Welcome to the Global Congress 2023

Our Global Congress brings together influential leaders striving to build a better, resilient future for people in our marketplace.  

To attend virtually request to register here.

The impact of generative AI on consumers

The range of consumer-facing generative AI applications is increasing, but over half of consumers are unable to accurately distinguish between human-made and AI-made content. The potential for more compelling dis- and misinformation is on the rise, bringing with it new and greater risks of scams, fraud and malicious use in digital spaces. At the same time, generative AI could revolutionise how businesses interact with consumers, opening up new and improved routes for engagement and service. It could also empower individuals to challenge businesses and seek redress for problems in new and more efficient ways.

What are the red lines that consumer advocates should draw around generative AI to protect consumers? How should we balance regulatory and policy trade-offs as generative AI develops? How can generative AI benefit consumers?

To attend virtually request to register here.

Serving up a food system that works for people and planet

Enough food is produced to feed the world, yet hundreds of millions of people face severe hunger and 3 billion and counting cannot afford a healthy diet. At the same time, food systems are responsible for approximately one-third of greenhouse gas emissions. Amidst inflated food prices our food systems need urgent reform to ensure all have access to affordable, sustainable and healthy food. There is growing momentum behind the call for food systems transformation, and this needs to radically reshape how we distribute and consume food. How can the consumer movement accelerate better food systems for people and planet? What good practice business models and collaborations currently exist? With leaders from international agencies, government and business we discuss how we can transform the system through accountability, innovation and collaboration.

To attend virtually request to register here.

Effective frameworks for product safety

The digital market has given us greater access to more products and the ability to compare and choose products from a range of geographies. Yet a downside of our ‘new’ digital marketplace is the prevalence of unsafe products. In 2021 an investigation covering 21 countries found that unsafe products, which had been prohibited from sale or recalled from the market, remained online. Pledges have been established across the world to build consumer confidence. But how effective are these in practice? We discuss how we can firm up commitments and map out a global action plan.

To attend virtually request to register here.

Redefining consumer journeys in mobile money

There are now 1.2 billion registered mobile money accounts worldwide bringing a plethora of opportunities. Millions of consumers use the system to pay their bills, send money abroad, manage their savings, build careers and access social support. Yet we need to build greater regulatory frameworks and business models to address consumer safety and fully modernise the system. How can we do that at national, regional, and global levels, with a truly inclusive approach that ensures financial health and wellbeing for the most vulnerable consumers? 

To attend virtually request to register here.

Around the world in 80 bytes: Building privacy and redress into cross-border data flows

Data is a central element of society and the economy. The volume of data created and processed continues to grow exponentially each year: eight of the ten largest publicly traded companies in 2022 were data-driven digital service companies.

But the free flow of data across borders often leaves consumers without effective means to enforce their rights and obtain redress, hampering trust in digital environments and hindering the full potential of data-driven economies. How can we best build trustworthy data governance mechanisms for the future?

To attend virtually request to register here.

How do we get on track to achieving SDG 12

Just 12 per cent of the Sustainable Development Goal targets are on track for meeting the 2030 targets. Almost a third have stalled or gone into reverse. For SDG 12, the world is seriously off track in its efforts to halve per capita food waste and losses by 2030, and the material footprint per capita in high-income countries is 10 times the level of low-income countries.

This workshop session, held in partnership with the UN One Planet Network,] will address the key challenges and proposed solutions in achieving SDG 12 on Sustainable Consumption and Production by hearing from a range of appointed experts before collaborative solution brainstorming amongst participants.

To attend virtually request to register here.

Channels of change towards fair digital finance

Two thirds of consumers use digital finance worldwide. Innovative finance models provide access and greater choice and transparency but come with risks as regulation lags behind. A powerful global network of consumer advocates has emerged to engage providers and regulators, amplify the concerns of consumers and map out what needs to be done to avoid consumer harms. Listen and learn from the key financial ecosystem players – regulators, providers, consumer advocates on what they are doing to provide a safe, inclusive and data protected financial marketplace.

To attend virtually request to register here.

