World Consumer Rights Day : Definition, History & Essential Issues
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The consumer movement is focused on raising awareness across the globe about consumer rights and needs. World Consumer Rights Day is celebrated every year on 15 March to protect consumers’ rights and protest against market abuses & social injustices that suppress those rights.
What is the History of the World Consumer Rights Day?
The History of the World Consumer Rights Day traces back to 1960 when the United States Organization Consumers Union established International Organizations of Consumers Unions (IOCU), United Kingdom Consumers Association and Netherlands Consumentenbond to bring product testing organizations to work closely together.
In 1962, President John F. Kennedy addressed consumer rights, emphasized their importance, & became the First leader to talk about consumer rights.
Further, the consumer rights activist Anwar Fazal on 15 March 1983, proposed celebrating the “World Consumer Rights Day” to promote the fundamental rights of consumers.
How do we celebrate World Consumer Rights Day?
World Consumer Rights Day is celebrated every year with a solidarity theme that promotes the fundamental rights of all consumers. These themes are picked up every year, and events are organized all over the world.
In the year 2014, the theme chosen was “Fix Our Phone Rights. The United Nations provided this agenda for fair mobile services to the International Telecommunications Union (ITU). They wanted telecom companies to provide fair access to affordable services, fair & transparent billing, security over their information, and listen & respond to customer’s complaints.
In the year 2016, the theme selected was “Antibiotics off the Menu.” This theme was chosen as McDonald’s, KFC, and Subway committed to stopping sourcing chicken given antibiotics in the USA & Canada. The theme helped decrease agricultural use of antibiotics and reduce the scale of the global health crisis faced due to antimicrobial resistance.
In the year 2019, the theme chosen was “Trusted Smart Products.” The theme highlighted the concerns faced by consumers using intelligent products connected to the internet regarding lack of security, privacy and meaningful choice over how to use them, and lack of clarity about who is responsible when things go wrong.
In 2020, the theme for consumer rights day was “The sustainable consumer.” This theme has been selected to increase awareness about recycling, reducing food wastage and avoiding unsustainable products. Governments should give information to consumers and the choices they need to live more sustainable lives.
Essential Issues in Consumer Rights Day
Consumers International and other citizen groups formed the International Baby Food Action Network (IBFAN) to eradicate disease occurring to babies by consuming bottle-fed formula milk.
Another organization Health Action International (HAI) was founded for safe, rational and economical use of pharmaceuticals.
Consumers International has worked hard on consumer justice and protection, food policy, digital consumer rights, and sustainability. Its campaigns on junk food marketing and unethical drug promotion, corporate social responsibility have been widely appreciated.
World Consumer Rights Day has ensured to protect consumers’ interests worldwide, and organizations associated with the United Nations ensure consumer protection measures are in place.