Geneva — The second session of the 9th United Nations Conference on Competition and Consumer Protection spotlighted key global advances in competition law and policy, while marking 20 years of UNCTAD’s Voluntary Peer Reviews (VPRs).
The session revealed explosive growth in competition law adoption, now present in 140 countries—up from just 25 when the UN Set of Principles on Restrictive Business Practices was established. Recent adopters include the Maldives, Cambodia, and Lebanon.
Key global trends discussed included stronger merger control, streamlined enforcement processes, and enhanced bilateral cooperation—exemplified by the Egypt–Kenya statement. The integration of sustainability into competition frameworks is also gaining momentum, with Austria, Japan, and the EU taking the lead, though experts cautioned against a narrow, environment-only definition of sustainability.
Digital market challenges—ranging from monopolisation and algorithmic collusion to data dominance—took center stage. The session reviewed policy responses like the EU Digital Markets Act and U.S. enforcement actions against tech giants such as Google and META. Some jurisdictions are investing in digital forensic labs to strengthen oversight.
Authorities are also boosting cartel enforcement efforts with tougher penalties and digital tools. In the EU, 85% of investigations are now coordinated across national agencies. However, experts warned that new foreign investment screening mechanisms and counter-sanctions could jeopardize transparency and global competition principles.
Looking ahead, “semantic interoperability” was promoted as a flexible framework for international cooperation—prioritising system alignment without the need for full legal harmonisation.
While the session acknowledged resource constraints faced by developing countries, regional models like the African Continental Competition Authority were cited as promising. Notably, the role of civil society was absent from the discussion, with concerns raised over limited speaking opportunities despite their contributions to competition regimes.
Reported by Mritunjai Kapila