A brief history of the consumer movement

Consumer rights take hold: The first international conference of leaders from consumer organisations took place in The Hague on March 1960.

Five of the 17 organisations present signed papers to create the International Organisation of Consumers Unions (IOCU).Consumer boom: The increasing number of consumer goods on offer was accompanied by rising wages across Europe and North America. Consumer organisations sprang up to analyse the products, provide independent advice, and to challenge rogue traders.Testing: The following years saw a steady expansion in testing collaboration among these new organisations and a widening of focus for IOCU. IOCU’s first global newsletter was launched.The developing world: Meanwhile at the biennial conferences that IOCU organised, leaders spoke of a wider consumer agenda, and particularly the need to address poverty, access to basic goods and services, and the challenges faced by consumers in developing countries.Capacity building: Through the 1990s IOCU managed extensive capacity building programmes in all parts of the world. Membership numbers increased to nearly 250 from around 115 countries. The consumer movement had indeed become global.WTO: Advocacy began to focus on international trade negotiations, particularly those of the newly formed World Trade Organisation (WTO). IOCU also increased its work at the International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO) and the Codex Alimentarius Commission (food standards) as international standards became the reference point for disputes about artificial barriers to trade.These developments in global governance made it increasingly difficult for individual countries to adopt national standards that were different from those agreed internationally.IOCU becomes Consumers International: By the late 1990s, a much-altered organisation was in place, a transition symbolised by a change of name from IOCU to Consumers International (CI) in 1995.Campaigning and member development was a particular priority in Central and Eastern Europe and in Africa. In the former, CI helped create a sustainable consumer presence very nearly from scratch in countries struggling first with democracy and transition to market economies, and then with the demands of preparations to join the EU.Many publications appeared in three languages. World Congresses were held for the first time in Latin America (Chile, 1997) and then Africa (South Africa, 2000). New consumer issues: CI facilitated member participation in trade, food and technical standards activities; taking a 40-strong delegation to the WTO ministerial in Cancun, and getting Codex and ISO to provide training and improved access to meetings. Other consumer problems also became more prominent – for example, access to and the management of utilities services, the regulation of GMOs, and protecting consumer rights in the digital age.Critical engagement with transnational corporations increased, but so did demands for accountability and responsibility. New communication techniques, such as email, online forums, project-specific websites and campaign films were used to raise awareness and engage with members.CI Today: Today the founding principles of the movement still energise and inspire people and organisations throughout the CI membership. The focus has broadened to address poverty reduction, corporate responsibility, services and sustainable consumption as well as providing advice on consumer products. As the movement enters its second 50 years, its commitment to campaigning, advocacy and engagement continues to grow.- www.consumerinternational.com

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