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WORLD
CHMABERS FEDERATION (WCF)
Formally, ICC's
International Bureau of Chambers of Commerce, IBCC has updated its name in
line with the needs and requests of ICC chamber members renamed the ICC World
Chambers Federation. This event took place at the Second World Chambers
Congress in June 2001.
World Chambers Federation (WCF) is ICC's department responsible for chambers
of commerce affairs. WCF's mission is to strengthen chambers worldwide. It
provides a unique international meeting place for exchange of experience and
expertise on issues affecting chambers of commerce, particularly for chamber
executives from emerging and transition economies.
Activities
World Chambers
Congress
Held every two years in
different regions of the world, the World Chambers Congress creates the
personal networks that chamber executives worldwide need to truly exchange
expertise and experience. This sharing of knowledge on a permanent basis is
core objective of the Congress. The Premiere World Chambers Congress was held
in Marseille in 1999 with representatives of 240 chambers from 91 countries.
The second Congress, held in Seoul, 7-8 June 2001 resulted in over 800
participants of 271 chambers from 85 countries. The Third World Chambers
Congress will be held in Quebec, 16-18 September, 2003.
The World Chambers
Network (WCN)
WCN mobilizes the worldwide network of chambers of commerce to work
together at one Internet location - www.worldchambers.com.
WCN is the only global chambers of commerce website, made by chambers
worldwide. The WCN site provides a platform for the exchange of chamber
"best practice" and facilitates communication between chambers.
In addition, the site provides an international business opportunity
service for chambers to promote their SME members worldwide. A worldwide
directory of chambers (10000) is also located on this site.
ATA Carnets System
WCF administers the ATA Carnet System and its international guarantee chain,
according to the conventions on temporary admission of goods, developed by
the World Customs Organization (WCO). The ATA carnets are extensively used in
most parts of the world, with more than 195 000 issued every year for goods
valued at over US$12 billion. Currently, 56 countries use the ATA Carnet for
temporary admission of commercial samples, professional equipment and goods
destined for international trade fairs and similar events. In cooperation
with the WCO and chambers internationally, IBCC is working to extend the ATA
Carnet System throughout the world.
WCF membership
All chambers of commerce and their associations who are ICC members
are chambers of commerce, classified as members of WCF. Over 800 chambers
of commerce and national associations in 130 countries are WCF members.
ICC
Services
The
ICC International Court of Arbitration
The ICC International Court of Arbitration ("the Court") is
the world's foremost institution in the resolution of international
business disputes. While most arbitration institutions are regional
or national in scope, the ICC Court is truly international. Composed
of members from some 60 countries and every continent, the ICC Court
is the world's most widely representative dispute resolution institution.
ICC
Commercial Crime Services
Commercial crime is growing faster than international trade. Frauds
are more complex and involve larger sums than ever before. New scams
are constantly encountered.
ICC Commercial Crime Services has saved companies and individual investors
billions of dollars in potential fraud and theft through its ability
to recognize early warning signs. That skill has been developed over
almost 20 years at the forefront of the fight against commercial crime.
CCS offers services that can be tailored or combined to meet individual
needs for company security and protection. Whatever the security problem,
CCS can help.
Bureaux within CCS deal with maritime and trading crime, product counterfeiting,
financial malpractice, and all other forms of commercial crime. A special
cybercrime unit tackles crimes affecting electronic commerce and keeps
companies informed about this fast-evolving field of criminal activity.
ICC Publishing SA offers business people practical reference works for
the conduct of international trade. Topics include banking practice,
international arbitration, commercial fraud, international contracts
and joint ventures. Publications may be ordered from ICC Publishing
in Paris, from national committees or from the ICC website.
For more information on all ICC activities, access the ICC website at
www.iccwbo.org
ICC
Conferences
ICC's
programme of conferences and seminars is an essential channel for passing
on the world business organization's expertise to a wider audience.
Alongside the conferences which spotlight policy issues of direct concern
to business, ICC experts travel the world to stage seminars and courses
on subjects in which ICC has unique expertise. These include Incoterms,
the Uniform Customs and Practice for Documentary Credits and ICC arbitration.
ICC conferences are always highly topical and are often a platform for
defining policies favourable to business. Conferences are held in all
parts of the world, many of them in collaboration with national committees.
Every two years ICC holds its World Congress, always at a different
venue and at the invitation of a national committee. These are major
global business events that bring together business and public leaders
to discuss issues that affect the environment in which they work.
At the invitation of the United States Council for International Business
(USCIB), ICC's affiliate in the US, ICC's
34th World Congress, "Trade, Technology and Partnership"
was held on 6-8 May 2002 in Denver, Colorado.
The
ICC Institute of World Business Law runs courses and seminars for
legal practitioners and company executives on subjects ranging from
investment protection and negotiation of contracts to international
arbitration and audiovisual law.
WCF Steering Committee
Mr Avijit Mazumdar(India),
Chairman
WCF Secretariat
Administrative Director, Alain Destouches
Executive Manager, Anthony Parkes
Tel +33 1 49 53 29 44
Fax +33 1 49 53 29 38
email: wcf@iccwbo.org
38, cours Albert 1er
75008 Paris
France
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