WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION EB57/NGO/1

ORGANISATION MONDIALE DE LA SANTÉ 14 October 1975

RESTRICTED EXECUTIVE BOARD

Fifty-seventh Session 1Г40ЕХЕО

QUESTIONNAIRE ON NONGOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATIONS 1 REQUESTING OFFICIAL RELATIONS WITH WHO

1. Name of organization

International Organization of Unions (IOCU) Organisation internationale des unions de consommateurs (ICOU)

Headquarters

9 Emmastraatj The Hague, Netherlands

3. Regional Office

Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific Room 4A, 11 Penang Lane, Singapore 9 '^Ire^l

4. Membership

ASSOCIATE MEMBERS

Countries Organization Number of Persons

Africa/Middle East

Israel Israel Consumers' Association Central Consumers' Authority i 125 ООО Israel Council no individual members

Americas

1 Canada Consumers Association of Canada Jamaica National Consumers' League 1 128 USA Consumers Union of United States, Inc, 236 000 American Council on Consumer Interests 1 700 Consumer Federation of America no individual members

Asia

India Consumer Guidance Society 1 496 Japan Japan Consumers Association 25 000 Nihon-Shohisha-Reramei 1 200

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 Persatuan Pengguna-Pengguna Selangor 000 Persatuan Pengguna-Pengguna Pulau Pinang 600 Philippines Kilusan ng mga Mamimili ng Pilipinas, Ink. (KMPI) 222 Singapore Consumers' Association of Singapore 025

Australasia

Australia Australian Consumers' Association 148 000 Canberra Consumers Inc. 2 000 Australian Federation of Consumer Organizations Inc. (AFC0) no individual member s New Zealand Consumers' Institute 130 000

Europe

Austria Verein fllr Konsumenteninformation 30 ООО Belgium Association des Consommateurs 240 768 Denmark Forbrugerrâdet 800 France Union Fédérale des Consommateurs 173 ООО Federal Republic of Germany Arbeitsgemeinschaft der Verbraucher (AGV) e.V. no individual members 550 000 Iceland NeytendasamtOkin 5 000 Ireland Consumers' Association of Ireland Ltd 1 500 Luxembourg Union Luxembourgeoise des Consommateurs 8 000 Netherlands 460 000 Stichting Vergelijkend Warenonderzoek no individual members Norway Forbrukerrâdet 260 000 Switzerland Fédération Romande des Consommatrices 36 000 Korisument inn en forum der deutschen Schweiz und des Kantons Tessin no individual members United Kingdom Consumers' Association 675 000 Research Institute for Consumer Affairs no individual members National Federation of Consumer Groups no individual members

CORRESPONDING MEMBERS

Africa/Middle East

Nigeria Consumers' Association of Nigeria National Consumers' Association 1 70 Consumers Protection Council of Nigeria 100

Americas

Canada Department of Consumer Services no individual members Guyana Guyana Consumers Association 100 Mexico Instituto Mexicano de Estudios para la Defensa del Consumidor, А.С. 618 Puerto Rico Organización de Consumidores de Puerto Rico Department of Consumer Affairs no individual members EB57/NGO/1 page 3

Countries Organization Number of Persons

1 Trinidad & Tobago Consumers Association of Trinidad & Tobago 70 Caribbean Consumers' Council individual members Housewives Association of Trinidad & Tobago 800 USA Department of Family and Consumer Resources no individual members United States Senate Committee on Commerce no individual members

Asia

Hong Kong Consumer Council no individual members India Consumers' Association of Eastern India Consumer Council of India 10 000 Karnataka Consumer Service Society 331 Visakha Consumers' Council 700 Indonesia Yayasan Lembaga Konsumen 550 Iran National Committee for the Protection of Consumers 000 1 Japan Japan Housewives Association 220 Japan Automobile Consumers Union 5 000 Consumers ' Union of Korea over Korea 1 100 Korean Women s Association 1 470 000 Malaysia Sabah Consumers Association Berhad 13 Federation of Malaysian Consumers Associations no individual members Pakistan Pakistan Consumer's Council Philippines Consumers Federated Groups of the Philippines, Inc. Consumers Union of the Philippines 103 115 Sri Lanka Sri Lanka Housewives' Association f 2 000 Consumers Association of Sri Lanka 175 Thailand Consumer Affairs Project of the National Council of Women of Thailand 30 000 Republic of South Viet-Nam Trung Tâm Phât-Triên Kinh-Tê" ХЗ-Hôi

Australasia

Australia Consumer Affairs Council of New South Wales no individual members Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Victoria no individual members Hobart Consumers Group Ltd 800 Consumer Affairs Council of Queensland 1 no individual members Consumers Association of Victoria 406 Consumers Protection Council of Tasmania no individual members South Australian Prices and Consumer Affairs Branch no individual members Consumer Affairs Council of Western Australia no individual members Consumer Affairs Council of the Australian Capital Territory no individual members Trade Practices Commission no individual members Consumer Council of Fiji

Europe

Belgium Bureau Européen des Unions de Consommateurs no individual members Euro-Labo V.Z.W. no individual members Denmark Statens Husholdningsrâd no individual members Finland Kuluttajat-Konsumenterna ry 900 Germany Bundesforschungsanstalt fVlr Hauswirtschaft individual members EB57/NGO/1 page 3

Countries Countries Organization Number of Persons

Germany 11 Verbraucherzentralen of West Germany no individual members Verein zum Schutz der Verbraucher gegen unlauteren Wettbewerb no individual members Greece Instituto Prostasias Katanaloton 245 Hungary Kereskedelmi Minüségellenarzü Intézet 1 Poland Biuro Wspolpracy z Konsmnentem 'Opinia no individual members Portugal Associacao Portuguesa para a Defesa do Consumidor 363 Spain Federación Nacional de Asociaciones de Consumidores no individual members Switzerland Gottlieb Duttweiler Institute for Economic and Social Studies individual members Stiftung fllr Kon sumen ten schutz 3 000 Schweizerischer Kon sumen tenbund individual members United Kingdom The Consumer Standards Advisory Committee of the British Standards Institution no individual members Office of Fair Trading no individual members Yugoslavia Savezni Konferencija 'Porodica i Domacinstvo' no individual 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 functions?

(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 procedures special reservations to treatment д

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： Willy van Rijckeghem f Vice-President: Syed Adam Al-Ja fri Honorary Treasurer： Jim 0'Grady Honorary Secretary: Owen D. Sperling Co-opted Executive members： Colston E. Warne and Peter Goldman Executive Secretary: Jan van Veen Director, Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific: Anwar Fazal

Paid officer personnel： Headquarters: Executive Secretary Regional Director Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific: 11. (a) The work of IOCU is carried out by：

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： 1 Council - last meeting: 26 March 1975 2 11 Executive " : 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.

1 Unless otherwise provided for in IOCU 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 at least half its members determine, but not less frequently than twice a year.