Press Release
EU Commissioner Hedegaard to deliver keynote address at consumer world congress
04 Apr 2011
- Final preparations for consumer movement's global
gathering in Hong Kong
- Hong Kong Chief Executive Donald Tsang
to open proceedings
- Sustainable consumption and fair financial services top
the agenda
European Union Commissioner for Climate Action, Connie
Hedegaard, will deliver the opening keynote address to the Consumer
International (CI) 19th World Congress in Hong Kong,
3-6 May, it has been announced.
With under a month to go until the event, Commissioner Hedegaard
joins an illustrious list of internationally renowned speakers who
will be addressing the world's consumer movement at the Hong Kong
Conference and Exhibition Centre (HKCEC).
Other leading speakers include Alan Jope,
Chairman, Unilever Greater China; Sue Rutledge,
Director, Consumer Protection, World Bank; Anwar
Fazal, civil society leader and former CI President;
James Guest, President, Consumers Union of the
United States; and Gerd Leonhard, CEO, The Futures
Agency.
The CI World Congress, which will be officially opened by
Donald Tsang, Chief Executive of the Hong Kong
Special Administrative Region, will be attended by leaders of
consumer organisations from over 100 countries, together with
representatives from industry, governments, inter-governmental
bodies, and civil society. It is being co-hosted by CI member
organisation, the Hong Kong Consumer Council.
Commissioner Hedegaard will address the role of consumers in the
green economy, a key issue area in light of the overall Congress
theme of 'Empowering Tomorrow's Consumers'. Other consumer issues
that will feature in sessions across the four-day event include:
financial services, corporate social responsibility, food safety,
and consumer rights in the digital age.
Consumers International Director General, Joost Martens
said:
"We are delighted to have Commissioner Hedegaard address the
CI World Congress on an issue that is vital to the future of
consumption patterns across the globe. Our event is about looking
at ways in which consumer groups can help tackle the major
challenges facing the world, and give them the tools to empower
individual consumers to make a positive difference.
"Alongside the green economy and issues of sustainable
consumption, we have an impressive array of world experts exploring
issues of global importance to consumers; such as fair financial
services, corporate responsibility and access to knowledge in the
digital world."
Hong Kong Consumer Council Chairman, Professor Anthony
Cheung said:
"Hong Kong is strategically positioned to hold this World
Congress in Asia, which has witnessed some of the fastest
growing economies as well as the rampant inflation affecting large
populations of consumers.
"We are honoured to have the Congress held
in Hong Kong and to have the opportunity to co-host this single
most important world assembly of consumer leaders and advocates at
a crucial juncture of time. Fresh ideas and new action are urgently
called for to tackle the many pressing issues facing consumers
worldwide."
-ends-
Media accrediation for CI World Congress can be applied for
here:
www.consumersinternational.org/congress/media
Notes to Editors:
- Consumers International (CI) is the only independent global
campaigning voice for consumers. With over 220 member organisations
in 115 countries, we are building a powerful international consumer
movement to help protect and empower consumers everywhere.
- The Hong Kong Consumer Council (HKCC) is an independent
statutory body committing itself as the trusted voice for consumer
betterment towards safe and sustainable consumption in a fair and
just market. Joined Consumers International (CI) in 1976, HKCC
became CI Council Member in 1978 and has been the Executive Member
since 1994.
- Consumers International's 19th World Congress takes
place at the Hong Kong Conference and Exhibition Centre, 3-6 May.
Day 1 is dedicated to fringe event with Day 2 & 3 taken up with
the official programme. Day 4 is the CI General Assembly. All
details are at www.consumersinternational.org/congress
- The CI World Congress occurs every four to five years. It
includes the General Assembly where CI's President, Executive and
Council are voted in.
- The last Congress took place n Sydney in 2007. The CI World
Congress was previously held in Hong Kong in 1991. The co-hosts for
the event are CI's Hong Kong member, The Consumer Council.
- Full list of confirmed chairs and speakers:
Alan Jope, Chairman, Unilever in
China
Alejandro Calvillo, Executive
Director, El Poder del Consumidor (Mexico)
Anna Glayzer, Programme Officer
(Food safety and Nutrition), Consumers International
Anthony Cheung, Chairman, Hong Kong
Consumer Council
Anwar Fazal, civil-society leader
and former CI President
Bart Combée, President,
Consumentenbond
Connie Hedegaard, European
Commissioner for Climate Action, EU Commission
David Hammerstein, intellectual
property advisor, Transatlantic Consumer Dialogue, and former
Spanish MEP
Diana Tsui, CSR Director, KPMG
Gerd Billen, Executive Director, The
Federation of German Consumer Organisations (vzbv)
Gerd Leonhard, The Futures
Agency
Guido Adriaenssens, Chief Executive
Officer, International Consumer Research and Testing (ICRT)
H C Yang, Vice President and
Secretary General, China Consumers' Association
Hassan Qaqaya, Chief, Capacity
Building and Technical Assistance Section, Competition Law and
Policy and Consumer Protection Section, UNCTAD
Helio Mattar, Founder, Akatu
Institute for Conscious Consumption (Brazil)
Indrani Thuraisingham, Head of CI
Office for Asia Pacific and the Middle East, Consumers
International
Jaiok Kim, President, Consumers
Korea
James Guest, CEO, Consumers Union of
United States
Jami Solli, specialist on financial
services in consumer protection law
Jan Gustav Strandenaes, Senior
Adviser, The Northern Alliance for Sustainability (ANPED)
Jean Halloran, Consumers Union of
United States
Jens Henriksson, International
Officer, Swedish Consumers' Association
Jeremy Malcolm, Access to Knowledge
Programme Coordinator, Consumers International
Jonathon Hanks, University of Cape
Town
Jørgen Schlundt, Deputy Director,
National Food Institute, Denmark
Justin Macmullan, Head of Campaigns,
Consumers International
Lisa Gunn, Executive Director,
Brazilian Institute for Consumer Defence (IDEC)
Luke Upchurch, Head of
Communications, Consumers International
Niall Dunne, former Director,
Saatchi & Saatchi Sustainability
Norma McCormick, Chair, ISO
Committee on Consumer Policy (COPOLCO)
Peter Kell, Chair, Australian
Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC)
Premila Kumar, Chief Executive,
Consumer Council of Fiji
Rasmus Kjeldahl, Executive Director,
Danish Consumer Council
Ratna Devi, Deputy Secretary
General, Federation of Malaysian Consumers Associations (FOMCA)
Rehan Saiyed, Storm Corporate Design
Limited
Richard Henry Kimera, Chief
Executive, Consent, Uganda
Robert Welford, Chairman, CSR
Asia
Robin Simpson, Senior Policy
Advisor, Consumers International
Samuel Ochieng, President, CIN Kenya
and Consumers International
Stefan Larenas R, President,
Organisation of Consumers and Users of Chile (ODECU)
Sue Rutledge, Director of Consumer
Protection, World Bank
Sunil Abraham, Executive Director,
Centre for Internet and Society, India
Thami Bolani, Chairman, National
Consumer Forum (South Africa)
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