SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT THROUGH FAIR AND EFFICIENT MARKETS
Roundtable on Regional Cooperation on Consumer and Competition Regulation to Optimise an Inclusive Private Sector Contribution
23 July 2pm-5pm
Development Policy Centre
Seminar Room 1, JG Crawford Building (Building 132)
Acton, ACT
The private sector is the major contributor to economic development. But without sound and well administered market rules this development will not be fully inclusive and leave many behind in poverty. Regulation to ensure good competition and to ensure consumers can activate that competition and advance their interests is essential.
Notwithstandng some recent examples, Australia is amongst leading countries in fair and efficient market regulation. It has been providing technical assistance and sharing this expertise for some years including through agencies such as the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) and the Australian Securities and Investment Commission (ASIC). Now, the relatively new Australian Health Practitioner Regulatory Agency (AHPRA) is involved by becoming a WHO Collaboration Centre.
As an implementing agency for international cooperation, the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) supports the German and other governments in the realisation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) around the world. In the Asia/Pacific region, GIZ has been working closely with the Competition and Consumer Policies Branch of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) on strengthening regulatory capacity, particularly competition and consumer regulatory capacity, at both the regional and country levels. This long-standing cooperation is founded on a shared strategic vision that acknowledges the importance of these policy areas for effective regional economic integration and development as well as international trade. ACCESS 2 (the Foundation for Effective Markets and Governance) has been working in this area for a number of years including in association with GIZ and UNCTAD.
This Rountable will explore opportunities to increase collaboration between UNCTAD, GIZ, the Australian Government and relevant agencies, academia and NGOs involved in this area of technical assistance.
We particularly want to ensure shared understanding on the place of competition and consumer policy especially in connection with emerging issues such as e-commerce, and anchor it in the broader context of the SDGs.
Roundtable Outline
• What is happening in regional technical assistance in the context of responsive regulation?
• Making markets work well for consumers
• Past and future plans of UNCTAD
• Role and future plans of Donor bodies
• Implementation of the UN Consumer Protection Guidelines
• Progress and prospects in the regional implementation of the UN Development Goals
• The challenges of development in the Asia Pacific Region
• Developments in competition, consumer and financial inclusion laws and policies
Roundtable Discussion will be led by:
Dr Pierre Horner, Legal Affairs Officer, Competition and Consumer Policies Branch, United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD)
Ms Sita Zimpel, Principal Advisor, Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH
Mr Allan Asher, Chair of ACCESS2,
Organisations invited to participate
Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade
Australian Competition and Consumer Commission
Australian Securities and Investment Commission
Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency – Mr Nick Lord
Australian Council for International Development
Consumers Federation of Australia
Development Policy Centre, ANU – Mr Bob McMullan, Visiting Fellow
School of Regulation and Global Governance (RegNet), ANU, Professor John Braithwaite
ACCESS2 