International best practices and practical models, and guidelines to develop effective consumer protection awareness campaign were discussed by ASEAN Member States (AMS) at the 2nd Workshop on the Development of Public Awareness Models on Consumer Protection. Held at the ASEAN Secretariat on 8 – 9 April, the workshop aimed to provide AMS with additional tools to initiate or build upon existing advocacy programs that would empower consumers by ensuring that they are well informed of their rights and responsibilities.
The highly interactive Workshop started with identification of the challenges of initiating advocacy campaigns which, among others, included a lack of understanding of consumer behavior trends and resource limitations. The participants underwent an elaborate four-step planning, development, implementation and evaluation exercise. They were required to develop effective public awareness campaigns in the five key priority areas identified in consumer protection which are: i) telecommunications; ii) consumers entering loans; iii) food safety and quality assured foods; iv) online purchases; v) defective goods and unsafe products.
The models are divided into basic, advanced and best practices models which differ based on the resources invested and the extensive planning involved. The workshop noted that a good campaign will take approximately five years in order to achieve a sustained behavioral change where consumers are well informed and more empowered to act against unfair practices such as defective products or unfair contracts, and where companies are well aware of good governance.
Supported by the ASEAN Australia Development Cooperation Program Phase II (AADCP II), the ASEAN public awareness models and guidelines will soon be made available as a source of reference for AMS on the ASEAN Committee on Consumer Protection website (http://www.aseanconsumer.org/).