Outline Programme
From consumer choice to data privacy, connected products to access, we're preparing a summit programme that will cover some of the most pressing issues consumers face in the digital world.
To give you taste of what to expect, you can browse our outline programme below. You can also download a PDF copy of the outline programme in English and Spanish.
You can also download a PDF copy of the Member Connection and Sharing Day outline programme in English and Spanish.
The outline programme is subject to change.
Programme Overview
March 2022
Public
Members Only
- Welcome and side events - 29.04
- Summit Day 1 - 30.04
- Summit Day 2 - 01.05
- Member Connection Day - 02.05
Summit side events, taking place on 29 April 2019, are an opportunity for knowledge sharing, capacity building, networking and exploring different consumer topics.
Side events are independently organised on approval from Consumers International, and attendance is generally by invitation only, although some our open invitation. All inquiries about specific side events should be directed to the specific side event sponsor.
All inquiries about specific side events should be directed to the specific side event sponsor.
Choose from a selection of morning and afternoon parallel sessions below;
Welcome event
Consumers International Summit 2019
A warm welcome to summit attendees
Join us for the Welcome Event for our global Summit, with high-profile guests in attendance. This event will include entertainment, speakers and a networking reception.
Side Event: Swedish Society for Nature Conservation
Green Action Week skillshare #1: how we reignite a Sharing Community
How to attend: Register your interest with the organiser by emailing Alexander Sjoberg - alexander.sjoberg@ssnc.se
Description: Over 50 civil society groups across Europe, Africa, Asia and Latin America took part in Green Action Week last year. They campaigned for ‘Sharing Community’ - to reignite cultures of sharing and collaboration to make sure everyone has sustainable access to goods and services.
Green Action Week is hosting two side events on Monday: this first session will focus on how to develop campaign activities, and the second session will focus on communications.
Participants will be invited to explore how the current system creates unsustainable consumerism and help develop ideas for how to change that system at a local level. Participants already campaigning on ‘Sharing Community’ all over the world will be in the room for inspiration and advice. This session will also be an opportunity learn more about the process to be involved in 2019’s activities, and to practice planning activities.
Side Event: International Organization for Standardization (ISO) - co-sponsored by BSI
Meeting the standards for online consumer protection
How to attend: Register your interest with the organiser by emailing copolco@iso.org
Description: What is the added value that standards bring to the consumer protection agenda that isn't already covered by advocacy, legislation, market surveillance, comparative testing and other tools?
What sets standards apart?
Find out how standards can help you achieve your policy objectives for protecting consumers in the digital space. This event will describe standards' role in consumer protection and provide updates on ISO's newly established technical committees on privacy by design and consumer vulnerability.
Find out about ISO's new projects that build on national and regional good practices and ramp them up to internationally accepted principles that will put the consumer at the centre for privacy needs in product design and inclusive service for consumers of all types of abilities.
Participants will also explore how standards for the online environment for electronic transactions and online reviews can build consumer confidence.
This highly interactive session will provide participants an opportunity to debate and raise issues to take forward through the ISO Committee on consumer policy.
Consumers are talking – ISO is listening.
Side Event: Consumers Federation of Australia
Why consumers need the price per unit of measure (unit price) of packaged foods and other products
How to attend: Register your interest with the organiser by emailing Ian Jarratt - ijarratt@australiamail.com
Description: Our session will include the following topics:
- Informed consumer choice
- Price/value transparency
- Saving money and time
- Consumer empowerment
- Countering business marketing strategies and practices (downsizing package content, deceptive packaging, quantity surcharging, etc.)
- Facilitating competition
Side event: Swedish Society for Nature Conservation
Green Action Week skillshare #2: how to persuade people with a story
How to attend: Register your interest with the organiser by emailing Alexander Sjoberg - alexander.sjoberg@ssnc.se
Description: Over 50 civil society groups across Europe, Africa, Asia and Latin America took part in Green Action Week last year. They campaigned for ‘Sharing Community’ - to reignite cultures of sharing and collaboration to make sure everyone has sustainable access to goods and services.
This is the second side-event by Green Action Week on Monday, focusing on communications. This session will explore the importance of communications and stories for changing the system behind unsustainable consumerism. Participants will practice creating their own story, getting advice and using equipment with our communications coach through each step of the process.
Side Event: The Internet Society
Consumer IoT Trustmark and Certifications – The Value of Security and Privacy Signals in Influencing Buying Decisions
How to attend: Register your interest with the organiser by emailing Steve Olshansky - olshansky@isoc.org
Description: There have been numerous IoT Trustmark (aka labelling) and certification programs emerging worldwide over the last few years, around the globe, and it seems that more are coming out all the time. Questions to be addressed:
- What is the difference between a Trustmark and certification, and how do they relate to each other?
- Are self-asserted (by manufacturers and related service providers) Trustmark valuable, or should the focus be on externally audited certification programs managed by known and trusted organizations?
- What can actually be assessed in IoT products and related services, and what cannot?
- What happens when products are updated – how much of a change is meaningful toward requiring a new assessment?
