Foundation for Effective Markets and Governance

Competition and Consumer Law and Governance Advisers

The Foundation for Effective Markets and Governance (the Foundation) was established in 2001. It seeks to enhance the welfare of communities by assisting in optimal application of the market mechanism and in the making of good governance.

Provision of technical assistance and capacity building for developing countries is the major function of the Foundation. Its members have broad experience and expertise in public policy and administration and the role of civil society in good governance. The Foundation offers a unique blend of experience particularly in the implementation and administration of competition and consumer law by regulatory bodies and in capacity building for civil society.

It comprises experts from three main streams:

· former Commissioners and staff of Australian Competition and Consumer Commission;
· people with a background in the consumer movement, governance and civil society; and
· academics with a special interest in competition and consumer law and its administration.

We give assistance to competition and consumer agencies by providing guidance, training and advice in the broad and wide ranging skills required to effectively implement and administer competition and consumer laws.

In relation to civil society we provide assistance in such areas as training in consumer rights and responsibilities, dissemination of information, developing of media strategies, campaign development and lobbying and alternative dispute resolution.

Areas of expertise are discussed further below.

The Foundation is a self funding, non-profit organisation. It operates on a cost recovery basis. Its directors, members and any outside consultants it engages have a strong philosophical commitment to the Foundation's mission and charge only modest fees for their services. Indeed a proportion of all work performed on Foundation projects is on a pro bono basis. It is based at the Australian National University in Canberra and has a close working relationship with the University's Regulatory Institutions Network.

The Foundation is a member of the International Network of Civil Society Organisations. The Network has been floated by a number of civil society organisations to promote a healthy competition culture around the world.

Members have provided advice and consulted widely to foreign governments and other bodies in the areas of competition and consumer protection and other areas of public policy and administration and in civil society capacity building including in the following countries: Vietnam, Mozambique, South Africa, Egypt, the Philippines, Papua New Guinea, Indonesia, Thailand, Peoples Republic of China, Samoa, India and Fiji.

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