Advancing the voice of consumers in AI standardisation
Side event

Hosted by the AI Standards Hub, this breakfast roundtable is primarily intended to bring together Consumers International Members and other civil society organisations for a taskforce-style discussion to develop ideas for network building and knowledge sharing activities that can advance active involvement of civil society voices in the rapidly evolving and increasingly important field of international AI standardisation. The session will seek to identify shared priorities and areas of interest among participants, with a view to informing a collaborative programme of activities that is being explored by the AI Standards Hub team.

Light breakfast served for all participants

Please note, this event is in-person only.

To register your interest, sign up here: https://forms.office.com/e/7KX55RXR6R

Given the limited number of seats, should interest exceed the available capacity, organisers will prioritise equitable representation when allocating seats. Your timely registration is appreciated as we aim to accommodate a diverse audience.

Contact: Hollie Hamblett, Policy and Advocacy Specialist, Digital Consumer Rights, hhamblett@consint.org

Building sustainable consumer organisations: Spotlight on collective claims
Side event

In a short time, Consumentenbond (Netherlands) successfully developed a new business model: Consumentenbond Claim Services. With claims against major industry actors Netherland’s largest consumer organisation took an innovative approach to reach consumers beyond its traditional services and membership. To date, this model has seen 700,000 people joined the action, big businesses have been held to account and greater awareness raised on the power of consumer advocacy at national and regional levels.

How did that happen? What trade offs were made to shape this new strategy? What are the dos and don'ts? In a lively workshop, with numerous practical examples, Members will be inspired to learn from the success, mistakes and innovation taken by Consumentenbond.

Light breakfast served for all participants

Please note, this event is in-person only.

For Consumers International Members only. Sign up here: https://forms.office.com/e/9q4mmBCyr8

For information on this event, please contact Members@consint.org copying the event title into the subject line.

Scams, fraud and fake reviews: Building trust in the digital economy

Online scams, fraud and fake reviews are among the most visible manifestations of digital consumer harms. Worldwide, the financial loss from scams is estimated at $1.026 trillion, equivalent to 1.05% of global GDP. The worldwide share of victims that successfully recover funds lost or stolen to digital scams is lower than one in ten, with consumers in low- and middle-income economies most vulnerable to loss. Furthermore, 41% of countries still lack consumer protection laws covering the online marketplace, even as reliance on digital networks and technologies accelerates. What must be done at the international level to protect consumers from scams, fraud and fake reviews online?

To attend virtually request to register here.

Tackling plastic pollution for consumers

By 2040 plastic pollution on earth is estimated to weigh up to 1.3 billion tonnes.  Currently, 40% of the world population lives in a location where the generation of plastic waste has surpassed local waste management system capacity. It is one of the most pressing sustainability challenges facing people and planet, causing damage to our health and the natural environment. In 2022 the United Nations Environment Assembly set out to develop a globally legally binding treaty on plastic pollution. The treaty negotiations present a unique opportunity to create a safer and more sustainable world: plastic pollution could be reduced by 80% with policy and market shifts. But the voices of those most impacted by these decisions are often not taken into account. Consumer advocates are bringing their voice to the new Plastics Treaty Negotiations to make a difference.

What subsidies and incentives are needed for consumers? How can credible and clear information make recycling the norm? Members and those most influential to the negotiations will unite for urgent action and a treaty that works with and for consumers.

To attend virtually request to register here.

A Deeper Shade of Green: In search of credible sustainability claims

Up to 70% of greenhouse gas emissions can be reduced through changes to consumer behaviour according to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Providing ‘adequate information’ to consumers is also an essential consumer right to help consumers make better informed choices.  This year and those ahead will be remembered as pivotal for efforts against ‘greenwashing’. In June 2023 the Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change spotlighted shameful cases of green and climate washing worldwide. Much needed scrutiny is now being placed on green declarations. How can we drive the uptake of credible green claims? We look at how to build on current progress, and how leaders can address misleading claims and rebuild trust?

To attend virtually request to register here.

Engaging the consumer voice into digital finance
Side Event

Join us to explore insights and action from the Fair Digital Finance Accelerator, an initiative supporting consumer organisations in low and middle income countries to shape the future of digital finance.  Hear from experts about the latest - soon to be published - findings, from Consumers international Members engaged in the Network, about the importance of digital public infrastructure, and build the next wave of action for transparency and safety in digital finance.

