India chaired the Ninth Session of the Intergovernmental Group of Experts on Consumer Protection Law and Policy (UNCTAD) at Palais des Nations, Geneva from 6–8 July 2026. The session included the launch of the United Nations Principles for Consumer Product Safety, adopted by the UN General Assembly in December 2025.
Session overview
- Organiser: United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), Geneva.
- Mandate: Review recent legal, institutional and capacity-building developments in consumer protection law and policy.
- Format: Intergovernmental Group of Experts (IGE) meeting with member-state deliberations and peer reviews.
- Peer review: Voluntary peer review of Argentina’s consumer protection law and policy.
Key agenda items
- UN Principles for Consumer Product Safety: Global framework launched; adopted by UNGA in December 2025.
- UN Guidelines for Consumer Protection (UNGCP): Focus on national implementation, enforcement and cross-border cooperation.
- Sustainable consumption: Measures linking consumer protection to product lifecycle and information policies.
- Cross-border enforcement: Mechanisms for cooperation, information exchange and redress across jurisdictions.
India’s inputs
- Chairing: Session chaired by India’s Department of Consumer Affairs (represented by the Secretary).
- Digital platforms showcased: National Consumer Helpline (NCH) and e-Jagriti AI platform for dispute resolution.
- Operational metrics: e-Jagriti/NCH facilitated refunds of over ₹91.77 crore and resolved >1.47 lakh refund grievances in 14 months.
IASPOINT Booster Facts
- UNCTAD: UN Secretariat body headquartered in Geneva focusing on trade, investment and development policy.
- UNGCP history: Initially adopted by UNGA in 1985; revised in 2015 to address digital and global market issues.
- Palais des Nations: Major UN complex in Geneva hosting multilateral negotiations and expert groups.
- Peer review: Voluntary mechanism used by UNCTAD to assess national consumer protection frameworks.