This document outlines the United Nations Guidelines for Consumer Protection. It discusses 8 areas that governments should focus on to protect consumers: physical safety, economic interests, quality standards, access to essential goods and services, redress measures, education programs, sustainable consumption, and specific areas like food and water. Some key points covered are promoting high ethical standards for businesses, independent consumer groups, sustainable practices, and measures against misleading claims. The goal overall is to empower consumers and maintain adequate consumer protections.

1. BY:-
PROF. RITA KAKADE
M.COM, M.PHIL, N ET, DTL, G. D. C. & A.
ASST. PROF. S. P. COLLEGE

2. • To assist countries in achieving or maintaining adequate protection for their
population as consumers;
• To facilitate production and distribution patterns responsive to the needs and
desires of consumers;
• To encourage high levels of ethical conduct for those engaged in the production
and distribution of goods and services to consumers;
• To assist countries in curbing abusive business practices by all enterprises at
the national and international levels which adversely affect consumers
• To facilitate the development of independent consumer groups;
• To further International Cooperation in the field of consumer protection;
• To encourage the development of market conditions which provide consumers
with greater choice at lower prices;
• To promote sustainable consumption.

3. United Nations Guidelines for
Consumer Protection
A. Physical safety
B. Promotion and protection of consumers’ economic
interests
C. Standards for the safety and quality of consumer
goods and services
D. Distribution facilities for essential consumer goods and
services
E. Measures enabling consumers to obtain redress
F. Education and information programmes
G. Promotion of sustainable consumption
H. Measures relating to specific areas

4. Education and
information
programmes
Physical safety
Promotion and
protection of
consumers’
economic
interests
Distribution
facilities for
essential
consumer
goods and
services
Standards for
the safety and
quality of
consumer
goods and
services
Measures
enabling
consumers to
obtain redress
Measures
relating to
specific areas
Promotion of
sustainable
consumption

5. A. Physical safety

6. B. Promotion and protection of consumers’
economic interests
1. To obtain optimum benefit from economic resources
2. To prevent adverse practices
3. Measures relating to the control of restrictive business
practices
4. Clear the responsibility of the producer
5. Encourage fair and effective competition
6. Reliable after-sales service and spare parts
7. Protection from contractual abuses

7. 8. The principle of fair treatment of consumers
9. Free flow of accurate information
10. Accurate information about the environmental impact
11. Measures regarding misleading environmental claims
12. Development of appropriate advertising codes and
standards
13. Encourage the formulation and implementation
14. Regularly review of legislation

8. C. Standards for the safety and quality of
consumer goods and services
1. Promote the elaboration and implementation of
standards
2. Effort should be made to raise standard
3. Ensure the availability of facilities to test and certify
the safety

9. D. Distribution facilities for essential consumer
goods and services
1. Adopting or maintaining policies to ensure the
efficient distribution of goods and services to
consumers;
2. Encouraging the establishment of consumer
cooperatives and related trading activities, as well
as information about them, especially in rural
areas.

10. E. Measures enabling consumers to obtain
redress
1. Governments should establish or maintain legal and/or
administrative measures to enable consumers to obtain
redress.
2. Governments should encourage all enterprises to resolve
consumer disputes.
3. Information on available redress and other dispute-resolving
procedures should be made available to consumers.

11. F. Education And Information Programmes
1. Development of general consumer education
2. Consumer education integral part of the basic curriculum
3. Information programs cover important aspects of consumer
protection
4. Encourage consumer organizations
5. Business participation in factual and relevant consumer
education
6. Encourage development of consumer information programs
7. Encourage training programs for consumer advisers.

12. G. Promotion Of Sustainable Consumption
1. Sustainable consumption
2. Responsibility for sustainable consumption should be shared
3. Implementation of strategies that promote sustainable
consumption
4. Encourage design , development and use of products and
services that are safe. Encourage recycled programmes.
5. Promotion of national & international environmental health &
safety standards for products and services
6. Encourage impartial testing of products
7. Encourage development of environmentally sound alternatives

13. 8. Promote awareness of benefits of sustainable
consumption.
9. Encourage transformation of unsustainable consumption
10. Effective regulatory mechanisms for protection of consumers
11. Range of economic instruments to promote sustainable
consumption
12. Develop indicators for measuring progress of sustainable
consumption
13. Take lead in introducing sustainable practices
14. Research on consumer to make consumption patterns more
sustainable

14. H. Measures relating to specific areas
In advancing consumer interests, particularly in
developing countries, Governments should, where
appropriate, give priority to areas of essential
concern for the health of the consumer,
1. Food
2. Water
3. pharmaceuticals

15. conclusion