The World Business Organisation

ICC (International Chamber of Commerce) is the voice of world business championing the global
economy as a force for economic growth, job creation and prosperity.

Because national economies are now so closely interwoven, government decisions have far stronger
international repercussions than in the past. As a result the work of ICC - the world's only truly global
business organisation – is increasingly relevant and important.

ICC activities cover a broad spectrum, from arbitration and dispute resolution to making the case for
open trade and the market economy system, business self-regulation, fighting corruption or
combating commercial crime.

ICC has direct access to national governments all over the world through its national committees. The
organisation's Paris-based international secretariat feeds business views into intergovernmental
organisations on issues that directly affect business operations.

Promoting international trade and investment

• ICC supports government efforts to make a success of the Doha trade round. ICC provides world
  business recommendations to the World Trade Organization.
• ICC speaks for world business when governments take up such issues as intellectual property
  rights, transport policy, trade law or the environment.
• Signed articles by ICC leaders in major newspapers and radio and TV interviews reinforce ICC’s
  stance on trade, investment and other business topics.
• Every year, the ICC Chairmanship meets with the leader of the G8 host country to provide business
  input to the summit.
• ICC is the main business partner of the United Nations and its agencies.

Setting rules and standards

• Arbitration under the rules of the ICC International Court of Arbitration is on the increase. Since
  1999, the Court has received new cases at a rate of more than 500 a year.
• ICC's Uniform Customs and Practice for Documentary Credits (UCP 500) are the rules that banks
  apply to finance billions of dollars worth of world trade every year.
• ICC Incoterms are standard international trade definitions used every day in countless thousands
  of contracts. ICC model contracts make life easier for small companies that cannot afford big legal
  departments.
• ICC is a pioneer in business self-regulation of e-commerce and has recently developed ICC Tools
  for E-business , a body of rules for business self-regulation of electronic commerce.
• ICC codes on advertising and marketing are frequently reflected in national legislation and the
  codes of professional associations.
• ICC’s voluntary codes for business include the Rules of Conduct to Combat Extortion and Bribery
  in International Business Transactions , which companies are urged to use to develop their own
  codes of conduct and which were updated earlier this year.
• ICC has also recently developed Nine practical steps to responsible business conduct , a voluntary
  commitment by business to manage its activities responsibly.
  

Spreading business expertise

• At UN summits on sustainable development, financing for development and the information
  society, ICC spearheads the business contribution.
• Together with the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), ICC helps
  some of the world's poorest countries to attract foreign direct investment.
• In partnership with UNCTAD, ICC has set up an Investment Advisory Council for the leastdeveloped
  countries.
• ICC mobilises business support for the New Partnership for Africa's Development.
• At ICC World Congresses every two years, business executives tackle the most urgent international
  economic issues.
• The biennial World Chambers Congress provides a global forum for chambers of commerce.
• Regular ICC regional conferences focus on the concerns of business in Africa, Asia, the Arab World
  and Latin America.

Technical Commissions

Specialist ICC commissions meet regularly to review issues affecting business, among them banking, competition, the environment, financial services and insurance, intellectual property, marketing, transport, taxation, and trade and investment policy. Commission members include senior executives of major international companies, law firms, and academics. The commissions make critical assessments of legislative proposals and other developments affecting their fields, and communicate these views to governments and international organisations.

ICC in the UK

ICC has members in over 130 countries around the world. In the UK, membership includes the great majority of leading FTSE companies, many smaller companies, law firms, banks and business associations. Members of ICC UK are very active in the work of ICC and have regular dialogue with the UK Government on issues such as trade policy, the environment, intellectual property and responsible business conduct.

The Governing Body of ICC UK, which includes many senior business leaders, is chaired by Paul Skinner, Chairman of Rio Tinto.

For more information, please contact:

ICC United Kingdom
12 Grosvenor Place
London SW1X 7HH

Tel: 020 7838 9363 Fax: 020 7235 5447 E-Mail: membership@iccorg.co.uk