Macao Consumer Council attended the meeting with the representative from State Administration for Market Regulation as Chinese delegates
The United Nations Conference on trade and Development (UNCTAD) held the Intergovernmental Group of Experts on Consumer Protection Law and Policy, third session, at the United Nations Office at Geneva on 9th to 10th July. The Macao Consumer Council, together with a representative from The State Administration for Market Regulation of the People’s Republic of China, attended the meeting as Chinese delegates. The Council noticed that delegates from many countries proposed using laws and regulations to protect consumer rights, moreover, the Council also met with representatives from Portuguese-speaking countries and introduced them the policy of establishing Macao as “The Commercial and Trade Co-operation Service Platform between China and Portuguese-speaking Countries”.
Legislation to perfect consumer rights protection work
Representatives from over 100 countries, consumer organizations, and law experts from all over the world attended the meeting. A representative from The State Administration for Market Regulation gave a speech on the topic “Consumer rights protection in China”, discussions were made on topics relating to worldwide consumer protection problems, including consumer protection in financial services, consumer product safety, development of e-commerce and effects of misleading sales practices of businesses on consumers, etc.. Participants all agreed that revision of laws or proposal of new laws are needed to overcome the challenges faced when carrying out consumer protection work; all the goals, principles, and measures proposed by experts at the meeting have a lot of common in the direction and operations of the revision of Macao’s “Consumer Protection Law”, reflecting that law revision is the main direction and means to effectively protect consumer rights.
Macao’s rapid development in recent years and the popularization of online consumption makes it face the same difficulties as other countries and regions when carrying out consumer rights protection work. The participation of the Council in this meeting enables its staff to learn from the experiences of other countries, especially the experiences in practicing consumer protection laws, the Council will consolidate all materials of the meeting and take as references for local consumer protection work.
Introduction of “One Platform” policy to Portuguese-speaking countries
The Council also met with representatives from Portuguese-speaking countries at this international meeting and introduced them the policy of establishing Macao as “The Commercial and Trade Co-operation Service Platform between China and Portuguese-speaking Countries”, including its target, mission, and other practical works, especially the recent co-operation of consumer organizations in both China and Portugal for case transferral. The Minister of Justice of Brazil, Mr. Torquato Jardim, expressed his concern regarding the policy and agreed that close co-operation between China and Portuguese-speaking countries is important and a main trend in the future; the function of Macao as a platform is beneficial to the collaboration of China and Portugal in all aspects.
Full-time member of the Executive Committee of the Macao Consumer Council, Chan Hon Sang, and others attended the Intergovernmental Group of Experts on Consumer Protection Law and Policy, third session, with The State Administration for Market Regulation.
