Zambias Experience in Strengthening Cross Border Cooperation Brian - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Zambia’s Experience in Strengthening Cross Border Cooperation

Brian M. Lingela Director Consumer Protection Competition & Consumer Protection Commission ZAMBIA

24/9/2019 Zambia's Experience in Strenghtening Cross Border Cooperation

Presentation Overview

 Rationale For Cross Border Collaboration  Rationale for Cooperation  Zambia’s Experience in Strengthening Cross Border Cooperation  Challenges Inhibiting Cross Border Cooperation  Addressing Challenges of Cross Border Cooperation

24/9/2019 Zambia's Experience in Strenghtening Cross Border Cooperation

Rationale For Cross Border Cooperation

Advancements in technology

 Technology has erased borders making it more imperative for states to

cooperate.

 Internet has facilitated globalization of markets and growth of e-

commerce.

 Growing importance of digital economy: mobile technology and social

media a game changer.

 Online shopping on domestic and international platforms, increased

consumer choice and access to products and services.

24/9/2019 Zambia's Experience in Strenghtening Cross Border Cooperation

 Informal international consumer

protection agency network on information sharing, international cooperation

 Joint enforcement actions to

combat cross border issues

 First African ICPEN Presidency

2018-2019

 Terms & Conditions Working

Group initialised by Turkish Presidency

 27 ICPEN members joined forces

for joint action on App stores to Apple & Google

 Improvements in app layout &

transparency on consumer data

 Coordinated by UK, NT, GE, SW,

PE, HU,US,NO, ZM

24/9/2019 Zambia's Experience in Strenghtening Cross Border Cooperation

ICPEN Internet Sweep Project

 Dark Nudge- Consumer choice

manipulation for behavioural change

 22 ICPEN members  1760 websites searched, 429

flagged

 For future work, collaboration is

key

 Coordinated by CMA-UK

Marketing Practices Directed at Children in Digital Age-WG

 Impact of digital marketing on

children

 Report presented to ICPEN

Conference Livingston 2019

 NO, AU, BE, CO, FI, GE, HU, SW,

UK

 3 African countries, RSA, Morocco,

Eswatini & COMESA CC joining

24/9/2019 Zambia's Experience in Strenghtening Cross Border Cooperation

Zambia’s Experience in Cross Border Cooperation

International Networks: IGE On Consumer Protection

 Exchange of information on international consumer protection & best

practices

 Working Groups on E-Commerce, Consumer Vulnerability, cross border

collaboration

24/9/2019 Zambia's Experience in Strenghtening Cross Border Cooperation

Regional Networks: African Dialogue on Consumer Protection:

 Informal network of 25 African consumer agencies with US-FTC for

information sharing on best practices

 Monthly webinars, annual conferences (2019) in Zambia  Livingstone African Dialogue Principles on Consumer Enforcement Cross

Border Cooperation-2013 Current Projects:

 Sharing complaints data- Trend analyses of common complaints in Africa  2019 Internet Sweep on disclosure of Ts & Cs in E-Commerc

Zambia’s Experience in Cross Border Cooperation

24/9/2019 Zambia's Experience in Strenghtening Cross Border Cooperation

Zambia’s Experience in Cross Border Cooperation

Formal Bilateral Cooperation Arrangements:

 MoUs, facilitating sharing of information, skills, experiences and capacity building.  MoUs with:

 The COMESA Competition Commission  Competition and Fair Trading Commission in Malawi  National Consumer Commission of South Africa  Southern African Development Community (SADC) regional draft MoU  Livingstone Principles on International Enforcement Cooperation African Dialogue

Each MoU has an implementation framework with established joint working committees to ensure effective implementation of agreed strategies, initiatives, areas of cooperation. Facilitates exchange of information, expertise, investigations

24/9/2019 Zambia's Experience in Strenghtening Cross Border Cooperation

Zambia’s Experience in Cross Border Cooperation

Informal cross border cooperation efforts:

 Informal means of cooperation- direct contact with agencies.

Regional and international contacts have been effective and a quicker way of exchanging investigative information.

 Nigerian Federal Competition & Consumer Commission-Pay TV  Eswatini Competition & Consumer Authority-Retail sector  Republic of Botswana- General complaints handling system  Competition & Fair Trading Commission Malawi- Retail  Competition Authority of Kenya

 Informal cooperation efforts have proven to be more useful in:

building

mutual trust among the staff

• f

relating consumer protection authorities.

Quick exchange of information when demand arises

24/9/2019 Zambia's Experience in Strenghtening Cross Border Cooperation

Zambia’s Experience in Cross Border Cooperation

Staff Exchange Programme/Benchmarking

 Exchange information & staff capacity building

In 2015, CCPC Staff hosted by the US FTC as an International Fellow. New CCPC Fellow expected to US FTC in 2020 Since 2010, CCPC has hosted 27 investigative staff & some

Commissioners

From Botswana, Namibia, Eswatini, Ethiopia, Malawi, Sudan, Djibouti

Seychelles

Exchange of best practices

24/9/2019 Zambia's Experience in Strenghtening Cross Border Cooperation

Challenges Inhibiting Cross Border Cooperation

 Divergence in existing national consumer protection laws. The US Safe Web

Act is an important best practice

 Protection of Confidential information restricts the extent to which countries

can exchange information. Sometimes, even non confidential information is hard to get

 Reliance on non binding frameworks without accountability  Competing domestic priorities of agencies often dictates the level of

assistance that an agency would provide

 Limited trust for online platforms, Kasama Tractor Case

24/9/2019 Zambia's Experience in Strenghtening Cross Border Cooperation

Strategies to Strengthen/Promote Cross Border Cooperation

 Appropriate legal frameworks protecting online/digital consumers. New E-commerce

Bill underway in Zambia

 Reaffirm commitments to cross border cooperation. Cooperation requires inclusive

participation and implementation by participating parties

 Identify areas of divergence and convergence in the laws for more targeted

cooperation efforts

 Continue to develop joint projects for agencies to share information & investigative

• assistance. Current ICPEN joint projects facilitate discussions among agencies

 Strengthen informal cooperation efforts where formal efforts are a challenge  Use of non confidential information

24/9/2019 Zambia's Experience in Strenghtening Cross Border Cooperation