UN Trade and Development and Thailand deepen cooperation to enhance consumer rights and build fairer digital markets across the region.
© UNCTAD Photo | A new agreement was signed on 9 July in Geneva, by UN Trade and Development Secretary-General Rebeca Grynspan (left), Minister Jiraporn Sindhuprai (middle) and Secretary General Ronnarong Phoolpipat (right) of the Office of the Consumer Protection Board of Thailand.
In a boost to their longstanding cooperation, UN Trade and Development (UNCTAD) and Thailand inked a new agreement on 9 July, aimed at strengthening consumer protection in Southeast Asia.
Secretary-General Rebeca Grynspan was joined by Jiraporn Sindhuprai, Minister in the Prime Minister’s Office of Thailand and Secretary General Ronnarong Phoolpipat of the Thai Office of the Consumer Protection Board at the signing ceremony held at the Palais des Nations during the 9th United Nations Conference on Competition and Consumer Protection.
New regional forum on consumer protection for Southeast Asia
Under the agreement, Thailand’s Office of the Consumer Protection Board will host an annual regional forum on consumer protection, bringing together governments, academia, consumer organizations and businesses from across Southeast Asia.
UN Trade and Development will support this forum with its technical expertise, global network and convening power, along with other joint initiatives.
The partnership aims to tackle shared challenges in consumer protection, particularly in the fast-evolving digital economy, while promoting knowledge exchange and legal cooperation among developing countries.
In addition to the annual forum, the agreement also provides for training workshops and expert seminars to help strengthen regulatory capacity across the region.
Building on a strong partnership
Thailand has demonstrated sustained commitment to strengthening its consumer protection frameworks, working closely with UN Trade and Development in recent years.
In 2022, UNCTAD conducted a Voluntary Peer Review of Consumer Protection Law and Policy of Thailand, providing recommendations to promote policy and institutional reforms, as well as enhance consumer welfare in the country.
Thailand also actively participated in a UNCTAD project on harnessing digital tools for online dispute resolution – a key step to strengthening cross-border consumer protection in the e-commerce era.
A shared vision for fairer digital markets
The new agreement underscores UN Trade and Development’s readiness to support Thailand, and broadly Southeast Asian countries, with technical assistance, capacity-building and policy guidance.
Revitalized global partnerships hold the key to sustainable development, as the world navigates the dual transition to a digital and sustainable economy.
UN Trade and Development is committed to continue supporting member states to turn into reality, open, fairer and competitive markets for the benefit of people, businesses and the planet.