This publication offers an accessible introduction to product safety in the context of global trade and regulatory cooperation. Developed under the UNECE Working Party on Regulatory Cooperation and Standardization Policies (WP.6), it helps policymakers, regulators, businesses, and other stakeholders understand how product safety systems operate in an increasingly interconnected world. The publication explains that as products are designed, manufactured, and sold across multiple countries through complex supply chains and digital marketplaces, ensuring safety becomes more challenging. Product safety is presented as essential not only for protecting consumers but also for maintaining market confidence, supporting fair competition, and facilitating international trade. A key theme is that product safety is a shared responsibility. Governments create regulatory frameworks, standards organizations develop technical requirements, businesses ensure products comply with safety obligations, market surveillance authorities monitor compliance, and consumers contribute through responsible use and reporting of safety concerns. The document promotes a lifecycle and risk-based approach to product safety, emphasizing the identification, assessment, and management of risks from product design through post-market monitoring. It highlights the value of evidence-based decision-making and proportionate risk management. The publication also underscores the importance of international standards and regulatory cooperation in reducing duplication and improving consistency across markets. Finally, it addresses emerging challenges such as e-commerce, globalized supply chains, connected devices, and artificial intelligence, while providing a high-level framework to support informed discussion and cooperation rather than detailed technical guidance.
