US President John F. Kennedy first outlined a vision of consumer rights in a special message to Congress on 15 March 1962 (the day we now celebrate as World Consumer Rights Day). Over time, the consumer movement developed this into a broader vision of our rights and needs as consumers that now guide much of our work in Tanzania and across the globe.  The rights developed by Consumers International and its members are:

• The right to satisfaction of basic needs – To have access to basic, essential goods and services: adequate food, clothing, shelter, health care, education, public utilities, water and sanitation.
• The right to safety – To be protected against products, production processes and services that are hazardous to health or life.
• The right to be informed – To be given the facts needed to make an informed choice, and to be protected against dishonest or misleading advertising and labeling.
• The right to choose – To be able to select from a range of products and services, offered at competitive prices with an assurance of satisfactory quality.
• The right to be heard – To have consumer interests represented in the making and execution of government policy, and in the development of products and services.
• The right to redress – To receive a fair settlement of just claims, including compensation for misrepresentation, shoddy goods or unsatisfactory services.
• The right to consumer education – To acquire knowledge and skills needed to make informed, confident choices about goods and services, while being aware of basic consumer rights and responsibilities and how to act on them.
• The right to a healthy environment -To live and work in an environment that is non-threatening to the well-being of present and future generations.

Following successful campaigning by Consumers International (Tanzania Consumer Advocacy Society involved), the UN Guidelines for Consumer Protection were adopted by the UN General Assembly in 1985. These were brought up to date in 2015, when the General Assembly adopted the revised UN Guidelines for Consumer Protection. These guidelines are an important tool, giving added legitimacy to the principles of consumer rights and practical support and guidance for the development of consumer protection around the world. The guidelines contain a number of consumer needs that broadly reflect the consumer rights.