world healt organizatioh n eb57/ngo/1 …

WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION

ORGANISATION MONDIALE DE LA SANTÉ

EXECUTIVE BOARD

Fifty-seventh Session

EB57/NGO/1

14 October 1975

RESTRICTED

1Г40ЕХЕО

QUESTIONNAIRE ON NONGOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATIONS

REQUESTING OFFICIAL RELATIONS WITH WHO1

1. Name of organization

3.

4.

International Organization of Consumers Unions (IOCU)

Organisation internationale des unions de consommateurs (ICOU)

Headquarters

9 Emmastraatj The Hague, Netherlands

Regional Office

Regional Office for Asia

Room 4A, 11 Penang Lane,

Membership

ASSOCIATE MEMBERS

and the Pacific

Singapore 9 '^Ire^l

Countries

Africa/Middle East

Organization Number of Persons

Israel Israel Consumers' Association Central Consumers' Authority Israel Consumer Council

i 125 ООО no individual members

Americas

Canada

Jamaica

USA

Consumers1

Association of Canada National Consumers' League Consumers Union of United States, Inc, American Council on Consumer Interests Consumer Federation of America

1 128

236 000 1 700

no individual members

Asia

India

Japan

Consumer Guidance Society Japan Consumers

1

Association Nihon-Shohisha-Reramei

25 1

496

000

200

1 As supplied by the applicant on 28 July 1975.

The designations employed in this document are those which have been used by the

nongovernmental organization itself in its application and do not imply the expression of any

opinion whatsoever on the part of the Secretariat concerning the legal status of any country,

territory, city or area or of its authorities or concerning the delimination of its frontiers

or boundaries.

EB57/NGO/1 page 3

Countries Countries Organization Number of Persons

Malaysia

Philippines

Singapore

Australasia

Persatuan Pengguna-Pengguna Selangor Persatuan Pengguna-Pengguna Pulau Pinang Kilusan ng mga Mamimili ng

Pilipinas, Ink. (KMPI) Consumers' Association of Singapore

000 600

222 025

Australia

New Zealand

Australian Consumers' Association Canberra Consumers Inc. Australian Federation of Consumer

Organizations Inc. (AFC0) Consumers' Institute

148 000 2 000

no individual member s 130 000

Europe

Austria Belgium Denmark France Federal Republic

of Germany

Iceland Ireland Luxembourg Netherlands

Norway Switzerland

United Kingdom

Verein fllr Konsumenteninformation Association des Consommateurs Forbrugerrâdet Union Fédérale des Consommateurs

Arbeitsgemeinschaft der Verbraucher (AGV) e.V. Stiftung Warentest NeytendasamtOkin Consumers' Association of Ireland Ltd Union Luxembourgeoise des Consommateurs Consumentenbond

Stichting Vergelijkend Warenonderzoek Forbrukerrâdet Fédération Romande des Consommatrices Korisument inn en forum der deutschen Schweiz und

des Kantons Tessin Consumers' Association Research Institute for Consumer Affairs National Federation of Consumer Groups

30 240

173

ООО 768 800 ООО

CORRESPONDING MEMBERS

Africa/Middle East

Nigeria

Americas

Consumers' Association of Nigeria National Consumers' Association Consumers

1

Protection Council of Nigeria

no individual members 550 000

5 000 1 500 8 000

460 000 no individual members

260 000 36 000

no individual members 675 000

no individual members no individual members

70 100

Canada Guyana Mexico

Puerto Rico

Department of Consumer Services Guyana Consumers Association Instituto Mexicano de Estudios para

la Defensa del Consumidor, А.С. Organización de Consumidores de Puerto Rico Department of Consumer Affairs

no individual members 100

618


EB57/NGO/1 page 3

Countries Organization Number of Persons

Trinidad & Tobago

USA

Consumers 1

Association of Trinidad & Tobago Caribbean Consumers' Council Housewives Association of Trinidad & Tobago Department of Family and Consumer Resources United States Senate Committee on Commerce

no no

70 individual members

800 individual members individual members

Asia

Hong Kong India

Indonesia Iran

Japan

Korea

Malaysia

Pakistan Philippines

Sri Lanka

Thailand

Republic of South Viet-Nam

Australasia

Consumer Council Consumers' Association of Eastern India Consumer Council of India Karnataka Consumer Service Society Visakha Consumers' Council Yayasan Lembaga Konsumen National Committee for the Protection

of Consumers Japan Housewives

1

Association Japan Automobile Consumers Union Consumers ' Union of Korea Korean Women

