Our Impact
Consumers International is uniquely placed to drive improvements for consumers everywhere.
We do this through a range of interventions which deliver change at national, regional, and global level. We empower consumers by putting their voice at the heart of global decision-making. We paint a detailed picture of the consumer experience across the marketplace to shape effective consumer policy. And our expertise and influence enables businesses to be more responsive to emerging consumer challenges and opportunities.
Over the years, we have demonstrated our power to drive decisive change that delivers real benefits to consumers around the world.
Our history
Consumers International, formerly known as the International Organisation of Consumers Unions (IOCU) was set up in 1960 by a founding group of five consumer organisations. In its early years, IOCU primarily acted as global information exchange between consumer product-testing organisations, facilitating dialogue between the growing number of these groups that had sprung up in the post-war years. Early on, we established an impressive reputation for delivering change on global consumer challenges.
In ten short years, 50 consumer organisations from around the world had joined us as Members. And by 1977, we gained General Consultative Status at the United Nations.
Today, we have over 200 Members in over 100 countries, and we continue to grow. Our work has evolved to reflect the challenges consumers face in the 21st century marketplace. Our Change Agenda addresses pressing issues and opportunities from digital rights to fair financial services, from product safety to sustainable consumption.
What we've achieved
Since the 1960s we have pioneered new methods of campaigning, mobilising disparate groups of people on a particular issue and targeting influential figures within government and industry to bring about change. Some of our achievements include:
1985
Landmark guidelines for consumer protection
After a ten year campaign by Consumers International and its Members, in 1985 the Untied Nations adopted the United Nations Guidelines for Consumer Protection - which spell out key principles for global consumer protection. Consumers International acted as interlocutor with the United Nations, having called upon the United Nations to prepare a 'Model Code for consumer protection'. Since their adoption, numerous countries have adopted laws based on this model. In 2015, once again spurred by campaigning by Consumers International and our Members, the United Nations General Assembly adopted the revised United Nations Guidelines for Consumer Protection.
1970-1985
Establishing international networks to drive change
In the 1970s and 80s we established the International Baby Food Action Network (IBFAN) and Pesticides Action Network (PAN). As a result we saw the adoption of the International Code of Marketing on Breast Milk Substitutes by the World Health Organization – the first such code designed to control widespread marketing abuses by baby food companies. We also campaigned against toxic pesticides and unethical marketing practices, successfully preventing the export of banned or restricted pesticides without the consent of governments in importing countries.
2011
International principles for financial consumer protection
Successfully campaigning for the G20 to develop international principles on financial consumer protection and formalise FinCoNet, the international network of regulators for financial consumer protection. We contributed to the high level principles adopted by G20 ministers in 2011 and updated in 2022.
2016
International standard for energy access
We work on international standards and contributing to setting international benchmarks to guide businesses and governments towards providing and regulating for better services to consumers. In 2016 Consumers International proposed and drafted the first international standard on energy services at the International Organization for Standardization (ISO 50007), supporting the first ISO standard ever to be initiated by an NGO.
2017
Safe and sustainable households
In 2017, together with Members in India, Bangladesh and Indonesia, we worked to address the need for low-income consumers to access safer and more sustainable products. The project reached over 100,000 households, boosted consumer awareness, and saw an increase in the consumption and affordability of safe and sustainable products.
2022
Action for fair online pricing
We examined the experience of consumers online in personalised pricing, helping to end discriminatory business practice and we championed how consumer rights can thrive in the digital world.
2023
Breaking silos for fair digital finance
Our Fair Digital Finance Accelerator builds bridges between consumer groups and regulators in low- and middle-income countries for strengthened consumer protection. The Accelerator has supported collaborative industry and policy change in over six countries and our training has reached over 100,000 consumers, including 10,000 youth.
2024
Healthy and sustainable diets for all
In 2023, we launched a ground-breaking initiative to tackle the widespread unaffordability of healthy, sustainable, and locally produced foods across Africa. The project reached over 30 million people, united leading consumer associations and policy-makers in over 20 countries across Africa, developed the Fair Food Price Monitor, and saw significant regulatory response in Nigeria, Kenya and Zambia.
Consumers International 60th Anniversary
Our 60th anniversary represented an important milestone and a moment to recognise and celebrate the extraordinary achievements of the consumer movement. At the same time, it was an opportunity to look to the future and highlight the central role of consumers and consumer advocates as we move towards 2030.
To mark this moment, we asked consumer leaders from our Board, Council, and select members from across the globe to share their vision for the future and explore what consumer advocacy will have achieved by 2030. Across all regions, the top 3 issues to emerge were sustainability, digitalisation and inclusion.
