International Chamber of Commerce facts for kids

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International Chamber of Commerce

ICC headquarters in Paris, France
Abbreviation	ICC
Nickname	The World Business Organization
Formation	1919; 106 years ago (1919)
Founded at	Atlantic City
Type	NGO
Purpose	Enable business worldwide to secure peace, prosperity and opportunity for all.
Headquarters	Paris, France
Region served	International
Official language	English, French, Spanish
Secretary General	John W.H. Denton AO
Affiliations	World Trade Organization World Customs Organization United Nations OECD G20 APEC
Website	iccwbo.org

The International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) is a huge group that helps businesses all over the world. It's also known by its French name, Chambre de commerce internationale. It is the largest and most important business organization globally.

The ICC has over 45 million members in more than 100 countries. These members come from every type of business you can imagine.

Currently, María Fernanda Garza is the chair of the ICC. John W.H. Denton AO is the Secretary General.

The ICC focuses on three main things: setting rules, helping solve disagreements, and speaking up for businesses. Because its members are involved in international trade, the ICC is very good at creating rules for businesses that operate across borders. These rules are followed in thousands of deals every day. They have become a key part of how international trade works.

The ICC has a network of national committees in over 100 countries. These committees share business priorities in their regions. More than 3,000 experts from ICC member companies share their knowledge. This helps shape the ICC's views on different business topics.

The ICC also supports the work of the United Nations and the World Trade Organization. It works with many other international groups like the G20. The ICC was the first business organization to get special status with the United Nations. This means it can advise the UN on economic and social matters.

History of the ICC

The International Chamber of Commerce was started in 1919. Its goal was to help businesses worldwide. It wanted to encourage trade and investments. It also promoted open markets for goods and services. This meant making it easier for money to move freely between countries.

The ICC's main office was set up in Paris. Its International Court of Arbitration was created in 1923. The first chairman of the ICC was Étienne Clémentel, a French Minister of Finance.

The first chairman of the International Chamber of Commerce, Étienne Clémentel

Becoming a Member

You can become a member of the ICC in two ways. You can join through an ICC national committee in your country. Or, you can apply directly to the main ICC office in Paris.

How the ICC is Run

The World Council

The World Council is the ICC's most important governing body. It is made up of representatives from national committees. This council chooses the ICC's top leaders. These include the chairman and the vice-chairman. Each leader serves for three years. The chairman, vice-chairman, and the past chairman guide the organization.

The Executive Board

The executive board helps set the ICC's main goals. It has up to 30 business leaders. The World Council elects these members. The board meets three times a year. It makes sure the ICC's plans are put into action.

The International Secretariat

The ICC International Secretariat is based in Paris. It is the team that does the daily work of the ICC. It creates and carries out the ICC's projects. It also shares business opinions with international organizations. The Secretary General leads this team. The World Council appoints the Secretary General.

National Committees

In 92 countries, members have created official ICC groups called national committees. In other countries, companies and organizations can join the ICC directly. These include local chambers of commerce and professional groups.

The Finance Committee

The Finance Committee gives advice to the executive board about money matters. It helps prepare the budget for the ICC. It also reports regularly to the board. This committee checks how ICC activities affect its finances. It also watches the money coming in and going out.

Solving Business Problems

The ICC offers services to help solve problems in international business. ICC Arbitration is a private way to settle disputes. It leads to a decision that everyone must follow.

The International Court of Arbitration of the ICC manages these arbitration cases. It has handled over 27,000 cases since 1923. In recent years, the court has become much busier.

The court now has members from 85 countries. It has representatives in many parts of the world. The ICC Court also offers more training activities. These are held on all continents and in major trade languages.

The ICC offers different ways to solve problems:

Arbitration is a quick and effective way to get a final decision. This decision can be enforced worldwide.
Mediation is a private and secret process. A neutral person helps parties talk and find a solution together.
Dispute boards are independent groups. They help solve disagreements that come up during a contract.
Expertise helps find the right person to give an independent opinion. This can be on any business topic.
DOCDEX gives expert decisions for disputes about banking rules. These include documentary credits and guarantees.

For smaller disputes (worth US$2 million or less), there are faster arbitration procedures. These apply automatically if the agreement was made after March 1, 2017.

Business Rules and Practices

The ICC creates its rules and standards using special working groups. First, a commission adopts a policy statement. This is done with advice from national committees. Then, the executive board must approve it. Only then does it become an official ICC position.

