Guidelines for consumer protection adopted at resumed Assembly session.

Guidelines for consumer protection adopted at resumed Assembly session

A set of guidelines for consumer protection, the subject of intense negotiation and consultation since 1979, were adopted by consensus by the General Assembly at its resumed session in April.

The guidelines, set out in resolution 39/248 of 9 April 1985, relate to physical safety, promotion and protection of consumers' economic interests, standards for the safety and quality of consumer goods and services, distribution facilities for essential consumer goods and services, and measures enabling consumers to obtain redress, as well as guidelines on education and information programmes. Other guidelines concern such specific areas as food, water and drugs.

Sweden, after their adoption, said the guidelines, the result of many years of hard work, were "one of the major accomplishments of the thirty-ninth session in the economic field" and would directly benefit "millions of consumers all over the world in their everyday life".

The United States said it was not "overly pleased" with the guidelines, but had joined the consensus because they represented a reasonable compromise and were acceptable.

The Byelorussian SSR said the socialist States believed that the inter-relationship between consumers and manufacturers was an internal matter subject to national guidelines, and became a matter of international regulation only when it involved international trade.

The Assembly at two meetings, on 9 and 12 April, considered five of the 13 items it had not acted on when it suspended the session on 18 December 1984, and a number of other matters. Its Fifth Committee (Administrative and Budgetary) also met twice--on 10 and 11 April--to make recommendations for Assembly action.

In addition to approving the consumer guidelines, the 159-member Assembly decided it would continue informal consultations on the launching of global negotiations on international economic co-operation for development, stating it would reconvene on short notice to consider any decision or agreement that might emerge.

Assembly President Paul J.F. Lusaka (Zambia) said "nothing substantive" had emerged from informal consultations on the global negotiations, which took place after the December suspension of the Assembly.

It was clear from the current international economic climate, he said, that the decision of 14 December 1979 to launch the negotiations was "even more valid today than five years ago". It was in the...