Consumer resources

Consumer protection around the world

Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD)

The OECD mission is to promote policies that will improve the economic and social well-being of people around the world. The OECD provides a forum in which governments can work together to share experiences and seek solutions to common problems. It works with governments to understand what drives economic, social and environmental change.

The OECD addresses a wide range of issues relevant for consumers, in particular through its Committee on Consumer Policy (CCP).

The OECD is an observer organisation of ICPEN.

United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD)

UNCTAD's overall objective of its programmes is to promote inclusive and sustainable development through international trade.

It offers analysis and advice and seeks to build consensus, strengthen capacity and promote partnerships for trade policy, trade negotiations, trade in goods and services, competition law and consumer protection, and managing issues arising at the intersection of trade, the environment and climate change

The objective of UNCTAD's work on competition and consumer policies is to ensure that partner countries enjoy the benefits of increased competition, open and contestable markets, private sector investment in key sectors and ultimately that consumers achieve improved welfare.

The UNCTAD is an observer organisation of ICPEN.

EU Consumer Protection Cooperation Network (CPC) 

The CPC is the grouping of national authorities responsible for the enforcement of consumer protection laws across the European Union (EU), Iceland and Norway assist each other in exchanging information and investigating possible breaches of consumer law to protect the collective interest of consumers.

The legal basis for the Network is Regulation 2006/2004 on cooperation between national authorities responsible for the enforcement of consumer protection laws (the Regulation on Consumer Protection Cooperation).

European Consumer Centre Network (ECC-Net)

ECC-Net is a network of 30 offices in the 28 EU Member States, Norway and Iceland.

ECC's are co-financed by the European Commission and national governments, as part of the European policy to assist every citizen in Europe to take advantage of the single market.

The aim of the network is to provide free of charge help and advice to consumers on their cross-border purchases, whether online or on the spot within these 30 countries.

The EC is an observer organisation of ICPEN.

COMESA Competition Commission

The COMESA Competition Commission is a regional body established under Article 6 of the Regulations made under the Treaty establishing the Common Market. The Commission’s core mandate is to enforce the provisions of the Regulations with regard to trade between Member States and promote competition within the Common Market through monitoring and investigating anti-competitive practices of undertakings within the Common Market and mediating disputes between Member States concerning anti-competitive conduct.

The COMESA is an observer organisation of ICPEN.

Iberoamerican Forum of Consumer Protection Agencies (FIAGC)

FIAGC is a multilateral forum devoted to the analysis and discussion of the public policy of consumer protection, formed by the governmental agencies of Latin America, Spain, and Portugal. The objective of FIAGC is to promote the cooperation among members, through the exchange of information and experiences in all those topics of common interest to perform with efficiency when developing and applying public policies for consumer protection.

The FIAGC is an observer organisation of ICPEN.

ASEAN Coordinating Committee on Consumer Protection (ACCCP)

The ACCCP  promotes consumer protection in Southeast Asia. Among the initiative’s objective are:

  • providing consumers with proper information and redress;
  • stopping rogue traders and unfair commercial practices;
  • ensuring that only safe products are placed in the market.

The goal of consumer protection against substandard products and unethical and unfair trading is achieved by networking and information-sharing by representatives from Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Indonesia, Laos, Philippines, Singapore and Thailand. These participants seek to create a cross-border redress system to advise and assist with the resolution of consumer claims, and a rapid alert system on hazardous consumer products to inform member states of banned, restricted, or recalled goods

The ACCCP is not currently an observer organisation of ICPEN.

Pacific Island Network of Competition, Consumer and Economic Regulators (PINCCER)

Founding PINCCER national authorities representing the economies of Australia, Cook Islands, Fiji, French Polynesia, Kiribati, New Caledonia, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, and Vanuatu, have already set about establishing the network protocols and focus areas.

PINCCER contributes to building agency capabilities, strengthening the combined agency voice of competition and consumer protection authorities in Pacific Island smaller economies and providing a focused forum to promote well-functioning markets.

The PINCCER is not currently an observer organisation of ICPEN.

Unsolicited Communications Enforcement Network (UCENet)

UCENet formerly known as the London Action Plan (LAP) is an informal network of government and non-government organisations collaborating on global unsolicited communications enforcement.

UCENet is not currently an observer organisation of ICPEN.

Global Privacy Enforcement Network (GPEN)

GPEN was formed in June 2007, when OECD governments adopted a Recommendation on Cross-border Cooperation in the Enforcement of Laws Protecting Privacy. The Recommendation called for member countries to foster the establishment of an informal network of Privacy Enforcement Authorities. It further specified a number of tasks for the network:

  • Discuss the practical aspects of privacy law enforcement co-operation;
  • Share best practices in addressing cross-border challenges;
  • Work to develop shared enforcement priorities; and
  • Support joint enforcement initiatives and awareness campaigns.

In the summer of 2008, privacy authorities began to exchange experiences and discuss the practical aspects of enforcement cooperation via a Web utility.

GPEN is an observer organisation of ICPEN.

Global Anti-fraud Enforcement Network (GAEN)

GAEN, formerly the International Mass Marketing Fraud Action Group, aims to identify the threats posed by international fraud schemes, and collaborate to pursue the offenders and disrupt their activities. Working across international boundaries, GAEN provides an opportunity for members to coordinate and deconflict their activities, with a view to maximising the law enforcement impact and implementing intervention strategies to prevent fraud.

GAEN is not currently an observer organisation of ICPEN, but has expressed and interest.

International Financial Consumer Protection Organisation (FinCoNet)

Established in 2013, the International Financial Consumer Protection Organisation (FinCoNet) is an international organisation of supervisory authorities which have responsibility for financial consumer protection. FinCoNet promotes sound market conduct and strong consumer protection through efficient and effective financial market conduct supervision.

It is a member based organisation and has been set up as a not-for-profit association under French law.

Each member of FinCoNet has responsibility for and an interest in protecting the interests of consumers of financial services. FinCoNet seeks to enhance the protection of consumers and strengthen consumer confidence by promoting robust and effective supervisory standards and practic‌es and by the sharing of best practices among supervisors.  It also seeks to promote fair and transparent market practices and clear disclosure to consumers of financial services.

FinCoNet’s focus is on banking and credit consumer issues.

FinCoNet is not currently an observer organisation of ICPEN.

The World Bank

The World Bank is like a cooperative, made up of 189 member countries. These member countries, or shareholders, are represented by a Board of Governors, who are the ultimate policymakers at the World Bank. Generally, the governors are member countries' ministers of finance or ministers of development. They meet once a year at the Annual Meetings of the Boards of Governors of the World Bank Group and the International Monetary Fund.

The World Bank is an observer organisation of ICPEN.

Consumers International

Consumers International is a not-for-profit, non-government organisation. Consumers International works with its members and partners globally, to empower and champion the rights of consumers, and ensure they are treated safely, fairly and honestly.

Founded in 1960, Consumers International advocates for a fair, safe and sustainable future for all consumers in a global marketplace increasingly dominated by international corporations. With over 200 member organisations in 100 countries, Consumers International is building a powerful international movement to help protect and empower consumers everywhere.

Consumers International is not currently an observer organisation of ICPEN.