- Are these useful? How could they be made more so, and what does the future look like in this space?
- What do they mean for consumers, and are more education and awareness efforts important?
This panel, followed by an interactive session with attendees, will explore these issues in the context of the ever-evolving landscape of IoT-based threats to our security and privacy.
Side event: IKEA Foundation
Developing a scalable behaviour change model to enable low-income families to switch to clean and renewable energy use
How to attend: Register your interest with the organiser by emailing indrani@ciroap.org
Description: The main objective of the project is to develop a scalable model to enable low-income consumers to access safe and sustainable household products which would eventually ensure children are brought up in safe and healthy homes. This is to be achieved by identifying the consumption of unsafe and hazardous products through an effective communication strategy create awareness about their ill-effects which would make the targeted groups realize the need to switch to safe and non-hazardous, sustainable products.
Designed as a pilot project, it works at the intersection of development and consumer rights, an area that has the potential to bring great benefit to low-income consumers everywhere.
The first step of the project is to identify the target groups. Consumers International has identified three low-income and underprivileged communities in urban slums and backward rural areas each across three states – namely, Tamil Nadu in the South, and Rajasthan and Gujarat in West as well as in Yogyakarta in Indonesia.
The baseline and other qualitative surveys conducted helped in better understanding of the needs, problems and consumption patterns and levels of knowledge on consumer education among the targeted low-income consumers in these communities. These studies also helped in identifying the hazardous and unsafe products (relating to clean air, water and energy) being used in the households, which provided opportunities for Consumers International to further explore and consider alternatives of safe and sustainable products. In order to educate and sensitize the community on their rights and responsibilities as consumers at the market place, various IEC (Information, Education and Communication) and BCC (Behaviour Change Communication) materials targeting at different levels - individual, group and community – were developed and tested for mass dissemination through its local member organizations in all the targeted communities.
Side Event: CHOICE
Product safety campaigns case studies
How to attend: Register your interest with the organiser by emailing Sarah Agar - sagar@choice.com.au
The session will cover:
- Four campaign case studies where consumer groups have worked to fix a product safety problem in their country
- How these organisations worked with communities and individual consumers to make change
- How consumer groups have worked with or against industry groups as part of reform
Side event: DECO Proteste
Empower Future Digital Consumers – Consumer Education for Digital Literacy
How to attend: ...
Description: Millennials are the digital natives: a generation living in the digital world since birth with a strong dependence on the use of the internet. They are a multitasking generation able to dominate multiple devices to search for any information they could need. Young people are thirsty to communicate, their socialisation and education take place in a mediated context between peers, where older people participate less and therefore do not follow or guide. For the first time, the key media changes in society tend to be initiated by the younger generation.
However, despite the opportunities, young people primarily use the internet to communicate with each other or for their own entertainment. In this sense, it is important to encourage young people to participate more actively in a safe internet environment.
DECO promotes a consumer education programme in partnership with Google Portugal focusing on young consumer digital literacy. The programme aims to develop activities for young people to become informed and aware of the digital world; its advantages and risks.
This side event presents the NETTALKS, an interactive and dynamic model for conferences for young students about digital subjects with the participation of YouTubers, comedians, fellow students and security forces to warn about the impact of cyberbullying.
We encourage debate with experts, politicians and digital companies to discuss the importance and urgency to prepare young consumers for a better digital world. This side event has a purpose to share and demonstrate the DECO strategy to inform young consumers and motivate them to adopt safe behaviours on the internet, to promote digital skill among young consumers, share knowledge about young consumers use of internet in Europe, disseminate the national strategy to promote digital literacy as a good practice to be adopted and to motivate companies like Google to get involved in programmes of consumers digital literacy.
OPENING SESSION:
How do we put consumers at the heart of digital innovation?
Consumers International’s new Director General will welcome the audience to the Summit with the key question to be explored over the two days - what could our world look like if consumers’ needs and wants were at the heart of digital innovation?
Plenary:
What will consumer choice look like in the future digital economy?
The opening panel will take a big picture view on the future of the digital economy for consumers, asking how new and emerging trends might impact on consumers. Speakers from industry and consumer groups across the globe will expand on the key question and ask how we put consumers at the heart of the digital economy?
Morning Breakout 1:
Freeing our information
Open banking promises to organise financial data around the individual and not the institution. Banks, regulators and a FinTech startup share what can be learnt from models like this for giving consumers greater choice and control?
Morning breakout 2:
Disrupting choices
What opportunities are created for consumers when disruptive intermediaries break through? Hear from digital startups and established businesses on creating change with consumers at the centre.
Morning breakout 3:
Shared responsibilities
From tuktuks to tutors - if it can be shared it will be shared. But what do these different delivery models mean for consumers and providers? Where does responsibility lie for protection, trust and quality service?
Plenary:
AI - accessibility and fairness
This plenary will hear from an industry leader about how artificial intelligence and machine learning has increased the potential and possibilities for accessible technology and promoting fairer opportunities and outcomes in the on and offline world. The discussion that follows will ask what fairness and accessibility look like for everyone in an increasingly AI-driven world.
