Consumer Protection

The Consumer Protection Task Force contributes to the effective implementation of consumer protection in microinsurance by all stakeholders through consolidation and dissemination of experience and provision of guidance on good practice.

News

The working group met at the Network’s member meeting in June 2012 in Königstein, Germany. Information on this meeting will be made available for members on the forum soon.

Annual workplan

In 2012, the task force will:

• Discuss the clarification of terms, concepts and issues in consumer protection based on a discussion paper.
• Start to identify best practices examples and case studies on different aspects of consumer protection including:
  • A case study on South African consumer protection regulation;
  • A review of existing literature on microinsurance clients’ perspective on consumer protection;
  • Insights from consumer education campaigns and ongoing research in the Philippines;
  • Private sector perspective on the possible trade-off between access and consumer protection;
  • Summary of lessons and experience on complaint mechanisms and other consumer protection issues.
• Organise a consumer protection workshop to clearly define the objectives of the Network in consumer protection, to identify tasks and next steps, and to coordinate with other international initiatives on consumer protection in microinsurance.
• Work together with the Smart Campaign.

Additional information

The task force works towards the following objectives:

• Create a library - Collect relevant publications and approaches by key stakeholders.
• Clarify concepts - Work on a common terminology, principles and objectives in consumer protection in microinsurance.
• Identify issues - Implement consumer protection issues from insurers, intermediaries and policymakers’ perspectives.
• Guidance on good practices - Provide a conceptual framework for microinsurance on the accepted Consumer Protection Principles.
• Implement strategies - Support the endorsement of principles and their implementation.

Mode of operations

The task force will operate through:

• Information collection, sharing and systematisation coordinated via e-mail and regular conference calls.
• Consultation and coordination with a wider circle of stakeholders, experts and forums.
• Member meetings back to back with the Network meetings and planned dedicated consumer protection workshops in 2011 and 2012.
• Joint drafting of principles.
• Case studies (e.g. Ghana, Philippines, Brazil, and Peru) before and after implementation of the principles.
• Development of consumer protection strategies for implementation by the Network and other stakeholders.