Conference of international Network of Civil Society Organisations on Competition (INCSOC) Geneva, 29 January 2004 The Role of Civil Society Organisations in Promoting a Healthy Competition Culture and Relevance of INCSOC By Philippe Bruisick Chief, Competition and Consumer Policies Branch, UNCTAD philippebruisick@unctad.org

Competition Policy is new in most Developing Countries From: -Administered prices -State Planning -State Monopolies -Forex Controls -Trade Barriers -FDI Controls To: -Price Liberalisation -Deregulation -Privatisation -Floating Currencies -Trade Liberalisation -FDI Liberalisation

Market Oriented Reforms need the right accompanying Reforms Failure of “shock treatment” Failure of “laissez-faire” Need for Competition Policy Competition Law and Competition Authority Need for Sectoral Regulators

Competition Advocacy Programmes Step by step approach for introducing competition law Educational and promotional efforts: -educating judges -creating a specailised press -policy of transparency in decision making of the Competition Authority Creating a pro-competition culture through promotional ads, TV serials, seminars, diffusion: usually very costly exercise

The Role of the Civil Society Looking for the “natural allies” of a healthy Competition Policy: -Consumer associations Competition and transparency as a means of good corporate governance: -SMEs, Business associations Competition policy as a means of ENSURING growth and employment: -Workers’ associations, Trade Unions

Concluding Remarks Today even more than ever, there is a need for cooperation with the Civil society to promote the following objectives of UNCTAD: To contribute to a more efficient, but also a more equitable world economy through a competition-rules-based globalisation process at national, regional and multilateral levels;

To boost competitiveness, and hence accelerate the development of developing countries, in particular LDCs, and economies in transition by promoting a healthy competition culture; and To defend consumer interests by ensuring that applying competition rules results in lower prices of goods and services, better quality and choice and accelerated process of innovation.

Thank you