At the initiative of the Federation of Societies for Consumer Rights Protection of Uzbekistan in cooperation with the Competition Promotion and Сonsumer Protection Committee, the Public Diplomacy Center of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, and the National News Agency of Uzbekistan, a meeting of consumer protection organizations in the SCO member states and the Organization of Turkic States was held in Samarkand on November 20-21.

The event was attended by heads of consumer protection organizations from SCO member states and observers, as well as from the member states and partners of the Organization of Turkic States, secretariats of these structures, delegates from Georgia and Armenia, members of the Senate, the Legislative Chamber of the Oliy Majlis, and representatives of relevant ministries and agencies.

The participants discussed issues of concluding bilateral and multilateral agreements with the participation of international, regional, and national state or non-governmental organizations to protect consumers’ rights and legitimate interests in other countries. 

The need to introduce national legislation norms aimed at protecting the rights of foreign tourists, considering cross-border appeals, and protecting the rights and interests of consumers in electronic commerce and digital markets was also considered. An important point was creating permanent training, workshops, and forums for exchanging experiences with international, regional, and national partners.

Addressing the event, the SCO Public Diplomacy Center Director in Uzbekistan Qobuljon Sobirov noted that consumer protection is an essential element of social sustainability and stability, especially in the context of globalization and rapid changes in world markets.

It was emphasized that public diplomacy plays a key role in strengthening trust and mutual understanding between countries and peoples, and consumer protection is one of the areas where this role is vital. He expressed confidence that creating sustainable mechanisms for dialogue and exchange of experience and building a network of organizations for the protection of consumer rights of the SCO countries will be an essential step in improving citizens’ quality of life and ensuring more effective cooperation between states.

Gayrat Khonnazarov, UzA