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Introducing
the International Chamber of Commerce
ICC
is the world business organization, the only representative body
that speaks with authority on behalf of enterprises from all sectors
in every part of the world.
ICC promotes an open international trade and investment system
and the market economy. Its conviction that trade is a powerful
force for peace and prosperity dates from the organization's origins
early in the last century. The small group of far-sighted business
leaders who founded ICC called themselves "the merchants
of peace".
Because its member companies and associations are themselves engaged
in international business, ICC has unrivalled authority in making
rules that govern the conduct of business across borders. Although
these rules are voluntary, they are observed in countless thousands
of transactions every day and have become part of the fabric of
international trade.
ICC
also provides essential services, foremost among them the ICC
International Court of Arbitration, the world's leading arbitral
institution.
Within a year of the creation of the United Nations, ICC was granted
consultative status at the highest level with the UN and its specialized
agencies.
Business leaders and experts drawn from the ICC membership establish
the business stance on broad issues of trade and investment policy
as well as on vital technical and sectoral subjects. These include
financial services, information technologies, telecommunications,
marketing ethics, the environment, transportation, competition
law and intellectual property, among others.
ICC was founded in 1919. Today it groups thousands of member companies
and associations from over 140 countries. National committees
in the world's major capitals coordinate with their membership
to address the concerns of the business community and to convey
to their governments the business views formulated by ICC.
PRESIDENCY
Chairman
Yong Sung Park, Chairman, Doosan Heavy Industries, South Korea
Vice Chairman
Marcus Wallenberg, President & CEO, Investor AB, Sweden
Honorary
Chairman
Jean-Rene Fourtou, Chairman and CEO, Vivendi Universal, France
Secretary
General
Guy Sebban, France
Address
International Chamber of Commerce
38 Cours Albert 1er F-75008 Paris
Phone +33 1 49 53 28 28
Fax +33 1 49 53 28 59
Web Address: iccwbo.org
E-mail :webmaster@iccwbo.org
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HOW
ICC WORKS
Council
The
ICC World Council is the equivalent of the general assembly of
a major intergovernmental organization. The big difference is
that the delegates are business executives and not government
officials. There is a federal structure, based on the Council
as ICC's supreme governing body. National committees name delegates
to the Council, which normally meets twice a year. Ten direct
members - from countries where there is no national committee
- may also be invited to participate in the Council's work.
National
committees and groups
They
represent the ICC in their respective countries. The national
committees and groups make sure that ICC takes account of their
national business concerns in its policy recommendations to governments
and international organizations.
Presidency
and Executive Board
The
Council elects the President and Vice-President for two-year terms.
The President, his immediate predecessor and the Vice-President
form the Presidency. The Council also elects the Executive Board,
responsible for implementing ICC policy, on the President's recommendation.
The Executive Board has between 15 and 30 members, who serve for
three years, with one third retiring at the end of each year.
Secretary
General
The
Secretary General heads the International Secretariat and works
closely with the national committees to carry out ICC's work programme.
The Secretary General is appointed by the Council at the initiative
of the Presidency and on the recommendation of the Executive Board.
Commissions
Member
companies and business associations can shape the ICC stance on
any given business issue by participating in the work of ICC commissions.
Commissions are the bedrock of ICC, composed of a total of more
than 500 business experts who give freely of their time to formulate
ICC policy and elaborate its rules. Commissions scrutinize proposed
international and national government initiatives affecting their
subject areas and prepare business positions for submission to
international organizations and governments.
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ICC
ACTIONS AND ACHIEVEMENTS
ICC takes up issues that are of priority importance to its members.
Highlights of ICC activities on behalf of world business:
The World Trade Organization
At its regular meetings with ambassadors to the World Trade Organization,
ICC is promoting business ideas and objectives for achieving a
successful new round of trade negotiations.
The United Nations
ICC is engaged in intensive dialogue with the United Nations and
its Secretary General on how business expertise can help the UN
to attain its economic objectives.
The Group of Seven industrial countries
Every year, the head of the host government of the G7 industrial
countries confers with the ICC presidency on the eve of the summit.
The consultation has proved to be a highly effective means of
channelling business recommendations to the summit leaders.
Incoterms 2000
ICC's standard commercial terms have been brought up to date for
the start of the new century. They define the respective responsibilities
of buyer and seller in international sales contracts and are in
constant daily use worldwide.
E-commerce
A complete business action plan for global electronic commerce
is in the hands of OECD governments. ICC is seeking a key role
for business in administering the domain name system.
Guides to investment
In a joint project with UNCTAD, ICC enlisted support from 30 major
companies in providing guidance to least developed countries on
policies and practical steps to attract more foreign direct investment.
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