Jakarta (VNA) –♊ The 3rd ASEAN Consumer ProtectionConference (ACPC) has taken place under the theme “Building a Fair andFuture-Ready Marketplace for Consumers in ASEAN”.

It brought together consumer protection agencies, consumerassociations, international organisations, academicians, private sectors, andthe general public from within and beyond ASEAN. In his opening remarks, Deputy Secretary-General of ASEANfor the ASEAN Economic Community Satvinder Singh said: “The conference is timelyas ASEAN is currently addressing emerging issues resulting from the advent ofthe digital economy and the increase of cross-border trade. Digitaltransformation pushes ASEAN focus on e-Commerce, develop regional B2C disputeresolution and to further strengthening consumer movement in ASEAN.” “We are already living in a new era where the concerns onconsumer protection raised are pressing,” remarked Dr Moe Moe Thwe, Chair ofthe ASEAN Committee on Consumer Protection (ACCP). “We need to expedite theimplementation of our initiatives and action plans across sectors, growconsumer movement and inspire a new generation of well-informed consumers whowill have no second thought on taking action to deal with the challenges of thenew economy that is before us to preserve the environment and sustain theplanet that we live in for future generations.” In her keynote speech, Ann Claire C. Cabochan, AssistantSecretary for the Consumer Protection Group of the Department of Trade andIndustry (DTI) of the Philippines, stated: “Although consumers in ASEAN aremoderately empowered, new consumer protection challenges and the continuingglobal and economic crisis we are facing due to the persistence of thepandemic, requires us to further empower consumers.” She urged the member states to collectively plan to addressthese challenges so as to build a fair and future-ready marketplace in ASEAN. The 3rd ACPC covers three thematic sessions which are:Laying the Foundation for Inclusive Digital Transformation in ASEAN; Scanningthe Horizon – Towards the ‘New Normal’ for B2C Dispute Resolution in ASEAN; andEmpower Consumers – Strengthening the Consumer Movement in ASEAN.   The conference was co-organised by DTI of the Philippines,the ACCP and the ASEAN Secretariat.  Theconvening of the conference was supported by the Deutsche Gesellschaft fürInternationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH, under the “Consumer Protection inASEAN” (PROTECT) project./.