Trade policy must protect consumer rights, say consumer organisations worldwide. Four years after its inception, the World Trade Organisation (WTO) is not delivering on one of its key promises says Consumer International (CI) which represents 247 consumer organisations in 111 countries.

The WTO's existing system is undermining consumer rights according to preliminary evidence, says CI. "For example, when multinationals have problems exporting because of a country's consumer protection legislation, they use the threat of action through the WTO to intimidate governments to bypass or change their laws."