World Consumer Rights Day, celebrated on March 15 every year, is a global event that aims to raise awareness about consumer rights and needs. Consumer rights mean that every person who buys various products, goods, and services, has the right to have information on the quality, purity, price, and standard of those products. Did you know that you have the right to file a complaint from anywhere, anytime as a consumer? Most people are not aware of their rights as consumers, so by celebrating this day, we make others aware of the right to demand protection and stay safe from fraudulent activities in the marketplace.
The ultimate goal of World Consumer Rights Day, observed annually on March 15, is to ensure consumers have all the necessary information to make an informed decision. The history of this day is an interesting one. Consumers International created and organizes World Consumer Rights Day annually. Consumers International is a global federation of consumer organizations founded in 1960, and the organization was founded as an independent and influential voice for consumers.
World Consumer Rights Day has been celebrated since 1983, and the date of March 15 honors the speech made by U.S. President John Fitzgerald Kennedy to the U.S. Congress on March 15, 1962. In this speech, he coined the four fundamental consumer rights — the right to safety, the right to be informed, the right to choose, and the right to be heard. It is globally recognised with support from the United Nations and other international actors. For 40 years Consumers International has run the campaign, uniting the consumer movement to celebrate together. Consumers International Members help to select the campaign topic each year to help mobilise global action on pressing issues impacting consumers.
Since then, World Consumer Rights Day has grown in popularity and is celebrated every year with a specific theme.
This year, Consumers International has selected "Fair and responsible AI for consumers" as the theme for World Consumer Rights Day 2024.
