This year’s World Consumer Rights Day (March 15) was themed ‘Safe Products, Confident Consumers’, observed amid growing global risks associated with unsafe consumer products, particularly in cross-border and online trade.
Unsafe products impose significant human, environmental, and economic costs, disproportionately affecting developing countries like Pakistan, where regulatory capacity is limited and informal markets are widespread.
Consumer International (CI) has stressed that product safety is a fundamental consumer right: “Product safety is more than a regulatory issue; it is fundamental to the human right to life, health, and safety. When systems fail, consumers pay the price. To address this, we need stronger enforcement, cross-border cooperation, and collaboration between governments, businesses, and consumer organisations,” the organisation has warned, calling for stronger enforcement, cross-border cooperation, and collaboration between governments, businesses, and consumer groups.
“Consumers worldwide continue to encounter unsafe products – from children’s toys and electronics to medicines and everyday essentials. As global supply chains become more complex and online commerce expands, dangerous products can spread faster and further”.
The problem has become more complex as global supply chains expand and e-commerce grows rapidly. Dangerous products can now move across borders faster than ever before. A review of online marketplaces across 21 Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development countries found that 87 per cent of recalled or banned products were still available for sale online. Similarly, the United Nations Trade and Development estimates that 44 per cent of UN member states lack strong product safety regulations, leaving consumers in low- and middle-income countries particularly vulnerable.
Recognising these challenges, the UNGA in December last year adopted a landmark resolution establishing the first-ever United Nations Principles for Consumer Product Safety. These principles reaffirm consumers’ right to safe, non-hazardous products, whether sold online or offline, and align with the UN Guidelines for Consumer Protection.
The new principles clearly state that businesses bear the primary responsibility for ensuring product safety throughout a product’s life cycle, from design and production to distribution and disposal. They also empower governments and regulatory authorities to conduct risk assessments, order product recalls, remove unsafe listings from online marketplaces and share safety alerts across borders.
Importantly, the framework encourages stronger collaboration between governments, businesses and consumer organisations to prevent unsafe products from reaching the market. It also promotes consumer education, transparency, and improved mechanisms for reporting unsafe products. For developing countries, these principles offer an opportunity to strengthen domestic product safety systems. The framework is designed to help governments update their laws, improve enforcement mechanisms and protect vulnerable consumers without creating unnecessary barriers to trade.
Pakistan’s regulatory ecosystem comprises multiple authorities at the federal, provincial, and district levels. These include, but are not limited to, federal ministries such as Health, Science and Technology, Information Technology and National Food Security, as well as provincial food departments and regulatory bodies such as the Pakistan Standards and Quality Control Authority (PSQCA), the Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (DRAP) and the Competition Commission of Pakistan (CCP), among others.
The PSQCA has developed 300 new standards during the past year, bringing the total number of national standards to more than 24,000. Among these are around 30 standards for the emerging electric vehicle ecosystem, including those for EVs, batteries and charging stations. However, it’s not easy for consumers to get access to those standards.
But the new UN product safety guidelines, particularly the section on ‘Information to Consumers by Relevant Authorities and Businesses’, have put official agencies to a new test. It says that the member states shall establish effective systems to communicate, in a timely manner, product recalls and information regarding unsafe products. Such systems should enable consumers to easily identify affected products, understand the nature of associated risks and be informed of the measures taken. The states should also engage relevant stakeholders in disseminating product safety information. The government shall also provide accessible channels through which consumers may contact relevant authorities responsible for product safety.
Businesses shall provide consumers with clear, accurate, and accessible information on the safe use of their products. Such information should take into account the needs of the widest possible range of consumers, with particular attention to vulnerable and disadvantaged groups. Information on safe use should also be made available for products offered through online platforms.
To support sustainability and circular economy objectives, businesses should ensure that user manuals and instructions for the safe use of products are freely available to any interested party, including in electronic or other formats appropriate to consumers’ needs. Businesses should establish effective channels for consumers to report product safety concerns, incidents or hazards associated with their products.
Businesses should clearly inform consumers of the actions to take if a product they have placed on the market poses a risk to consumers’ health or safety, or if an incident occurs in connection with its use. In the event of a product recall, businesses should use available consumer information to directly notify affected consumers wherever possible. In addition, recall notices should be widely disseminated through appropriate communication channels and media.
Member states and businesses, where appropriate, should develop and implement consumer education and awareness programmes on product safety, ensuring they are disseminated through effective communication channels.
Pakistan’s rapidly expanding digital economy presents new challenges for consumer protection. As online shopping becomes more common and expands into rural areas, ensuring product safety in digital marketplaces will become increasingly important.
When consumers can rely on the safety of the products they purchase – whether online or offline – markets function better, businesses thrive and societies benefit. Ensuring safe products is not just about regulation; it is about protecting lives, safeguarding health and building confidence in the global marketplace.
The writer is the CEO of TheNetwork for Consumer Protection and a member of the 19-member Advisory Council of Consumers International. He can be reached at: [email protected]