Please note, this event is in-person only and registration will be granted on a first-come, first-served basis due to the limited availability of 50 seats.

To register, please click this link.

Achieving fair and transparent algorithms for consumers

Algorithmic decision-making in our lives is growing. In the United States, 55% of human resources leaders use predictive algorithms in hiring. Companies engage algorithmic software in e-commerce; when undisclosed, these can outperform experiences salespersons, but are as much as 80% less effective when revealed to consumers. Around one in six politically engaged Twitter accounts are estimated to be automated bots.

The use of algorithms across sectors poses serious challenges for the enforcement of existing laws. And when algorithms fail, people are harmed. As the influence of algorithms deepens, so does the imperative for algorithmic transparency. What is needed to trust that algorithms will uphold consumers' best interests, and help regulators keep pace with technological advances?

To attend virtually request to register here.

Consumer Safety in the Era of Digital Wallets and Deferred Payments

The COVID-19 Pandemic and the digitalisation of the finance sector has accelerated alternative lending schemes, with thousands of products tailored for instant purchasing. Lending schemes such as Buy Now Pay Later have taken market prominence with the scheme’s expected market size anticipated to surpass US$ 9.2 billion by 2032.

The number of digital lenders — including those catering to low-income consumers — grew nearly ten-fold between 2011 and 2021 globally. Forty percent of retail customers think that non-bank options offer better investment services. How can we retain that trust and ensure good outcomes within alternative lending models? Join to hear the actionable steps to mitigate consumer risks.

To attend virtually request to register here.

Fair prices for healthy and sustainable diets

Global food prices have been in decline since March 2022, yet consumer-level prices continue to soar, as trade distortions and overconcentrated value chains are enabling record profits built on unfair food prices. Join our discussion to explore how consumer groups in Africa – where the food crisis is at its worst – have been building evidence and collaborating with competition authorities to establish solutions, producing valuable learnings for the global consumer movement.

To attend virtually request to register here.

The C21: Why the G21 needs consumer protection and empowerment

The G21 represents 85% of global GDP, over 75% of global trade and two-thirds of the world's population. Yet, since 2019, consumer rights and consumer policy has not been effectively included in the G21 decisions which shape our world. Can consumer rights – for digital policy, sustainable consumption, fair trade and more - be brought back effectively to the table under the leadership of Brazil and South Africa? Join consumer leaders to define the top priorities for policy makers.

To attend virtually request to register here.

Unveiling the crypto conundrum

The global growth of crypto-assets and their associated products has experienced rapid growth. The International Monetary Fund has stated that the cryptocurrency market's market capitalization nearly tripled from January to early May 2021, reaching an an all-time high of US$2.5 trillion. Amidst this expansion, policymakers grapple with how to monitor risks in this largely unregulated sector. And without coordinated regulatory measures, risks also extend to potential destabilising of capital movement. Join our discussion as we dissect the challenges and complexities within the global crypto landscape. Participants will explore strategies for regulatory adaptation, international coordination, and finding the right balance between innovation and oversight.

To attend virtually request to register here.

The transformative power of innovative regulation

Regulatory Technology (RegTech) has seen substantial growth in recent years due to the rising cost of compliance, risks in the digital finance marketplace and the need for faster regulation, policy, business solutions and legal frameworks that protect consumers. The global RegTech market is expected to grow to US$19.5 billion by 2026 – through big data, cloud computing, machine learning and more. Regulatory Technology has a pivotal role in shaping consumer-centric policies and regulations in the digital finance industry. Participants will discuss emerging RegTech solutions, their impact on regulatory innovation, and key recommendations for achieving positive outcomes in the evolving financial landscape.

To attend virtually request to register here.

Net Zero Heroes: The 10 priority appliances for people and the planet
Side event

Appliances are cornerstones of life, essential for productivity, wellbeing, and, increasingly, coping with global warming and its associated hazards. But appliances have a major impact on the climate and on consumers' energy bills. Appliances are responsible for nearly 40% of energy-related carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions globally. And the total annual energy demand and emissions from appliances are only increasing.

CLASP has identified ten appliances at the core of achieving NZE by 2050, improving quality of life, and enabling climate change adaptation and resilience: the “Net Zero Heroes.” From providing life-saving cooling services to offering new income-generating opportunities, affordable, efficient appliances are key to climate-resilient development, lower energy bills, and a productive, low-carbon future for all.

