The UNCTAD World consumer protection map provides relevant indicators and information on the status of consumer law and policy worldwide.
Since 2016, the project has gathered information on consumer law and policy provided by UNCTAD member States. It presents areas of consumer law and policy that have proven to be of particular interest and relevance.
Welcome to the UNCTAD World Consumer Protection Map. If you would like to join the tool, please contact our team: ccpb@unctad.org
Answers per country
Complete answers to the UNCTAD questionaire on World Consumer Protection Map
Highlighted questions
Highlighted topics
Consumer law and policy is a vast and multidisciplinary field that encompasses a wide range of subjects.
This section focuses on consumer product safety, the promotion of sustainable consumption, and e-commerce and financial services.
Consumer product safety
- 78 Countries with consumer protection law on Product safety
- 58 Countries with policy making powers on Product safety
- 65 Countries with enforcement powers on Product safety
- 32 Countries having cooperation agreements on Product Safety
- 77 Countries having education initiatives on Product safety
Protecting consumers from hazards to their health and safety is a basic consumer right as recognized in Section B of the UN Guidelines, which is dedicated to consumers' health and safety regulations and policies.
All consumers should have access to non-hazardous products. The protection of consumers from hazards to their health and safety is a priority for UNCTAD member States.
For more on this topic, please see the work done by the UNCTAD Working Group on consumer product safety.
Sustainable consumption
- 36 Countries with consumer protection law on Sustainable consumption
- 43 Countries with policy making powers on Sustainable consumption
- 38 Countries with enforcement powers on Sustainable consumption
- 19 Countries having cooperation agreements on sustainable consumption
- 40 Countries having education initiatives on Sustainable consumption
Sustainable consumption includes meeting the needs of present and future generations for goods and services in ways that are economically, socially and environmentally sustainable. UNCTAD is one of the lead organizations for the One Planet Network Consumer Information for Sustainable Consumption and Production.
To learn more on this topic, please see: Consumer Information for SCP | One Planet network and the following publications: Competition and Consumer Protection Policies for Sustainability, Achieving the Sustainable Development Goals through Consumer Protection
Dispute resolution
- 86 Countries with consumer protection law on dispute resolution
- 72 Countries with policy making powers on dispute resolution
- 74 Countries with enforcement powers dispute resolution
- 35 Countries having cooperation agreements on dispute resolution
Dispute resolution and redress can contribute to fostering consumer trust and building more competitive markets. Providing effective consumer dispute resolution and redress is a shared responsibility of governments, businesses and consumer groups. It is one of the most critical investments they can make to empower consumers in national and international marketplaces. Increasing the effectiveness and consumers’ accessibility to justice is also necessary to enhance consumer welfare and ensure better market surveillance.
For more information on this topic, please see the following documents: Dispute resolution redress , Manual on Consumer Protection, Consumer trust in the digital economy: The case for online dispute resolution and project: Delivering digital trading infrastructure and online dispute resolution for consumers as means to improve international trade and electronic commerce
E-commerce
- 70 Countries with consumer protection law on e-commerce
- 67 Countries with policy making powers on e-commerce
- 72 Countries with enforcement powers on e-commerce
- 36 Countries having cooperation agreements on e-commerce
- 66 Countries having education initiatives on e-commerce
E-commerce, which includes mobile commerce, has become increasingly relevant to consumers worldwide. The opportunities it offers should be harnessed to help facilitate economic development and growth based on emerging network technologies of computers, mobile phones and connected devices that can promote consumer welfare.
For more on this topic, please see the work done by the UNCTAD Working Group on consumer protection in e-commerce.
Consumer financial services
- 64 Countries with consumer protection law on financial services
- 41 Countries with policy making powers on financial services
- 41 Countries with enforcement powers on financial services
- 18 Countries having cooperation agreements on financial services
- 51 Countries having education initiatives on financial services
Consumer confidence and trust in a well-functioning market for financial services promotes financial stability, growth, efficiency and innovation over the long term. Recent financial crises have placed a renewed focus on consumer protection, calling for effective regulatory, supervisory and enforcement frameworks in the financial sector to contribute to consumer welfare.
For more information on information on this topic, please see the document Financial consumer protection, including financial education and literacy.
In its resolution 70/186 on Consumer Protection of 22 December 2015, the United Nations General Assembly believed that a robust legal and regulatory framework for consumer protection serves an important public interest, contributes to economic dynamism and consumer welfare.
In its Agreed Conclusions (TD/B/CI/CLP/4) the First session of the Intergovernmental group of experts on consumer protection law and policy of 17 and 18 October 2016 requested the UNCTAD secretariat to prepare a study on the legal and institutional framework on consumer protection. The goal of this study is to provide an updated and comprehensive picture of consumer protection worldwide, to identify trends and benchmarks as well as challenges and to inform discussions on future work.