Paraguay requested the advisory services of UN Trade and Development to strengthen the capacity of Paraguay's Secretariat for the Defence of Consumers and Users (SEDECO) on sustainable consumption in order to integrate its principles into the draft consumer protection law currently in the drafting stage.
Sustainable consumption has become a growing priority for countries around the world, driven by concerns about environmental degradation, resource scarcity and climate change.
As recognised by the UN Guidelines for Consumer Protection, consumers should have the right to promote fair, equitable and sustainable economic and social development and environmental protection.
National consumer protection laws are increasingly incorporating elements that promote sustainability in consumption patterns, with the aim of encouraging responsible production and consumption and reducing the negative impacts of unsustainable consumption patterns on society, the economy and the environment.
This contributes to the achievement of the UN Sustainable Development Goals, and in particular Goal 12 on responsible production and consumption.
This advisory opinion introduces the promotion of sustainable consumption based on the UN Guidelines for Consumer Protection, provides an overview of the main national consumer protection laws that include provisions related to sustainable consumption, describes the key elements found in these laws, and proposes a standard provision that can serve as a reference for Paraguay's consumer protection law reform process.
The study is part of the project ‘Advancing Consumer Information and Consumer Protection in Alignment with Multilateral Environmental Agreements’, a synergistic partnership between the United Nations Environment Programme and UN Trade and Development.
