ICC (International Chamber of Commerce):

International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) is an international institute and representative of more than 45 million companies in over 100 countries with a mission to make business work for everyone, every day, everywhere.

ICC founded in the aftermath of the First World War in 1919 in Paris, when no world system of rules governed trade, investment, finance or commercial relations. Without waiting for governments to fill the gap, ICC’s founders acted on their conviction that the private sector is best qualified to set global standards for business.

Through a unique mix of advocacy, solutions and standard setting, ICC promotes international trade, responsible business conduct and a global approach to regulation, in addition to providing market-leading dispute resolution services. ICC members include many of the world’s leading companies, SMEs, business associations and local chambers of commerce.

ICC represents business interests at the highest levels of intergovernmental decision-making, whether at the World Trade Organization, the United Nations or the G20 – ensuring the voice of business is heard.

ICC plays a vital role in scaling widespread action on Sustainable Development Goals and has a long history of formulating the voluntary rules by which business is conducted every day – from internationally recognized Incoterms rules to the UCP 600 Uniform Customs and Practice for Documentary Credit that are widely used in international finance.

In addition, ICC specializes in World Class business and legal training and is an industry-leading publisher of practical tools for international business, banking and arbitration.

ICC has 12 professional Commissions in Arbitration and ADR, Banking, Commercial Law and Practice, Customs and Trade Facilitation, Digital Economy, Environment and Energy, Marketing and Advertising, Intellectual Property, Taxation, Trade and Investment, Competition and Corporate Responsibility and Anti-Corruption.

ICC main activities are:

• Standardization and making regulations & international codes to facilitate international business (some of the regulations are; UCP600, Incoterms, URDG, Contract Templates).
• Policymaking & facilitating trade in international level:

Discussions about international trade policy indicate that policies and solutions extracted from the ICC twelve commissions and presented to the global and international arena. Therefore, the issues raised in the national chambers of commerce can be reflected in the Paris Commissions after being reviewed and processed by the National Committees.

• International arbitration in economic and commercial issues.

ICC National Committees:

ICC members shape the organization’s policies and, through their national committees, inform their governments and private sectors about international business concerns. Companies, banks, law firms, chambers of commerce, individuals, associations, and other organizations located in a country where ICC has a national committee or group must join ICC through the national committee or group, and automatically become a member of ICC at both the international and national level.

ICC World council and secretariat:
 

ICC’s supreme governing body, the World Council is the equivalent of the general assembly of a major intergovernmental organization. In this case, however, the delegates are business executives and not government officials.

The Chairman, his/her immediate predecessor and the Vice-Chairs form the Chairmanship.

The Executive Board is responsible for developing and implementing ICC’s strategy, policy and program of action and for overseeing the financial affairs of the organization.

The ICC-based International Secretariat is located in Paris, approves the plans and implements them with the approval of the World Council. ICC Secretary General, appointed by the World Council, heads the International Secretariat and works closely with national committees to carry out ICC’s work program.