The 9th United Nations conference to review all aspects of the Set of multilaterally agreed equitable principles and rules for the control of restrictive business practices
As the highest-level meeting on competition and consumer protection at the multilateral level, this Conference will engage ministers, heads of competition and consumer protection authorities and senior officials from member States.
In line with General Assembly resolution 79/195, the Conference will provide an opportunity for the participants to discuss competition and consumer protection issues at the national, regional and international levels. It is an opportunity for the global community to continue advancing the welfare of consumers through open, fair, dynamic and inclusive markets, leaving no one behind.
A conference to shape the future of global markets
Competition and consumer protection laws and policies are essential for ensuring open, dynamic, fair, and safe markets, which are key drivers of economic growth, poverty reduction, and the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals.
The Conference aims to contribute to meaningful law and policy reforms and enhanced enforcement in developing countries.
The outcomes of the Conference will also provide guidance to UNCTAD on its future work programme in competition and consumer protection, including technical assistance and capacity-building efforts for developing countries and the least developed countries.
Celebrating two milestones
The Conference will commemorate two significant milestones: the 45th anniversary of the adoption of the United Nations Set of Principles and Rules on Competition and the 40th anniversary of the adoption of the United Nations guidelines for consumer protection.
Programme
The Conference will allow for high-level discussions on substantive issues:
Participation and registration
The Conference will take place in person in Room XIX of the Palais des Nations.
Online registration is mandatory for all attendees and required to be included in the official participant list.
For those unable to attend in person, the live audio stream of the Conference will be available in all six official languages of the United Nations.
To receive the link for the live audio stream, please contact [email protected] and [email protected].
Related meetings
Research Partnership Platform on Competition and Consumer Protection
On 7 July, back-to-back with the Conference, the 16th meeting of the UNCTAD Research Partnership Platform on Competition and Consumer Protection (RPP) will be held. Established in 2010, the RPP serves as an informal mechanism to engage researchers in UNCTAD’s work on competition and consumer protection.
The United Nations Set of Principles and Rules on Competition: implementation after 40 years
On 9 July, an event will be held to celebrate the legacy of the UN Set in fostering competitive markets over four decades. Participants will review the UN Set's impact and influence on the implementation of competition law and policy, particularly in developing countries, and further reinforce multilateral dialogue on strengthening competition frameworks worldwide.
Rebeca Grynspan, of Costa Rica, became UNCTAD's eighth Secretary-General on 13 September 2021 and is the first woman to lead the organization.
Prior to her UNCTAD appointment, she was the Ibero-American secretary-general from 2014 to 2021, also the first woman to head the organization. During her mandate, she has coordinated the 22-member Iberoamerican Conference and led four key summits of Heads of State and Government.
In 2010 she was appointed Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations and Associate Administrator of the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) and prior to that was UNDP Regional Director for Latin America and the Caribbean.
Prior to joining the United Nations, Ms. Grynspan served as Vice-President of Costa Rica from 1994 to 1998. She was also Minister of Housing, Minister Coordinator of Economic and Social Affairs, and Deputy Minister of Finance. In 2021 she was named Special International Advisor to the newly created Economic and Social Council of Argentina and invited to join as member of the G20 High-Level Independent Panel on Financing the Global Commons for Pandemic Preparedness and Response.
In addition to her experience as a lecturer and advisor to several international organizations, she has been actively involved in key United Nations initiatives, such as the Millennium Project's Task Force on Poverty and Economic Development and the High-level Panel on Financing for Development.
In 2014 and 2015, she was recognized as one of the 50 leading intellectuals of Latin America. And she was recognized as one of the 100 most powerful women in Central America by Forbes magazine.
Ms Grynspan holds a degree in Economics by the University of Costa Rica and a MSc in Economics by the University of Sussex. She has been awarded a Doctorate Honoris Causa by the University of Salamanca, the University of Extremadura and the European University of Madrid in recognition of her outstanding professional achievements.
Ioannis Lianos is Professor, Chair of Global Competition Law and Public Policy and founding Director of the Centre for Law, Economics and Society at the Faculty of Laws, University College London. He has published extensively books and articles in various languages and leading academic journals.
News
Making markets work for development: UN conference to mobilize global action
The world’s top forum on competition and consumer protection will reconvene in July, advancing fair markets and safeguarding consumer rights for the benefit of people, businesses and the planet.
22 May 2025
