Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations and Executive Secretary of the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA), Rula Dashti, confirmed that the time is appropriate to begin a constructive dialogue on ways to guide consumer protection policies in Arab countries, especially since ESCWA has always sought to coincide with the launch of The work of this forum coincides with the issuance of the second group of the report on legislative frameworks for the business environment in Arab countries. She added: “We stand at the crossroads between tradition and innovation. Let us see the challenges before us not as obstacles, but as opportunities for growth and transformation. Our journey towards enhancing consumer protection is more than just a regulatory and legislative endeavor, but rather a moral commitment towards our societies to be a beacon of hope and progress and to be brighter, more just, and more equitable for all.”
This came at the launch of the First Arab Forum for Consumer Protection, which is organized by the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA) in partnership with the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) and the Consumer Protection Department of the Ministry of Industry and Commerce in Bahrain, in the presence of the Deputy Prime Minister of Bahrain. Sheikh Khalid bin Abdullah Al Khalifa.
ESCWA stated that Arab countries have achieved many achievements and progress in implementing policies and laws that include various aspects in favor of consumer protection. However, efforts to mainstream sustainable consumption practices are still at a preliminary stage.
In turn, the Deputy Secretary-General of UNCTAD, Pedro Manuel Moreno, indicated that the region is suffering from a devastating conflict whose repercussions may extend. He said: “The world needs solidarity and joint efforts, and in this context, the Arab Forum for Consumer Protection stands out as a glimmer of hope, as it provides a platform for dialogue and will become a pioneering event for regional cooperation in this field, cooperation that we desperately need to address the challenges we face.” .
The consumer is the citizen
The Economic Affairs Officer and Coordinator of the Project to Improve Competition and Consumer Protection at the United Nations ESCWA, Natalie Khaled, said that coordination was made during the past months with the Consumer Protection Team in the Ministry of Industry and Trade in the Kingdom of Bahrain to complete the first forum for consumer protection in the Arab countries due to the importance of this topic not only on the educational level. Legal because it is at the heart of the goals related to economic and social development because the consumer is the citizen, and therefore his rights must be guaranteed, and the importance of laws and consumer protection policies is at the heart of the issue of social protection and development.
She added that the forum will be held over two days with the participation of 10 international and regional experts and the participation of 22 countries from all over the Arab region. Also, in addition to the Arab countries, there are interventions that will take place from all Arab countries through the sessions. Several topics were talked about to address the issues and ensure the protection of consumer rights, as well as discussion and presentation. The topic of sustainable development and how to promote sustainable consumption, as well as examining competition and consumer protection laws in Arab countries and their impact on the consumer and his well-being.
Khaled also mentioned that the issues that will be talked about are electronic commerce, what are the repercussions of this issue, the extent of its development, and the mechanisms taken by the authorities to protect the consumer in this issue, indicating the importance of this axis and how to follow up on complaints and their procedures.
She pointed out that the purpose of this forum is to exchange knowledge and create a platform for dialogue between Arab countries to discuss their challenges and learn from each other, so that they are in a better position to develop their policies and develop their procedures, to ensure greater well-being for the Arab consumer.
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