Joint Statement: Consumers International calls for COVID-19 response to focus on global consumer protection and empowerment

Through the COVID-19 pandemic our members have been using their national voices to share responsible information for health and home. Through this range of network activity, our members have observed that: - Building trust now during the crisis is crucial: taking decisive, fair and transparent action now will not only save lives now but will build trust for the future - The international nature of the COVID-19 pandemic crisis is a reminder of how interconnected the world is today, and that we are only as strong as the weakest link. - Emerging markets and vulnerable consumers in every nation face the biggest risks in terms of the immediate impact on health and mortality, and the economic downturn that will follow. We are calling on G20 member governments to support a global co-ordinated response to the COVID-19 pandemic crisis that protects and respects consumers in both the immediate efforts to halt the spread of the virus and the worst impacts of the economic effects, and in future strategies to rebuild and renew our social, environmental and economic systems. In future strategies to rebuild and renew, we want to see investment in the urgent shift to sustainable consumption and production driven by people’s consumer rights in the marketplace with: Public investments that support critical social, environmental and economic systems and prioritise health, food, finance, connectivity, sustainability and consumer protection.