In response to the COVID-19 pandemic crisis Consumers International members in 100
countries are calling for a focus on the protection and empowerment of individuals in
the marketplace based on consumer rights, and for co-ordinated strategies acrossnations and intergovernmental bodies to build fair, safe, resilient and sustainableeconomies through consumer protection.
Consumers International is the membership organisation for consumer groups aroundthe world, representing peoples’ rights to a fair, safe and sustainable marketplace.
Through the COVID-19 pandemic our members have been using their national voices
to: share responsible information for health and home; identify ways to reduce
financial burdens on individual consumers; encourage businesses and government to
act responsibly; and innovating through, for example, online training on privacy toconsumers1. Through this range of network activity, our members have observed that:•Building trust now during the crisis is crucial: taking decisive, fair and transparent
action now will not only save lives but will build trust for the future when rebuilding
resilient and sustainable societies and economies will need leadership andengagement from all stakeholders.

•The international nature of the COVID-19 pandemic crisis is a reminder of how
interconnected the world is today, and how we are only as strong as the weakest
link. Globalised consumption and production chains mean people are being exposed
to systemic shocks across all core sectors including food, finance, health andmobility.

•Emerging markets and vulnerable consumers in every nation face the biggest risks
in terms of the immediate impact on health and mortality, and the economic
downturn that will follow. COVID-19 will disproportionately affect people living with
non-communicable diseases, in areas with poor air quality, in informal jobs, with nointernet connectivity, with inadequate housing or with limited savings.

Consumer protection can help now, and when we rebuild safe, fair, sustainable andresilient markets for all generations.

Now: Protect people in crucial systems and marketplaces
1. Ensure all people have access to the United Nations recognised legitimate consumer
needs

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https://www.consumersinternational.org/what-we-do/covid-19/

• Health: the right to health is a priority for consumer protection. Health services,education, awareness and implementation of preventive measures should beresourced as a matter of urgency to ensure access for all. The cost of basic medical
treatment, investigations and vaccinations should be lowered, and appropriate
medical insurance provided for those in poverty. Products that help consumers
protect themselves from COVID-19 should be affordable and readily available. Cooperation arrangements necessary to ensure the supply and distribution ofaffordable products to all consumers to prevent a shortage of essential products
should be temporarily allowed. Markets for essential products such as disinfectants,
masks and gels should be closely monitored to ensure their availability, and if
necessary temporary prices caps introduced to protect the health of consumers
during the pandemic.
• Food and essential commodities: consumers have faced shortages and price rises
for food and other essential commodities which is causing major detriment,
particularly in emerging economies. Supply chains are facing disruption as a resultof panic buying and falls in production capacity. Consumers, especially the mostvulnerable, must continue to be able to access safe and healthy food. Local markets
and livelihoods must be protected and shifts to more sustainable practices
encouraged.
• Finance: people who are unwell, caring for others or isolating may not be able toearn an income. They may also lack access to financial services in the usual way
and may be more vulnerable to fraud. As well as needing support to access basic
needs these consumers may need moratoriums on loan repayments, interest andcharges. Additional efforts will also need to be made to ensure consumers continue
to have access to financial services and are protected from unfair or fraudulent
practices at a time when their situation makes them particularly vulnerable.
• Connectivity: access to trusted online services and information becomes more
important than ever when the usual access routes to essential goods and services
are suddenly disrupted. Internet access for more people could be secured throughsubsidised devices and data, increasing data allowances, zero-rating websites forofficial health organisations and other essential government services and ending
enforced internet shutdowns or slowdowns.
2. Protect people from unfair market practices• Price gouging: enforce legislation, sanction those who charge excessive prices or cause
artificial shortages; promote transparency in pricing; introduce limits on pricing ofessential goods; take action against secondary sellers on platforms. Enforce
competition law against companies that take advantage of the crisis by creating
cartels or abusing their market power.
• Lack of refunds and redress: offer protection from financial losses from unforeseenchanges to circumstances with appropriate refunds or alternatives offered; respectlegally guaranteed refunds; make dispute resolution services available; be flexible on
insurance exclusions.
• Fake news, misinformation and misleading sales and scams: prioritise removing
content, accounts and groups that spread misinformation and verify and promotetrusted content, warn consumers against COVID-19 related scams, advise
consumers how to protect themselves.
• Fair respite in times of financial pressure: provide flexibility for consumers facedwith sudden and unexpected changes in their finances e.g. delay loan repayments,
waive fees, defer debt collection and enable access to emergency funds, protect
consumers against losses of firms who fail as a result of the crisis.
• Uphold consumer privacy: personal data has a key role to play in slowing down thespread of COVID-19, but it must be used in responsible, secure and privacy protecting
ways and not result in discrimination during or after the outbreak, be subject tooversight and accountability and grounded in law.
3. Protect vulnerable and low income consumers• Particular attention should be given to vulnerable consumers and those in low
income countries where the consequences of a combined health pandemic and aglobal recession will be catastrophic.
• Attempts to use the current crisis to roll back on product safety, social orenvironmental protections that would further disadvantage those affected by thepandemic must be resisted.
• Access to essentials such as healthy food, health services, secure energy, financeand connectivity at the lowest possible price should be made available.

