Consumer rights do not emanate from the economic policy of free enterprise. The rights have social foundations, and these have economic free enterprise consequences. Ethics, Environment It is in this context that ethics comes to play a new role. We believe in the importance of incorporating ethical considerations into the defence of consumer rights. We can do this by using ethical and social criteria to guide the positions our organisations take when confronted with the complex questions posed by new developments in biotechnology, international labour practices and international trade.
Environmental considerations are another element to be incorporated into consumer defence.
If there is one issue that dramatically confronts our ability to survive into the next millennium, it is our need to protect the environment. The consumer movement must make space for reflection and evaluation. It must propose a vision for consumers of the next millennium, both for the unresolved problems of the 20th century and for new challenges in such areas as biotechnology, genetic engineering, electronic commerce, communication technologies and more. And we must adapt to the changing policy-making environment in ways that ensure that consumer rights, in their different forms, are adequately represented. Pamela Chan is President of Consumers International and Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Consumer Council.