THIRD UNITED NATIONS CONFERENCE ON THE LEAST DEVELOPED COUNTRIES
BRUSSELS, 14 - 20 MAY 2001
Statement by
Mr. Amadou Kanouté - Regional Director for Africa, Consumers International
(Check Against
Delivery)
Mr Chairman, Distinguished Participants and Viewers on the Internet
Let me first start by introducing the organization, which I represent that is Consumers International. Consumers International is a federation of more than 260 consumer organisations in over 100 countries. vement in general; It strives to promote a fairer society through defending the rights of all consumers, including the poor and the mazrginalised, by supporting and strenthening member organisations and the consumer movement in general; campaigning for consumer rights' to be placed at the heart of policy-making to encourage sustainable development. Consumers International promotes the eight basic consumer rights to be addressed and reflected in all decision-making fora. These are: the right to access to basic needs, to safety, to information, to choice, to representation, to consumer education, to redress and to a healthy environment.
Since 1985, when the United Nations first introduced "Guidelines for Consumer Protection", governments have increasingly recognised the link between strong, independent consumer organisations and accountable, transparent governance, efficient markets, poverty eradication and sustainable production and consumption. The consumer movement in the developing world advocates people-centred policies which reflect the needs and problems faced by marginal and deprived sectors of their communities. End-users at local level are providing information and advice on consumer issues, organising representations to politicians and policy makers and seeking to redress injustices, protect the environment and guard against exploitation. Empowerment, representation and regulation are the three prerequisites to ensure that policy-makers respond to community needs and are accountable for their actions.
Case studies compiled by Consumers International demonstrate how consumer organisations have run education programmes on health, nutrition and safety issues thus changing attitudes to genetic drugs, sanitation, and patients rights in least developed countries. Basic services provided by privatised and public utilities have also been shaped and modified by consumer advocacy on behalf of poor consumers and their interests.
LDC-111 provides us an opportunity to produce a new development approach by stimulating the demand side of economic development through a Programme of Action, which will empower consumers and promote sustainable growth. The establishment of a policy agenda, which protects consumer rights, will, in turn, contribute to human social development in the world's poorest and economically most vulnerable countries. Consumers International believes that consumer organisations have a significant role to play in securing balanced policies conducive to sustainable development. Therefore:
· LDC governments must ensure the full involvement of consumer groups in policy development and implementation.
· LDC governments should strengthen the market operation by implementing effective consumer policies, legislation and enforcement mechanisms.
· Development Partners must provide capacity building for economic and consumer policy institutions to assist in building effective markets that ensure that consumers as well as producers benefit from and contribute to economic development.
Local
consumer organisations are creating effective political, social and economic
institutions at the village level. This consciousness raising and institution
building benefits LDCs, since it encourages the growth of democracy, and
ensures that the public interest is a prime consideration in national policies,
law-making and corporate practices.
1.1. GOVERNANCE
Good governance is based on recognising human, and thus consumer
rights. Consumer groups. struggle against - economic exploitation of the,
disadvantaged in, the ;developing. markets of LDCs by closely
scrutinising the processes of
governance. Citizens as consumers are a crucial force in civil society and
Consumers International believes that they must be encouraged to monitor
performance and policies in numerous areas, including trade and economics, food
and product safety and access to justice. Social development demands adequate
public sector performance, the eradication of corruption and the active
involvement of stakeholders in decision making.
1.2. TRADE
The recently launched Consumers International initiative,
Consumers in the Global Market, is a programme designed to assess the impact of
trade liberalisation on developing countries. It seems clear that without
growth in capacity building to monitor policies, process and quality,
consumers' economic interests will not be protected. Consumers International
urges governments, international agencies and development partners to work with
consumer groups on capacity building for effective analysis and policy
development. Focussed research on the consequences of trade and economic
liberalisation is urgently needed - as is an assessment of competition policies
and their possible contribution to sustainable development in LDCs. Market
efficiency, accountable governance and competitiveness are the keys to
strengthening the world's weakest economies.
The consumer movement can redress the balance by analysing safety
and quality of goods and services, and empowering vulnerable groups of
citizens. Consumers International case studies show how price speculation,
artificial shortages and linkages sales have been eradicated by grassroots
co-operatives, and how educational programmes have impacted on the market
economies of LDCs. The Consumers International regional office for Africa
project on Establishing specialized Networks (ESNET) is helping to link
consumer groups via computer technology, facilitating information exchange
posed to LDCs by a deregularised and global market economy.
LDC-III
can and must make a difference to the lives of vulnerable consumers. To do so,
a consumer policy framework must be promoted in a new development approach.
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