended Outcomes

By the end of the project, the following outcomes are expected:

Improved readiness of national authorities to develop and implement effective product safety frameworks;
Strengthened institutional capacity for market surveillance, inspection, and enforcement;
Increased awareness and engagement among businesses and consumers on product safety obligations and rights;
Enhanced coordination among relevant government institutions and stakeholders;
Actionable recommendations for future reforms and sustained international cooperation;
Contribution to safer markets, consumer confidence, and inclusive economic development.

Link to the SDGs

This project directly contributes to:

SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth
SDG 9: Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure
SDG 10: Reduce inequality
SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production
SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals

Consumer product safety: New global principles adopted at UN

16 Dec 2025

The move seeks to enhance consumer protection in an increasingly globalized and digital marketplace, as product safety is not a privilege for the few, but a fundamental right for all.

United Nations principles for consumer product safety

2 March 2026