The United Nations has adopted the first-ever UN Principles for Consumer Product Safety, marking a global milestone in protecting consumers from unsafe products sold both online and offline.
Approved by the UN General Assembly on December 15, 2025, the resolution affirms every consumer’s right to safe, non-hazardous products, in line with the UN Guidelines for Consumer Protection.
Key principles include:
All products—new, used, repaired, or reconditioned—must be safe.
Businesses hold primary responsibility for product safety throughout the design, production, and supply chain.
Public authorities can conduct risk assessments, order recalls, remove unsafe online listings, and share safety alerts internationally.
The framework is flexible and non-trade-restrictive, allowing countries to strengthen domestic laws, enforce safety standards, protect vulnerable consumers, and align product safety with sustainable consumption and circular economy goals.
Businesses are expected to act promptly on unsafe products. If they fail, authorities can require corrective measures, such as notifying consumers of risks, marking products with warnings, withdrawing or recalling items, repairing or destroying unsafe goods, or removing unsafe listings from online marketplaces. Companies that proactively ensure product safety can reduce recall risks, strengthen consumer trust, and meet global sustainability standards—key factors for competitiveness in international markets.
According to the UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), 44% of UN member states still lack adequate legal frameworks for consumer product safety. The rise of e-commerce complicates enforcement, with an OECD study finding that 87% of recalled or banned products remain available online.
To support implementation, UNCTAD is developing its first Handbook on Consumer Product Safety, offering guidance to policymakers—especially in developing nations.