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CUTS Daily Bulletin # 02 | July 07, 2026

Day 2 Highlights

The second day of the Ninth Session of the UNCTAD Intergovernmental Group of Experts (IGE) on Consumer Protection Law and Policy focused on strengthening global consumer protection through enhanced product safety, stronger national institutions and greater international cooperation. Discussions reflected a growing recognition that rapidly evolving digital markets require consumer protection systems that are collaborative, evidence-based and responsive to emerging risks.

A Global Milestone for Consumer Product Safety

A key highlight of the day was the launch of the United Nations Principles for Consumer Product Safety and the accompanying UNCTAD Handbook on Consumer Product Safety—the first UN reference framework dedicated to consumer product safety.

Participants agreed that effective implementation of these principles will be essential to strengthening consumer confidence in both traditional and digital markets. Discussions highlighted the need for robust market surveillance, laboratory testing, business accountability and effective consumer redress mechanisms. Speakers also emphasised that stronger regional cooperation and information-sharing are critical to preventing unsafe products from simply shifting across borders rather than being removed from markets altogether.

The newly launched Handbook was presented as a practical resource to support countries—particularly those without dedicated product safety frameworks—in translating the UN Principles into effective national legislation and institutions.

Argentina's Consumer Protection System Recognised

The voluntary peer review of Argentina's consumer protection law and policy highlighted the country's progress in developing an accessible and efficient consumer protection framework. Delegates commended Argentina's integrated complaint resolution system and innovative Consumer Relations Court, which combines digital tools and judicial processes to improve access to consumer justice.

The review also identified opportunities for further strengthening coordination among regulatory institutions, expanding responsible use of artificial intelligence to improve administrative efficiency, and enhancing consumer awareness of digital commerce. Overall, the peer review reinforced the value of transparent, evidence-based assessments in supporting continuous policy improvement and international learning.

Strengthening Global Knowledge and Cooperation

The final session showcased the latest developments in UNCTAD's World Consumer Protection Map, a comprehensive global repository of consumer protection laws, institutions and policy frameworks that supports evidence-based policymaking and international cooperation.

Updates were also presented by UNCTAD's informal working groups on consumer product safety, electronic commerce and consumer protection, and gender. Their work highlighted emerging priorities such as responsible AI adoption by consumer authorities, protection of consumer privacy, stronger human oversight of digital technologies and addressing gender-specific vulnerabilities in increasingly digital marketplaces.

Participants broadly supported extending the mandates of these working groups, recognising their contribution to knowledge sharing, capacity building and international policy coordination.

Key Policy Messages

The discussions on Day 2 highlighted several priorities for strengthening consumer protection worldwide:

Implementing the United Nations Principles for Consumer Product Safety through stronger national legal and institutional frameworks.
Enhancing international and regional cooperation to address product safety risks in increasingly interconnected markets.
Leveraging digital technologies, including AI, to improve consumer protection while maintaining transparency, accountability and human oversight.
Strengthening consumer awareness and digital literacy to enable informed participation in online markets.
Expanding global knowledge-sharing through evidence-based tools, peer learning and international cooperation.

Looking Ahead

The second day of the IGE demonstrated that effective consumer protection increasingly depends on international collaboration, stronger institutions and practical implementation of globally agreed principles. The launch of the United Nations Principles for Consumer Product Safety marks an important milestone in global consumer policy, providing countries with a common framework to strengthen product safety, build consumer confidence and promote safer and more resilient markets.

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