G20 International Conference on Consumer Policy - Emerging - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

G20 International Conference on Consumer Policy - Emerging Challenges to Consumer Policy in the Digital Age - 5 and 6 September 2019 Tokushima, Japan

Panel 5: The Role of Consumer Protection Agencies in Attaining the Sustainable Development Goals • UNCTAD • Consumer Affairs Agency • Argentina • Sweden

G20 I INTERN RNAT ATIONAL NAL C CONF NFERE RENC NCE ON CONS NSUMER P R POLICY Y - The rol role of of Con onsumer P Pro rotection A Age gencies in in attain ining t g the Sustain inabl ble D Develo lopm pment G Goals ls - UMER UM ER Teresa M Moreira ra, Head, d, Com ompe petition a and C d Con onsu sumer P Pol olicies Branch

AGENDA 2030 Agreed in 2015, the agenda mobilize efforts of all countries to end all forms of poverty, fight inequalities and tackle climate change, while ensuring that no one is left behind. People, Planet, Prosperity, Peace, Partnership

CONSU NSUMER PROT OTECTION A ON AS A A TOOL OOL FOR ACHIE HIEVIN ING T THE HE SUSTAINABLE D LE DEVELO LOPMEN ENT G GOALS LS • Goa oal 8: Dec ecent ent Wor ork an and Eco Economi mic Gr Growth th - Building productive capacity creates decent jobs and fosters sustainable growth. • Goa oal 10 10: Reduc educed ed ine nequa qualities es - Shared prosperity for all will require reduced inequalities and improved international economic governance. • Goa oal 12 12: Res espo pons nsible Cons nsum umpt ption on an and Produc duction - Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns • Goa oal 17 17: Par artner ershi hips ps for or the he Goa oals - A strengthened and revitalised global partnership.

Foc ocus on on Sustainable Con onsumption a and d Pro roduction "Sustainable Consumption includes meeting the needs of present and future generations for goods and services in ways that are economically, socially and environmentally sustainable", United Nations Guidelines for Consumer Protection  Doi oing ng mor ore e and bette and better w with th les ess; ;  Mana anage res esources effi efficientl tly (lifec fecycle think nking) ng);  Reduc uce e resour ource u e use, , environm onmental ental degradati adation, w , was aste te and and pol polluti tion al alon ong the the whol hole l life fe cycle, whi hile i inc ncreasing qual quality ty of of life fe; ;  Size e oppor ortuni unities es for devel elopi oping ng count untries es - Unite ited N Natio tions E Envir ironment t Progra ramme mme, S Sustai ainab nable “leapfr pfroggi ogging” ng” Consum umption on and P d Produc uction, on, a a Handb dbook ook f for Policym cymake kers, s, 2 2015

UN Gu Guide delines for for Con Consumer Prot rotection Adopt opted i ed in 1985, 5, amended i nded in 1999, 9, lates est t rev evision in n 2015 2015, , appr approved by by the the UN Gener eneral Assem embl bly resol olut ution 7 on 70/186, 186, 2 22 Decem ember ber 2015 2015 Some new Som new rec ecommendations: Nat ationa nal pol olicies for or Co Consu sume mer Prot otec ection: checklist  of adequate legal and institutional landscape; Disp spute te res esolut ution on and nd redr dres ess: alternative dispute  resolution, collective redress, compensation for consumers; E-com ommerce: new guidelines;  Financial Services es: ref. to OECD/G20 High-Level  Principles; Good od bu busines ess pr prac actices es: for the first time aiming at  the private sector, recognizing shared responsibility; International al coo oope perat ation on: especially important for  cross border cases.

UN Gu Guide delines for for Con Consumer Prot rotection (2) (2) Sec ection on H H - Sus ustainab nable e Cons Consum umpt ption, n, gui guidel deline nes 49 49-62 62 Main in poi points: Shared ed resp sponsi sibility : mem  embe ber Stat ates es; bus usine nesses es; con onsumer er associations; environmental ations. Con Consumers need eed to be be inform ormed ; organi nizat Po Policy-ma making in part rtners ership ip  wi with all relev evan ant stakeholder ers; Mix ixed ed instr truments an and tool ools  are re wel elcom omed ed: regulator re ory mechanism sms, s, standa dards ds, busi siness ss initiatives ; Res esea earc rch, method odol ologi gies an and da data are re nec eces essary ry to  to suppo port planning ng and monitor oring; new ew sou ound  Bus usiness enc ncou ourag agement ent towar ards ds products an produ and servic ices es as as new ew technologies ; Gove vernments ts an and inte ternati tional or orga ganization ons shoul  uld exampl ples of of su sust stainable pra ractic ices es in lea ead procure proc rement.

Scope of action and key actors Sust stainabi bility i is s a cross oss-cut utting ng i issue ue : a : a shi hift ft tow towar ards mor ore s e sus ustainable life festy tyle r requi equires publ public pol policy m meas easures ( (combi bini ning ng tools and d instr trum ument ent) ai aiming at at con onsumers and and at at bus business to to adj adjust pr t produ oducti tion and and di distr tribution m metho ethods. . Cons onsumer good goods - food, c , clothi hing, ng, electr troni onics - and es and essenti tial publ public s ser ervices - ener energy, water ater, w , was aste te and and tr trans ansport t - repr epres esent s t sec ectors of of hi high gh i impac pact Econ onomic pol policy measu sures Con onsu sumer pol policy measu sures Information a on and e educ ucation c on campai aigns gns: to raise o awareness and to provide skills - examples: fight against food waste; energy efficiency (renewable sources such as solar; replacement of light bulbs; eco-labels for electronic goods); recycling; Adver ertising f g framew ewor ork adjus ustment nt t to o envir ironmenta tal c l claim ims; Engage agement ent w with r relevant ant s stakehol eholder ders - o  Prom omoting reso esource rce efficien ency (subsidies/tax business and consumer associations; incentives) Encour ouragem gement nt o of busines ness s self-regul gulat ator ory  Re Regul ulati tion on of lifespan expectancy of co consu nsume mer o produc pr oducts and and pr product oduct obsol obsoles escen ence initia itiativ tives; ;  Eco Eco labelling (product information) Behav aviou oural al insi sights s to better understand o  Use of Use of inter nterna nation onal stand standar ards ds consumer behavior and attitudes and support  Fra rame mework rk of of col collabor aborati tive econom economy models policy measures.

Consu onsumer Prot rotection on Agenci gencies in n regar regards the he Sustai Su ainab nable e Devel elopm pment ent Goals Consumer protection impacts the three dimensions of sustainable development : (i)  economic, as consumption accounts for 60% of global GDP; (ii) social, for it protects individuals in a disadvantageous position in the marketplace vis-à-vis traders; and (iii) environmental, for consumer choices bear a direct impact on the environment. Cons onsum umer polic icy's foc focus us on on cons onsum umers and and its ts br broad oad scope ope (all consumer goods -  food and non-food - and services) has a direct link to most Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), especially those related to People and Planet; Ind Indispens pensabl able coordi dinat nation on and and coope ooperati ation on wi with th othe other publ public bodi bodies es (at local and  regional levels) and sector-specific regulators provide an extensive and detailed view of market functioning; Mult lti-stak takehol eholde der app approac oach and close interaction with consumer groups, other  NGOs and business organizations are at the core of Consumer Protection Agencies' work, illustrating concrete partnerships, crucial to achieve the SDGs.