ASEAN holds its 1st ASEAN Consumer Protection Conference

ASEAN will hold its first Consumer Protection Conference (1st ACPC) from 8-9 December 2014 in Hanoi, Viet Nam. Regional consumer protection issues are fast gaining traction as ASEAN moves into the last phase of its preparations for the establishment of the ASEAN Economic Community and gets ready for the post-2015 era.

The Conference aims to be a platform for experts and relevant stakeholders to network and exchange experiences and best practices. The Conference is expected to generate fruitful discussions and exchange of views on the development of consumer protection in ASEAN and engender deliberations on the future direction of regional consumer trends and challenges.

The 1st ACPC will deliberate on a wide range of topics on current issues and challenges relating to financial transactions, consumer product safety, e-commerce and development of consumer redress mechanisms. Consumer protection in this new decade may face increasing challenges with the new mobile money environment and the rapidly changing technology which pose increased risks for consumers. Similarly consumer product safety is a major contemporary concern and product regulation and recalls issues require greater consideration. The online consumer marketplace is growing at a rapid rate and offers considerable potential economic and consumer benefits and its regulation and will merit closer attention. Finally, the approach to effective regional consumer redress mechanisms are expected draw keen interest in their application and reach.

Participants are expected to be government bodies handling consumer protection schemes, researchers, NGOs, private practitioners and business associations, and other relevant organisations involve in consumer protection enforcement. The Conference is organized under the auspices of the ASEAN Committee on Consumer Protection and hosted by the Vietnam Competition Authority. It is supported by the ASEAN – Australia Development Cooperation Program Phase II (AADCP II) as part of a wider scale project entitled ‘Supporting Research and Dialogue in Consumer Protection’.