1

s Association Sabah Consumers Association Berhad Federation of Malaysian Consumers

Associations Pakistan Consumer's Council Consumers Federated Groups of the

Philippines, Inc. Consumers Union of the Philippines Sri Lanka Housewives' Association Consumers

f

Association of Sri Lanka Consumer Affairs Project of the National

Council of Women of Thailand

Trung Tâm Phât-Triên Kinh-Tê" ХЗ-Hôi


10

5 over

1 470

000 331 700 550

000 220 000 100 000 13


103 2

115 000 175

30 000

Australia

Fiji

Europe

Belgium

Denmark Finland Germany

Consumer Affairs Council of New South Wales Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Victoria Hobart Consumers Group Ltd Consumer Affairs Council of Queensland Consumers

1

Association of Victoria Consumers Protection Council of Tasmania South Australian Prices and Consumer Affairs

Branch

Consumer Affairs Council of Western Australia

Consumer Affairs Council of the Australian Capital Territory

Trade Practices Commission Consumer Council of Fiji

Bureau Européen des Unions de Consommateurs Euro-Labo V.Z.W. Statens Husholdningsrâd Kuluttajat-Konsumenterna ry Bundesforschungsanstalt fVlr Hauswirtschaft

no individual no individual

800 no individual

406 no individual

no no

no no no

members members

members

members



individual individual

members members

individual individual individual

900 individual

members members members

members

EB57/NGO/1 page 3

Countries Countries Organizat ion Number of Persons

Germany

Greece Hungary Poland Portugal

Spain

Switzerland

United Kingdom

Yugoslavia

11 Verbraucherzentralen of West Germany Verein zum Schutz der Verbraucher gegen

unlauteren Wettbewerb Instituto Prostasias Katanaloton Kereskedelmi Minüségellenarzü Intézet Biuro Wspolpracy z Konsmnentem 'Opinia

1

Associacao Portuguesa para a Defesa do Consumidor

Federación Nacional de Asociaciones de Consumidores

Gottlieb Duttweiler Institute for Economic and Social Studies

Stiftung fllr Kon sumen ten schutz Schweizerischer Kon sumen tenbund The Consumer Standards Advisory Committee

of the British Standards Institution Office of Fair Trading Savezni Konferencija 'Porodica

i Domacinstvo'


no individual members 245


363

no individual

no no

individual

3 000 individual

individual individual

members

members

members

members members


5. General purposes of IQCU:

(a) to authenticate, assist and actively promote genuine efforts throughout the world in consumer self-organization as well as governmental efforts to further the interests of the consumer；

(b) to promote international cooperation in the comparative testing of consumer goods and services, and to facilitate exchange of test methods and plans;

(c) to promote international cooperation in all other aspects of consumer information, education arid protection, and to collect and disseminate information relating to consumer laws and practices throughout the world;

(d) to provide a forum in which national bodies working exclusively for the interests of the consumer may discuss consumer problems and possible solutions to them;

(e) to act as a clearing house for the publications of such bodies and to regulate (subject to any regulations promulgated by or applicable to the bodies themselves) the use of such published material;

(f) to publish information on subjects connected with the interests of the consumer；

(g) to maintain effective links with the United Nations and its Agencies and other international bodies, with a view to representing the interests of the consumer at the international level;

(h) to give all practical aid and encouragement to the development of consumer educational and protective programmes in the developing countries, through the United Nations and its Agencies and in other suitable ways; and

(i) in general, to take such actions as may further these objects.

