COMPAL is designed as a regional programme and delivers technical assistance and capacity building on competition policy and consumer protection to five Latin American countries: Bolivia, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Nicaragua and Peru. This programme is funded by the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO). The activities carried out under this programme can help addressing restrictive business practices and anticompetitive behaviour, which distort markets in many developing countries, create higher prices for consumers, and thus hinder economic progress. The ultimate goal of UNCTAD capacity building in this field is to provide developing countries with tools to promote competition in their markets and to enhance consumer welfare through lower prices, better quality and a wider variety of choices for consumers.
 |  15 countries have expressed their interest in participating in a programme like COMPAL  |
The Secretary General of UNCTAD noted that 15 countries across the globe have expressed their interest in the experience gained by COMPAL and emphasized that UNCTAD will do its best to share the COMPAL experience with them. He also thanked the Swiss government for their generous support to the COMPAL programme.
In view of the success of the Programme, SECO expressed their willingness to continue supporting the Programme.
| | COMPAL is a concrete example of the benefits of tailor made cooperation.
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Ambassador Gonzalo Gutierrez, Vice Minister Secretary General of Foreign Relations, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Peru underlined that COMPAL is a concrete example of the benefits of tailor-made cooperation.
Costa Rica who spoke on behalf of all COMPAL beneficiary countries presented some of the major achievements of the COMPAL programme. These include, for example, upgrading skills of competition and consumer protection officials, assisting countries in enforcing / strengthening competition and consumer protection laws, preparing advocacy seminars and workshops targeting judges and lawyers, organizing internships in the Swiss Competition Agency (COMCO/WEKO) and facilitating the exchange between beneficiary countries. In the area of consumer protection, some significant results include the creation of consumer associations and training seminars, carrying out public consumer information campaigns (advocacy), strengthening consumer protection agencies and improving law frameworks for consumers.
The representative from Costa Rica expressed the gratitude of COMPAL members to SECO for the continued support to the Programme. Colombia addressed some words expressing interest in joining the Programme.
In this regard, UNCTAD should identify needs of African countries in the areas of competition and consumer protection issues, particularly in Uganda, Rwanda, West African Monetary Union and ECOWAS. Representatives from these countries expressed their interest in sharing the COMPAL experience. However, in order to replicate this Programme in other developing countries the continued support of donors is needed.
The United Kingdom and Germany participated in the debate by highlighting their interest in the way COMPAL has worked with beneficiary countries.
| | Success experiences of UNCTAD should be better communicated |
Norway emphasized that successful experiences of UNCTAD, such as COMPAL, should be better communicated to the international community in order to raise awareness about this type of Programmes. He further added the benefits of the holistic approach used in COMPAL as a way of delivering effective technical assistance in the field of competition and consumer protection. Finally, UNCTAD should integrate success stories from COMPAL with other programmes including EMPRETEC and the work on investment.
 From right to left: H. Qaqaya (Head of Competition Branch, UNCTAD), L.Puri (Acting Deputy Secretary General, UNCTAD), H.P. Egler (SECO, Switzerland), P. Supachai (Secretary General of UNCTAD), G. Gutierrez (Vice minister of foreign affairs,Peru), H. Hutt (On behalf of COMPAL beneficiary countries, Costa Rica) |
 Bottom from right to left: G. Kohou (Côte d'Ivoire), A. Alvarez (Programme manager COMPAL, UNCTAD), H. Hutt (Costa Rica), H. Orozco (Costa Rica), M. Canales (El Salvador), B. Larios Lopez (Ambassador, Permanent Mission of El Salvador in Geneva), Maribel Macias (Nicaragua), Jesus Espinoza (Peru)
Top from right to left: H. Qaqaya (Head of Competition Branch, UNCTAD), Carmen Elena Castillo (Delegate of the Permanent Mission of El Salvador in Geneva), Douglas Umaña (El Salvador), Pierre Horna (General Assistant to the COMPAL Programme, UNCTAD), Claudia Guevara (Delegate of the Permanent Mission of Peru in Geneva) |