The International Society of Consumer and Competition Officials held its second international event for the year in Durban, South Africa on 15-16 November 2000.
ISCCO is a global network of competition and consumer affairs officials. Its purpose is to encourage strong networking and a cooperative approach to solving consumer and competition problems and sharing of ideas, so that emerging problems arising out of the creation of borderless markets and technological advances can be dealt with effectively.
The ISCCO workshop, titled "Governments Delivering Consumers Welfare", drew speakers and participants from across the globe, including Australia, Fiji, Hong Kong, India, Malaysia, Mexico, Papua New Guinea, South Africa, Swaziland, Sweden, Trinidad & Tobago, the United Kingdom, the United States of America, Vietnam, and Zimbabwe.
The workshop centred around the discussion of four main themes:
- challenges for new competition and consumer protection agencies;
- taking advantage of network tools;
- addressing issues currently confronting government regulators, such as genetically modified foods; and
- educational strategies - examining tactics for educating consumers, business and Governments on competition and consumer protection issues.
ISCCO plays a crucial role in delivering practical outcomes and skills for its members. This is achieved through the pursuance of market based strategies and through the promotion of international cooperation and coordination.
Achieving these outcomes is a challenging task due to the different regimes and levels of development of all of ISCCO's members. However ISCCO is able to meet this challenge by drawing on the immense diversity of skills and wealth of knowledge and experience of its members to meet its goals.
The event was organised by the Australian Competition & Consumer Commission (which are currently acting as the ISCCO Secretariat), with partial funding support by the Australian Agency for International Development (AusAID). The event was also supported by the South African Government and Consumers International. The ISCCO workshop was held in conjunction with the Consumers International 6th World Congress on Consumers, Social Justice and the World Market, also held in Durban from 13 - 17 November.