Join Sam Grant (Senior Director, CLASP), Peter Scott (CEO, Burn Manufacturing), and Oliver Bealby-Wright (Energy Lead, Consumers International) to discuss the role that consumer organisations can play in encouraging governments, manufacturers, and others to act with speed and focus and make the Net Zero Heroes more efficient, affordable, and accessible through proven, cost-effective policy and financing mechanisms.

Light breakfast served for all participants

Please note, this event is in-person only.

Sign up here: https://forms.office.com/e/A5McSZv9fV 

Contact: Oliver Bealby-Wright, Energy Lead, Consumers International, owright@consint.org

Making a sustainable lifestyle the norm

Research from Globescan last year showed 65% of consumers worldwide believe climate change is a ‘very serious’ issue. More and more people are personally experiencing environmental impacts associated with climate change. Increasingly more want to make sustainability a part of their lifestyles yet there is a say-do gap in practice.

Our dialogue will look at how the marketplace can support more sustainable decisions across all aspects of our lifestyles – the transport we use, the homes we live in, the goods we buy. We dive into contextual differences – how can vulnerable, urban or next generation consumers in different parts of the world be better supported by business and government to live more sustainably? We pinpoint positive examples of new approaches that work in different settings which can build consumer trust and resilient economies.

To attend virtually request to register here.

The Consumer Energy Revolution: People-Powered Systems for Climate, Affordability, and Resilience

The global energy system is unfair. Far too consumers are at the mercy of a fluctuating fossil fuel energy market, trapped into using polluting and expensive energy, distributed through inadequate grids.

Solar is generating the cheapest electricity in history, and the price of electric vehicles and batteries is falling fast. But households rarely see benefits in their bills.

How can we distribute the power? It’s time to disrupt the traditional ‘command and control’ energy model, dependent on centralised fossil-fuelled power plants, and move consumers from passive recipients to active system shapers and designers.
Some pioneering consumers are already taking power into their own hands, installing solar and storage to generate, use, store and share their own renewable energy. Innovative companies are unlocking additional revenues for consumers that shift when and how they use energy, providing much-needed flexibility to the grid.

This session will explore what needs to happen to bring this new, consumer led distributed power system into existence, at scale and speed. How can information and advice empower consumers to adopt new solutions? What is the role of fair and innovative finance to overcome the hurdle of high up-front technology costs? How does regulation need to change to give the next generation of energy consumers-producers fair compensation for the energy and services they provide to the system?

To attend virtually request to register here.

Closing Congress: The State of Consumer Advocacy in 2030

When growing numbers of consumers desperately need independent advice, support and voice, but the space for civil society is shrinking around the world, how are consumer advocates not only surviving but thriving to change our marketplace for the better? We share inspiring stories from organisations which are making headlines through consumer-driven campaigns to constructive partnerships with government and business. If we use their lessons in our pathway to change, what can the consumer movement look like in 2030?

To attend virtually request to register here.

Enhancing the consumer movement
Side event

According to a UNCTAD publication, the issues of governance, human resources and professionalisation and funding are key to strengthening consumer associations. While the current global context is testing the resilience of consumer associations, how can governments facilitate the establishment and development of consumers associations? This side event will feed into the intergovernmental discussions on consumer protection at UNCTAD in July 2024.

Please note, this event is open to all in-person attendees.

Sign up here: https://forms.office.com/e/PQPpAqaBF0

Contact: Arnau Izaguerri Vila, Legal Officer, Competition and Consumer Policies Branch, UNCTAD, arnau.izaguerri@unctad.org

Regional Workshops
Member Only

Members are invited to closed door discussion with Council representatives across their regions. Members will be able to share the challenges and successes at the national level over the past year, and discuss best methods to address them. We will focus on how Congress can help those methods and the opportunities for Members of Consumes International in 2024. Four regional workshops will take place across Latin America and the Caribbean, Europe and North America, Middle East and Africa and the Asia Pacific.

General Assembly
Member Only

The General Assembly is a general meeting for Members of Consumers International. The meeting will provide an update on activities since 2019 and include core governance procedures including the election of Consumers International Council and President for 2023-2027.