Lunchtime:
Data dreamland or data dystopia?
Take the time to explore our interactive installation ‘data dreamland or data dystopia’. Can we create a dreamland where all people can access good quality internet where they feel safe and respected? Where privacy and protection are built into systems and services from the beginning? Or will the future be a data dystopia where consumers’ needs take a backseat to unchecked growth?
Afternoon plenary:
Data reimagined
Digital change is driven by innovators who refuse to accept business as usual. In this inspirational and interactive session, we will inspire you with the different ways data could be managed differently in our globally connected, digital world.
Afternoon Breakout 1:
Coming of age in the digital playground
With connections all around them, how can we support and empower children in the age of ubiquitous technology?
Afternoon breakout 2:
Privacy Warriors vs the Privacy Police
Can we rely on regulations, codes of conduct and enforcers to protect our data, or is it time for consumers to arm themselves for an era of digital self-defence?
OPENING SESSION:
Connection and Protection in the consumer IoT
Smart-by-default devices are becoming mainstream but most still lack the most basic data security provisions. Find out what consumers think about privacy and security in the Consumer IoT and hear a discussion with industry, regulators and consumer groups on how to build protection into connection for a world that is truly smart?
Morning breakout 1:
Smart from Scratch
More mainstream products like TVs, energy meters or public transport are becoming connected by default. How can we build services around people’s real lives that are ‘smart from scratch’ and address not just privacy and security but ownership, redress and care for vulnerable consumers?
Morning Breakout 2:
How can Consumers tell if Artificial Intelligence is on Their side?
Artificial Intelligence is already revolutionising everyday services and products, but is it being built into systems with consumer safety, fairness and ethical expectations in mind.
Morning breakout 3:
Cleaning up online scams
Explore innovative solutions with industry and enforcement agencies to the problem of online scams. Learn what more can be done to increase trust in online marketplaces to prevent consumers losing money and personal information.
LUNCHTIME: Data journeys
Join us on a journey to find out what happens when consumer data is put at the centre of innovation. We look at how data mobility and empowerment has been used in practice to help consumers get the outcomes and value they really want.
Afternoon plenary:
Access at any cost?
There is an assumption that people in poorer countries will compromise their rights to get internet access, but evidence shows this is not the case. We need to ask consumers what will build confidence and boost participation and inclusion, and how we can make the internet work for them.
Afternoon Breakout 1:
Clicks and Mortar
What can platforms, enforcement agencies and companies do to improve consumers’ confidence and build a safer marketplace for both connected consumers and those yet to get online?
Afternoon breakout 2:
Half of all consumers
The voices of women and other marginalised groups are getting louder in tech development. What do we gain when everyone’s needs are central to design and delivery of digital innovation?
Keynote:
The revision of the UN Guidelines for Consumer Protection and key challenges in consumer protection
The revision of the UNGCP in 2015 was a major achievement in updating guidance on consumer protection for the modern world. What changes were made and what does this mean for consumer protection internationally?
Main Session:
Key challenges in consumer protection
The panel will discuss some new and challenging issues in consumer protection including peer to peer markets, cross border transactions and vulnerability and discuss the role of consumer law in protecting and empowering consumers.
Key session:
Funding the consumer organisations of the future
An opportunity to hear from members about new initiatives that not only help consumers but also provide vital new sources of income to support the consumer organisations of the future.
Morning Breakout 1:
Financial services – empowering consumers with research, literacy and better services
What are the main challenges facing consumers of financial services and how can consumer organisations promote better practices and empower consumers?
Morning breakout 2:
Progress in collective redress
Consumer groups around the world are campaigning for the right to seek collective redress for consumers. This session will look at progress in winning this right and members’ experience of bringing collective actions.
Key session:
Protecting and empowering vulnerable consumers
How can we protect the rights of all consumers, including the most vulnerable? This session will look at three different examples of vulnerable consumers to understand the challenges and the opportunities for making a difference.
Morning Breakout 3:
Sustainable food systems
How can we ensure that all consumers have access to a safe and nutritious diet? This session will look at the big picture – linking up different food issues to ask how food system needs to change.
Morning breakout 4:
Trade: risks & opportunities of the international e-commerce talks for consumer rights
How do we make trade deals work for consumers? This session will explain the risks and opportunities of the international negotiations on e-commerce and introduce the idea of a consumer chapter for all trade deals.
Key session:
How can we make sustainable consumption the easy choice for consumers?
This session will emphasize Goal 17 of the Sustainable Development Goals and the importance of collaboration and partnership for sustainability
Afternoon breakout 1:
Improving consumer access to a nutritious diet
Whether it is undernutrition or overnutrition, healthy diets are an important topic for consumer groups around the world. This session will seek to understand the challenges and the solutions and what are the most successful strategies for consumers groups.
Afternoon breakout 2:
How can we create more effective systems for product safety?
Product safety has always been an important consumer issue but many challenges remain. The session will hear from speakers about market surveillance activities, campaigning for more effective national product safety systems and how we can better share information.