CUTS Daily Bulletin # 03 | July 09, 2025
Session 1 - Session on Recent Developments in Digital Markets
 
The 9th United Nations Conference on Competition Policy was held from 7 to 11 July 2025 in Room XIX of the Palais des Nations, Geneva, bringing together global stakeholders to review the multilateral framework on restrictive business practices. On 9 July, the Day 3 session addressed rising concerns over digital market dominance and algorithmic control, while the UNCTAD secretariat unveiled its global trade update, highlighting key shifts and challenges shaping the digital economy.
  1. Global Digital Market Concentration Crisis: Panellists warned that dominant digital platforms concentrate power through data and network effects, harming competition and innovation—especially for MSMEs in developing countries. The 2025 U.S. Trade Policy Agenda highlights rising geopolitical tensions over global digital regulation.
  2. Uzbekistan's Pioneering Digital Platform Regulation: The panellist from Uzbekistan highlighted the country's regional leadership in AI readiness and its forward-leaning regulatory stance. Uzbekistan has implemented ex-ante rules identifying 21 types of digital platforms and enforcing 26 prohibitions. Central to this approach is the recognition of superior bargaining position to curb abuse of dominance.
  3. Killer Acquisitions and Market Manipulation: From 2019 to 2025, major tech firms acquired 119 companies globally, with 184 mergers unreported to the EU. Following acquisition, 67% of these firms ceased operations—raising serious concerns about rising entry barriers. Unrestricted access to personal data further entrenches platform dominance, while manipulative design tactics—such as targeted ads and deceptive interfaces—distort user choice.
  4. Double Standards and Regulatory Pressure: The discussion showed how the big tech uses lobbying, public pressure, and financial influence to shape favourable policies, undermining regulatory integrity. The panellists mentioned about platforms pressuring developing countries to revise or abolish regulations while showing selective compliance - obeying antitrust laws in advanced countries but resisting in developing nations.
  5. Brazil's Evidence-Based Approach: Brazil emphasizes economic evidence over punitive regulation. In the Google News case, analysis showed increased reach boosted newspaper revenues rather than harming them. In the Apple App Store inquiry, authorities are assessing the competitive impact of pricing restrictions and potential alternatives to Apple-only downloads.
  6. China's Comprehensive Digital Economy Reforms: Global digital trade is expanding at 8% annually, emerging as a key growth driver. Revised anti-monopoly and competition laws in China now cover live streaming, e-payments, fake designs, and product quality. A new platform rating system and a three-year national fair competition program have been introduced.
  7. Digital Health Colonization and Competition Risks: The growing presence of Google, Amazon, and NVIDIA in healthcare signals a form of digital colonization, as they provide data infrastructure to hospitals lacking in-house capabilities. By leveraging partnerships, these platforms gain indirect access to health data, enabling superior insights and product development..
  8. Global Response Proposals: The Panel proposed launching the Global Initiative for Fair Digital Economy and Competition, aimed at developing economies and a unified regulatory response to platform and AI dominance.
The panellists of this session included Mr. Khalilillo Sobirjonovich Turakhujaev, Mr. Gustavo Augusto Freitas de Lima, Mr. Aizezi Aili, Deputy Director-General, Prof. Ioannis Lianos.
 
(Reporting by Mritunjai Kapila, CUTS International, Geneva)
Session 2 - Consultations on a Draft Resolution on Consumer Product Safety
 
The second session of the 9th United Nations Conference on Competition Policy, held from 7 to 11 July 2025 in Room XIX of the Palais des Nations, Geneva, focused on consultations around a groundbreaking draft resolution on consumer product safety. UNCTAD revealed that 44 member states currently lack such protections. The draft, developed through informal working groups during 2024–25, is sponsored by Brazil, Costa Rica, South Africa, Sweden, and Spain.
  1. Nine Core Principles Framework: The draft resolution contains 9 sections: (I) Principles for safety of products on the market, (II) Product safety regulations and standards, (III) Product safety authorities' responsibilities, (IV) Product risk identification, (V) Product risk assessment and management, (VI) Corrective measures, (VII) Information to consumers by authorities and businesses, (VIII) Cooperation between businesses and authorities, (IX) International cooperation.
  2. Three Issues to be addressed: Visibility - highlighting real risks from unsafe goods (EU preventable losses exceed 11 billion euros annually with 443 consumer warnings issued last year). Consistency - establishing clear robust principles including product safety, common standards for digital environments, clear consumer information, and international cooperation. Commitment - ensuring universal consumer safety regardless of country, including e-trade, based on evidence and collective responsibility.
  3. Fundamental Rights and Responsibilities: All the panellists mentioned that product safety is a central right and precondition for market trust (Article 46 Costa Rica constitution, Law 7472). Suppliers bear responsibility for unforeseen risks. The draft resolution includes WHO definitions to cover all forms of harm including mental and psychological impacts.
  4. Vulnerable Consumer Protection: The panellists pointed out that the risks are higher for vulnerable consumers (children, elderly) who may lack redressal opportunities. Draft promotes global safety culture through collaboration, strengthens institutional structures, holds industry accountable, stops hazardous products reaching vulnerable groups, provides technical assistance to developing countries, builds industrial capacity, and facilitates knowledge transfer for African economic integration.
  5. Critical Implementation Challenges: Complexity of global supply chains from manufacturing to consumers; protecting vulnerable populations; e-commerce regulatory gaps requiring inclusion of all products whether online or second-hand; need for real-time communication between authorities; rise of sustainable products requiring special attention. India highlighted lack of universal safety standards for health, wellbeing, and cosmetic products requiring specific inclusion.
  6. Developing Country Concerns: Chile raised concerns about informal trade channels and organized crime involvement. DRC emphasized developing countries as dumping sites for hazardous products causing deaths, with 80-90% of medicines in Africa being hazardous. Strong implementation mechanisms needed beyond resolution text. MGP India called for clarifying product liability (supplier/seller/manufacturer) and developing model product safety law.
  7. Pathway to Global Adoption: For global coverage, the panellists and delegations called for Adoption of the draft resolution by 9th UN Conference on Competition and Consumer Protection (no budgetary implications), submission to UN General Assembly (tentatively October 2025), possible UNGA adoption (tentatively December 2025).
  8. Universal Safety Standards: The panel discussion highlighted that the Rights to safety, dignity, and fair markets are fundamental, not luxury rights. It was noted that we need more legal clarity for all product forms creating common baseline.
 The Panellists in this Session were Mr. Daniel Arribas Gonzalez, Ms. Cyntia Zapata, Ms. Thezi Mabuza, Ms. Alessandra Weyandt, Ms. Y. Stien and Ms. Eva Sinkovic.

(Reporting by Mritunjai Kapila, CUTS International, Geneva)
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