Consumers International World Congress - Day 4 roundup and election results

New CI President, Jim Guest

US consumer rights chief Jim Guest was elected as President of Consumers International (CI) at the General Assembly meeting of Consumers International World Congress in Hong Kong. He replaces outgoing President Samuel Ochieng.

Mr Guest called on the global consumer movement “not to take 'no' for an answer” as he outlined his campaigning vision. He accepted the presidency after an uncontested election.

You can find Jim Guest's biography as well as the complete list of elected CI Council members here.

The General Assembly meeting and the election of a new Council and President concluded the 19th CI World Congress, which was held in Hong Kong for a second time. More than 700 delegates representing 60 countries took part in a lively debate that reaffirmed the need to empower consumers, as the theme of the Congress indicated.

On his first address as CI President, Jim Guest quoted Martin Luther King, saying, "injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere."

Outlining his intentions, Mr Guest said: “Consumers International must play to its strengths: its diversity, its passion and its persistence. CI is in the campaigning business for the long haul, and needs to be the kind of organisation that does not take 'no' for an answer."

He went on to say that the balance of economic power in the world was too weighted against consumers in relation to corporations, and it was CI's job to fight for the balance to be shifted.

 

Jim Guest, who will serve a four-year term, is also the CEO of Consumers Union of United States, publisher of Consumer Reports and previously the Vice President of CI. He is joined on the CI Council by the heads of 13 other national consumer organisations, also elected at the CI World Congress General Assembly.

This includes Shirish Deshpande, head of Indian member Mumbai Grahak Panchayat (MGP), for the first time, along with representatives from Africa, Asia Pacific, Europe and Latin America.

Mr Guest concluded by thanking the Hong Kong Consumer Council for hosting a successful CI World Congress 2011.

More highlights from CI World Congress

Summaries

Food sessions (3a, 5 and 6a)

Session 9c - Empowering advocacy: Communicating consumer rights

Session 11c - Empowering legislation: a guide to consumer protection law

Session 12 - Consumer rights: past, present and future 

More videos

Luke Upchurch, Head of Media and External Affairs, Consumers International

Jonathon Hanks, Academic, University of Cape Town

Rehan Saiyed, Director, Storm Design, New Zealand

Delegates' views

Daily roundups

CI World Congress - Day 1 roundup

CI World Congress - Day 2 roundup

CI World Congress - Day 3 roundup