Voices for Change: the Consumer Right to Representation

World Consumer Rights Day 2002: Voices for Change
They must be viewed as “legitimate” pressure
groups in order to be taken seriously by
government agencies. This can prove
restrictive in countries where the requisite
political and cultural space for dissent does
not exist. Many consumer groups do not
undertake (or have ceased to undertake)
public interest litigation for this reason.
Others temper their criticism of government
policies within “acceptable” limits, since court
challenges and criticism may be regarded as
outside the “rules of the game.” This can
compromise consumer representation. Groups
that are distrusted by government agencies
may have difficulty getting access to
information and in being included in the
consultation process. Lack of access to the
policy-making process may mean their views
are not aired.
State of Play
To assess the state of play, a survey of CI’s
members was carried out for this WCRD.
Approximately 70 consumer groups from
around the world gave detailed descriptions of
where they are active, the extent of their
participation, obstacles faced, their successes
and continuing needs (see Annex A). The
responses to this survey are analysed in
Chapter 5 and a sample of the questionnaire
can be found in Annex D.
Overall analysis of the survey shows that
consumer representation is relatively extensive
in some areas but not in others. Leading the
list are consumer policy and protection, food
security and safety and technical standards.
Where there is representation, impact has been
described as more positive than negative,
rarely very poor and sometimes excellent.
Levels of representation tapers off for
competition, trade/economics, education,
communications/information technology,
social issues/poverty alleviation, price
controls, gender/women, financial services
regulation and transportation.
Interestingly, CI government members who
replied to this questionnaire cried out for the
need for independent consumer organisations.
“The absence of a strong consumer movement
limits the participation of consumers in policymaking
process on matters that affect them,”
wrote Wendy Williams of the governmental
Consumer Affairs Division in Trinidad and
Tobago. Here and elsewhere, government
consumer protection agencies sought a
stronger role for NGOs – in part because
“one major disadvantage of a government
consumer agency is the perception that it is
not interested primarily in the interests of
consumers,” she notes.
However, government members responding to
the questionnaire gave few details of the ways
that they themselves choose to represent
consumer interests across government.
Descriptive case studies of the impact of
consumer representation on specific policies –
and thus on the lives of consumer themselves
– illustrated both the value of working within
the system and the need to be willing to raise
challenges from without. These are
summarised in Annexes B and C. Successes
ranged from improved standards for condoms,
mandatory genetically modified (GM) food
labelling, improved basic services and the
creation of alternative dispute resolution
systems. Tactics included scientific testing,
canvassing of members, lobbying, media
outreach, peaceful protests and pulling out of
government committees when consumer needs
were being stonewalled. High on the list of
needs for better representation is access to
more opportune information when sitting on
committees, greater influence in the legislative
arena and the creation of new mechanisms in
areas such as transportation, medical ethics
and research. Case studies also stressed the
importance of legal action as a form of
representation, both as a means of exerting
pressure and as a form of obtaining redress.
Given the challenges of representation,
Chapter 6 assesses Consumers International’s
work at representing consumers on the
different topics at the regional and global
levels in different institutions.
WCRD Action
To foster effective consumer representation,
action is necessary. World Consumer Rights
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