I have carefully studied the speech of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan, His Excellency, Mr.  Shavkat Mirziyoyev at the 75th Session of the UN General Assembly

    Columnists 29 September 2020 4665

    Mr. Mirziyoyev announced a number of initiatives of both regional and global character at this Session. I drew attention to two of them, which directly concern protection consumer rights.

    The first one is the establishment of the International Code of Voluntary Commitments of States during pandemics. According to the President of Uzbekistan, this Code “should reflect each state’s commitments to its citizens and international partners.” The adoption of such a document would soon contribute not only to the improvement of medical services to the population during pandemics, but also its social status, protection of all its rights and interests, including consumer ones.

    The second one is “to adopt a special resolution of the UN General Assembly declaring the Aral Sea region an area of ecological innovation and technologies.” He calls on the world community to cooperate to turn the region into a zone of environmental innovations and technologies.

    It is commendable that the Government of Uzbekistan is doing a great job of greening the dried-up bottom of the Aral Sea to prevent the emission of harmful salts into the environment, which is in the spirit of the requirements of the "UN Guidelines for Consumer Protection", which define environmental protection as one of the basic principles of consumer protection.

    Prof. Dr. Marimuthu Nadason,

    President of Consumer International