In today's world, the link between consumer protection and environmental sustainability is stronger than ever. Multilateral environmental agreements (MEAs), such as the Basel, Rotterdam, and Stockholm Conventions (BRS), the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), and the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), focus on promoting sustainable consumption, managing hazardous materials, and protecting ecosystems. 

These international frameworks recognize the fundamental role consumers play in fostering more sustainable production and consumption patterns. United Nations Trade and Development (UNCTAD) and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) are working together to align consumer protection tools and policies with these multilateral environmental agreements, ensuring that consumer rights are upheld while promoting environmental sustainability.

The ongoing research has yielded the following preliminary conclusions:

• MEAs, such as the Basel and Stockholm Conventions, can enhance consumer protection by reducing exposure to hazardous subtances and promoting sustainable consumption patterns. 

• Providing clear and accessible information on the environmental impact of products enables consumers to make sustainable choices, driving accountability across value chains. 

• Integrating consumer protection tools, such as labelling and standards, with MEAs can strengthen both consumer rights and environmental sustainability efforts.

Consumer protection agencies in the COMESA region stand to benefit from a deeper understanding of these intersections. 

By leveraging the synergies between consumer protection and MEAs, agencies can develop tools, policies, and frameworks that advance environmental goals while safeguarding consumer interests. 

This integrated approach promotes a sustainable, equitable, and responsible marketplace for the future.