EB57/NGO/1 page 5

6 . What are the primary and secondary f u n c t i o n s ?

(a) primary function:

assisting member organizations in their tasks to help individual consumers to maximize the satisfaction from their resources. This assistance is given in various ways such as regular information on consumer activities from all over the world; making available translations and reprints of reports and methods; organizing special workshops to exchange views and experiences; sometimes with loans or grants enabling the member organization p.e. to start a magazine or a test programme.

Another important function of IOCU is the representation of the consumer cause at the international level. This function is increasingly necessary where more and more international conventions are influencing the national legislations.

A third function is to help consumers in developing countries. Special seminars are being organized in those areas of the world and regional efforts (office, newsletters, regional meetings) are being promoted and financed by IOCU, sometimes in cooperation with United Nations Agencies.

Advocating special measures or proceduresд special reservations to treatment

Time and time again, consumer organizations find that the health care and protection leave something to be desired. The attached list of articles and statements made by IOCU and its member organizations proves that much has to be done to rectify the situation. Although the picture varies from country to country, it is fair to say that a truly international problem is that of medical drugs. The two IOCU studies (Chloramphenicol and Clioquinol) made abundantly clear that there is a great health risk for the consumer in the marketing practices of medicaments. IOCU strongly advocates strong governmental controls for the sale of medicaments.

8. The officially designated representation can speak authoritatively on subjects concerned with the stated purposes of the organization.

9. The specific interest in the work of WHO lies in the efforts to arrive at international regulations with regard to medicaments and drugs.

President： Vice-President: Honorary Treasurer： Honorary Secretary: Co-opted Executive members： Executive Secretary: Director, Regional Office for

Asia and the Pacific:

Willy van Rijckeghem Syed Adam Al-Ja

f

fri Jim 0'Grady Owen D. Sperling Colston E. Warne and Peter Goldman Jan van Veen

Anwar Fazal

Paid officer personnel： Headquarters:

Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific:

11. (a) The work of IOCU is carried out by：

Executive Secretary Regional Director

a. the General Assembly; b. the Council;

c. the Executive; and d. such working parties, standing committees and other committees as may from

time to time be established.

EB57/NGO/1 page 6

(b) World Congresses: every second year - last Congress： 24-27 March 1975

Seminars: irregularly held - last Seminar (for Asia and the Pacific):

4-8 February 1974

The following bodies meet regularly：

Council1

- last meeting: 26 March 1975

Executive2 11

" : 27 March 1975

Standing Committees：

Testing Committee

Education Committee

Development Committee

Representation Committee

(c) Each Associate of IOCU has the right to be represented by a Delegation at the

General Assembly. Each Delegation at a meeting of the General Assembly has one vote

upon each resolution of the General Assembly, which shall be exercised only by its

Voting Delegate or a duly appointed proxy. A Voting Delegate shall be appointed by

each Associate of IOCU and that appointment shall be notified to the Central Secretariat

not later than 30 days before the day specified for the commencement of a meeting of the

General Assembly or such shorter term as the President may from time to time determine.

No person is accepted as a Voting Delegate or proxy who is, in the opinion of the

Council, either directly engaged as principal in the manufacture, distribution and sale

of goods, commodities or services to the public or directly engaged as a servant or agent

in promoting the sale or use of such goods, commodities or services.

Unless otherwise provided for in IOCU1

s Articles of Association, decisions of the General

Assembly are taken by simple majority of those Voting Delegates present in person or by

proxy and voting.

(d) IOCU is in consultative or liaison status with EC0S0C, UNICEF, UNESCO, FAO (in

particular the FAO/WHO Codex Alimentarius Commission), International Organization for

Standardization (ISO), International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC), International

Stamp Collectors Association (ISCA), European Conference of Postal and Telecommunications

Administrations (CEPT), UNIDO and the Consumer Protection Committee of the Council of

Europe.

1 The Council meets as often as at least half its members may from time to time determine,

but not less frequently than the General Assembly meets. 2

The Executive meets as often

frequently than twice a year.

at least half its members determine, but not less

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