At the invitation of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), Irakli Lekvinadze, Chairman of the Georgian Competition and Consumer Agency (GCCA), attended the 7th Arab Competition Forum in Dubai, participating as a keynote panelist.
The thematic session, titled "Synergies Between Competition and Consumer Protection Law," was convened under UNCTAD leadership. The panel addressed institutional coordination between competition enforcement and consumer welfare mandates, alongside the regulatory complexities arising from digital market dynamics.
In his address, Irakli Lekvinadze detailed the GCCA’s institutional mandate, emphasizing the importance of policy alignment, structured institutional cooperation, and coordinated enforcement approaches across competition and consumer protection fields. Furthermore, the Chairman presented Georgia’s Inter-Agency Cooperation Framework established under the National Consumer Protection Strategy 2024-2027.
Addressing digital market oversight, Irakli Lekvinadze highlighted specific enforcement challenges arising from modern digital business models that simultaneously affect market competition and consumer rights.
As a practical model for implementing dual-mandate synergies, the Chairman presented the Agency’s price comparison platform, "eKalata," to international delegates. He underscored the critical role of data accuracy, continuous platform updates, consumer awareness, and systematic performance evaluation.
“Our shared vision is for competition law and consumer protection to reinforce each other. We aim to support a market environment in which businesses can compete fairly and consumers have the clarity they need to make informed choices,” stated Irakli Lekvinadze.
The panel brought together senior regulatory officials from the competition authorities of Brazil, Kenya, Egypt, and Tunisia alongside the GCCA Chairman.
Held on 28-29 October, the 7th Arab Competition Forum was jointly organized by UNCTAD, the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA), the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), and the COMESA Competition Commission (CCCC), in cooperation with the Competition Department of the UAE Ministry of Economy and Tourism.
The international summit convened heads of competition authorities, legal experts, academics, and representatives from multilateral institutions to facilitate high-level peer dialogue and exchange best practices on contemporary competition policy and enforcement.
The official GCCA delegation was led by Chairman Irakli Lekvinadze, accompanied by Sergo Sanikidze, Head of the Consumer Rights Protection Department.
