Towards a Fruitful Collaboration: President Daouda Elhadj Adam Meets UNCTAD Officials in Geneva

On November 27, 2025, the Chairman of the Board of the African Consumers Organization (OAC), Mr. Daouda Elhadj Adam, was received at the United Nations Office at Geneva by senior officials of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD). This meeting, building on UNCTAD's active participation in the 2nd Pan-African Forum of the OAC held in September 2024 in Lomé, allowed for exchanges on ongoing collaborations and prospects for strengthened mutual support.

At this audience, Ms. Luz Ma de la Mora, Director of International Trade and Commodities, accompanied by her team including Mr. Remi Lang, Acting Head of Office for International Trade and Commodities, Mr. Yves Kenfack, Program Officer for Competition and Consumer Protection Policies, and Ms. Anna Cipriano, Head of Consumer Protection, welcomed the discussions positively.

The Chairman of OAC expressed his organization's profound gratitude to UNCTAD for the technical support and fruitful collaboration it has enjoyed. This partnership notably includes OAC’s involvement in drafting Consumer Protection Guidelines for Central Africa and efforts to disseminate these in countries within the sub-region.

OAC also emphasized its role in organizing virtual seminars with regional economic blocs and highlighted its participation in training government officials in Gabon on consumer protection. The significant presence of Ms. Theresa Moreiro at the opening ceremony of the 2nd Pan-African Forum in Lomé, as well as UNCTAD experts’ contributions on consumer protection and implementation of the AfCFTA, were particularly appreciated.

Mr. Elhadj Douda Adam presented the reasons for OAC’s creation, its vision, strategies, and key Forum conclusions, underscoring the challenges in consumer protection in Africa. Among these challenges, the need to integrate consumer policies into the global implementation of the AfCFTA and Africa’s critical emerging role as a market requiring aware consumers were notably discussed.

Discussions also included the food safety of products and the capacity building of OAC members, with special attention to the professionalization of consumer associations throughout the continent.

A short-term action plan was agreed upon, including co-organizing virtual seminars to strengthen consumer associations, disseminating UNCTAD publications through OAC platforms, and OAC’s participation in working groups dedicated to vulnerable consumers.

In the medium term, both parties proposed jointly developing projects aimed at mobilizing resources to enhance consumer protection in Africa. Advocacy efforts with key institutions, such as the African Development Bank (AfDB) and the AfCFTA Secretariat, were also explored.

The meeting concluded with the official presentation of the Certificate of Recognition for the 2nd Pan-African Forum on Consumer Protection to UNCTAD, represented by Ms. Luz Ma de la Mora. President Daouda Elhadj Adam extends his sincere thanks to the UNCTAD officials for their warm welcome and commitment; this audience marks a promising acceleration point for a fruitful collaboration between the two organizations.