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

The Conference will provide an opportunity for ministers, heads of competition and consumer protection authorities and senior officials of Member States to discuss competition and consumer protection issues at the national, regional and international levels, in accordance with General Assembly resolution 79/195. 

The Conference will mark the forty-fifth anniversary of the adoption of the Set of Multilaterally Agreed Equitable Principles and Rules for the Control of Restrictive Business Practices and the fortieth anniversary of the adoption of the United Nations guidelines for consumer protection.

The Conference will allow for high-level discussions on the following substantive issues:

1. Report on the implementation of the Set of Multilaterally Agreed Equitable Principles and Rules for the Control of Restrictive Business Practices, including a brief assessment of 20 years of voluntary peer reviews of competition law and policy.
2. Report on the implementation of the United Nations guidelines for consumer protection and of the work of the Intergovernmental Group of Experts on Consumer Protection Law and Policy.
3. Latest developments in legal and institutional frameworks: UNCTAD world consumer protection map.
4. Maximizing synergies between competition and competition and consumer protection policies.
5. Competition law and policy and global food value chains.
6. Investigative techniques and digital tools in a modern enforcement world.
7. Protecting and empowering consumers in the circular economy.
8. Safeguarding and empowering consumers in the age of artificial intelligence.
9. Report on the implementation of the guiding policies and procedures under section F of the Set of Multilaterally Agreed Equitable Principles and Rules for the Control of Restrictive Business Practices.
10. Reports of the informal working groups on:
    • Cross-border cartels;
    • Consumer product safety.
    • Consumer protection in electronic commerce.
    • Consumer protection and gender.
11. Proposals for the implementation of the declaration on cross-border consumer dispute resolution and redress.
12. Review of capacity-building in and technical assistance on consumer protection and competition law and policy.
13. Voluntary peer review of competition law and policy of a Member State.
14. Voluntary peer review of consumer protection law and policy of a Member State.

In accordance with past practice, the Conference is expected to provide guidance to UNCTAD on its future work programme in this area, including technical assistance and capacity-building for developing countries and the least developed countries.

Participation and registration

Online registration is mandatory for all those wishing to attend the meeting and is required in order to be included in the list of participants.

Written contributions

Member States and observers are requested to submit written contributions.

These contributions will be made available on the Conference website in the form and language in which they are received. Papers should be submitted by Friday, 6 June 2025.

Logistics

The Conference will be held with physical participation in room XVI of the Palais des Nations.

Those who cannot attend the Conference in person will be able to listen to the live audio stream in the six official languages of the United Nations.  The link to listen live will be sent to registered participants, at the email address used for registration, one hour before the start of the Conference.