Irakli Lekvinadze, Chairman of the Georgian Competition and Consumer Agency (GCCA), participated in an international conference organised by the International Consumer Protection and Enforcement Network (ICPEN). The GCCA will officially assume the ICPEN Presidency as of 1 July of the current year.
In the course of his address, the GCCA Chairman presented to international partners the Agency's activities and forward-looking plans in the areas of strengthening international cooperation on consumer protection and ensuring an effective response to contemporary digital challenges.
In the words of the GCCA Chairman, trust constitutes the most fundamental basis for the functioning of markets in the modern economy, and it is in this regard that the overarching theme of the Agency's ICPEN Presidency will be "Building Trust in the Digital Age."
According to the GCCA Chairman, trust constitutes the most fundamental basis for the functioning of markets in the modern economy, and it is precisely for this reason that the overarching theme of the Agency's ICPEN Presidency will be "Building Trust in the Digital Age".
"Trust constitutes the most fundamental basis for the functioning of markets in the modern economy, particularly in circumstances where consumers interact with ever-increasing frequency with digital platforms, artificial intelligence systems, and technologies that bear upon their decision-making. In the course of the GCCA's Presidency, attention will be directed towards three principal areas: supporting developing consumer protection agencies; protecting consumer rights in the age of artificial intelligence and digital markets; and protecting the interests of vulnerable consumers, including children, persons with disabilities, and other high-risk groups", stated the GCCA Chairman.
In the framework of the international event, a dedicated session on enhancing digital consumer awareness and ensuring transparency in marketing practices was moderated by Sergo Sanikidze, Head of the Consumer Rights Protection Department of the GCCA.
Representatives of competition and consumer protection authorities from across the world also deliberated on a number of significant topics, including: Using Data and AI in Public Authorities; Methods for Analyzing Consumer Complaints; Tackling Problematic Online Conduct with Focus on Overseas Origin Harm and the strengthening of international consumer protection standards.
In the framework of the ICPEN Presidency, the GCCA will host a large-scale international conference in Tbilisi in September 2026, to be attended by representatives of approximately 80 countries, with a view to further deepening international cooperation in the field of consumer protection.
The International Consumer Protection and Enforcement Network was established in 1992 and brings together more than 80 member countries and leading international organisations.