Next: Invest in the urgent shift to sustainable consumption and production
based on people’s consumer rights in the marketplace
1. Build stronger and more inclusive consumer protection: it is estimated that up to aquarter of all countries provide no statutory protection for their consumers2 from unfair
practices, misinformation, unsafe products and services, access to redress andmarketplaces that do not prioritise health and the environment. As a matter of urgency
consumer protection should be implemented where there is none. Where consumer
protections exist, they should be upheld – and any gaps in protections as a result ofissues that emerge from this crisis must be addressed. The consumer voice is a vital
part of the whole of government and whole of society approach called for by the United
Nations. Consumers and consumers needs should be more visible in national policy
and in intergovernmental processes. These can be strengthened by mechanisms
available through consumer protection and empowerment models such as collective
action and redress or group purchasing that can create greater fairness, representation
and redress in markets.
2. Prioritise sustainability: Consumers will play an important role in helping the world
to meet the Sustainable Development Goals, adopted by the UN member states in 2015.
SDG 12 refers specifically to consumers, but consumer behaviour will be important tomany, if not all, the goals. Meeting the urgent need to rapidly transition to a clean,circular and sustainable economic model, particularly when supply chain shifts occur,
will be impossible to achieve without the long term trust and engagement ofconsumers. The current crisis should not lead to the weakening of existing legislation
2UNCTAD and Consumers International member data estimates around 75-85 per cent of countries have
Consumer Protection Legislation in place in the form of a Consumer Protection Act
https://unctadwcpm.org/map.html https://www.consumersinternational.org/media/154677/the-state-ofconsumer-protection-around-the-world-full-report-en-revised-april-2013.pdf

to protect and promote sustainability, or the delay of urgently needed future initiatives
in areas such as sustainable finance, food systems, mobility and household energy
measures.
3. Prioritise health: Consumer principles can help ensure access to safe products that
do not damage health; access to secure, affordable, nutritious food, clean drinking
water and decent sanitation; promoting wider scale national investments in clean
technology and energy to improve air quality; disseminating verified, trustworthy
information on preventative health measures and treatment. Increased use of digital
health and data should be enabled by protection, security and accountability to growtrust and participation.
4. Strengthen food systems: Consumer protection frameworks can shape affordable,
strong and sustainable food systems that meet the health and nutrition needs ofconsumers, building both individual health and resilience against future pandemic
outbreaks, and protecting livelihoods and environmental resources. Developing adiverse mix of supply chains can also help resilience to future disruptions andmaintain the livelihoods of a range of stakeholders including small farmers and small
businesses.
5. Access to fair financial services: financial services such as payments, savings andcredit help consumers to manage their money safely and efficiently, however thecomplex nature of some services can make consumers particularly vulnerable toirresponsible practices, especially at times of crisis and change. Updating the G20 HighLevel Principles for Financial Consumer Protection3 to address dramatic changes infinancial services and supporting implementation across all countries will protect
consumers from misleading information, unfair terms and conditions, fraud and a lackof competition.
6. Fair public investment: comprehensive national stimulus packages are being rolled
out to mitigate the negative impacts of COVID-19 and ensure economic recovery. Suchassistance and further longer term public investment in infrastructure and rebuilding
should put public health and resilience needs first and be available to only corporations
that are compliant with consumer protection regulations and committed to meeting
the Paris Climate Goals and the Sustainable Development Goals. Finance should beprioritised in systems that consumers need the most, but which tend to attract theleast investment such as sanitation and hygiene, household energy and efficiency
retrofits, zero carbon mobility and last mile delivery systems.
7. Enable fair and safe digital connectivity: COVID-19 has shown just how critical
digital infrastructure is to people and a functioning economy. Half the world is online,
yet most of the offline population lives in least developed countries.4 Coverage of ecommerce, digital ID, mobile banking and mobile health services must be speeded up tobuild resilience to future shocks - with innovations to reach marginalized ordisadvantaged groups of consumers built around core principles of security, privacy,enhanced platform responsibility for product safety, sustainability and accountability.
A concerted, co-ordinated effort must be made to ensure that the remaining offline
population is connected to an open, affordable, quality and secure internet and thatthe rules of engagement in the digital marketplace protect consumers as much as inthe offline economy. In a digital world, consumer trust is more important than ever.

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