World Consumer Rights Day

MARCH 15

World Consumer Rights Day was introduced in 1983 by Consumers International (CI) and is observed every year on March 15. World Consumer Rights Day activities focus on the eight (8) basic consumer rights: access to basic goods and services, to safety, to choose, to information, to representation, to redress, to consumer education and to a healthy environment. By co-ordinating and promoting World Consumer Rights Day, Consumers International helps to ensure that these rights are given high priority by all governments at the international level.

The Consumer Affairs Division joins over two hundred and fifty (250) consumer organizations in one hundred and fifteen (115) countries in the celebration of this day. The Consumer Affairs Division, Ministry of Legal Affairs is a member of Consumers International (CI) which selects the theme for each year’s observance.

The mission of the Consumer Affairs Division is to improve the quality of life of consumers by promoting consumer awareness and assertiveness. The major objective in observing World Consumer Rights Day continues to be to facilitate discussions among the public and to collaborate and hold discussions with other relevant agencies and stakeholders. These discussions have resulted in the past in recommendations for action to be taken by government and other consumer protection agencies for the general good of the economy and society.

World Consumer Rights Day (WCRD)2007:

Consumers are largely unaware of how their drug consumption choices are being shaped by corporate motives for gargantuan profits.

For WCRD 2007, Consumers International and its member organisations around the world are calling on national governments to put an end to unscrupulous marketing practices by the pharmaceutical industry.

WCRD 2007 is part of our long-term campaign to tackle Unethical Drug Promotion. The purpose of this global campaign is to :

Hold industry accountable for compliance with global codes for ethical drug promotion

Hold governments accountable for rigorous enforcement of regulations on drug promotion

in order to uphold consumer rights to safety and information

Improve consumer access to credible, reliable and transparent drug and health information.