Commissions study important topics for global business. Each national committee can send people to these meetings. Officers are chosen by the chairman and Secretary General. Commission meetings usually happen twice a year.

Task forces are smaller groups created for a short time. They work on specific projects for the commissions. Some task forces may include people from different commissions.

Advertising and Marketing Rules

In 2011, the ICC updated its Code of Advertising and Marketing Communication Practice. This code helps advertising and marketing professionals around the world. It sets ethical rules for businesses using new technologies.

The code's goal is to protect consumers. It does this by setting guidelines for responsible marketing. The code has general rules that apply to all marketing. It also has detailed chapters for specific areas. These include sales promotions, sponsorships, and digital media.

World Chambers Federation

In 1951, the ICC started the World Chambers Federation (WCF). This group connects over 12,000 chambers of commerce and industry worldwide. A chamber of commerce is a group that supports local businesses.

The WCF helps chambers share good ideas and create new services. It also helps them work together with other groups. This helps local businesses grow. The WCF is a non-political group. Its members include local, national, and international chambers.

The WCF also helps with the ATA Carnet system. This is a customs document that allows goods to be imported temporarily without taxes. It also helps chambers issue certificates of origin. These documents show where goods come from.

Every two years, the WCF organizes the World Chambers Congress. This event brings together chamber leaders from around the world. They share ideas and learn about new business trends.

During the Congress, the WCF also announces the winners of the World Chambers Competition. This award recognizes the most creative projects by chambers of commerce.

Training and Events

The ICC holds events all over the world. These range from large conferences to small training sessions. These courses teach about commercial arbitration and dispute resolution. They also cover ICC trade tools like Incoterms rules and international contracts.

The ICC Academy is the training part of the ICC. It offers online courses and certifications. These help banks and companies learn about international trade. Experts from the ICC design these programs.

Special Projects

Stopping Counterfeiting and Piracy

The ICC created BASCAP (Business Action to Stop Counterfeiting and Piracy). This group leads the fight against fake products and piracy.

BASCAP brings businesses together to deal with intellectual property rights issues. It asks governments to do more to protect these rights.

BASCAP aims to:

Help people understand the harm caused by fake products and piracy.
Encourage governments to take action and use resources to enforce intellectual property rights.
Change attitudes so that intellectual property is respected.

BASCAP highlights the problems caused by counterfeiting and piracy. These include harm to the economy and risks to consumer safety.

Supporting the Information Society

The ICC set up BASIS (Business Action to Support the Information Society) in 2006. This group speaks out on important digital topics. These include internet security and data protection. It also promotes innovation and using technology for development.

Fighting Corruption

The ICC has Rules of Conduct to fight corruption and bribery. The ICC's Commission on Anti-Corruption first published a guide in 1999. This guide helps businesses follow the ICC's rules and other international agreements.

The rules are meant to be followed voluntarily by businesses. The ICC wants to encourage the widest possible use of these rules.

Business World Trade Agenda

The ICC, with the Qatar Chamber, started the Business World Trade Agenda in 2012. This project aims to help shape new global trade policies. Its goal is to move forward with World Trade Organization (WTO) trade talks.

This initiative helps businesses share their priorities for trade negotiations. It also helps governments create trade policies for the 21st century. These policies should help economic growth and create jobs.

The World Trade Agenda aims to:

Decide what is most important for businesses in trade talks.
Help governments set trade policies that create jobs.
Find solutions to economic problems and make trade talks more effective.
Give clear advice to move global trade talks forward.
Warn about protectionism, which can harm trade.
Gather ideas from businesses worldwide on trade priorities.

The Agreement on Trade Facilitation was adopted at the WTO in 2013. This was a big step forward for trade.

United Nations Representation

Since 1946, the ICC has worked closely with the United Nations. It has a high-level advisory role. The current ICC Permanent Representative to the UN is Andrew Wilson. In 2016, the ICC was given Observer status by the UN General Assembly. This means the ICC can attend and speak at UN meetings.

Research Foundation

The ICC Research Foundation (ICCRF) was started in 2010. Its purpose is to support independent research. This research helps people understand the benefits of global trade and investment.

The research projects funded by the ICCRF aim to:

Show how trade and investment create jobs and growth.
Prove that working together internationally is very helpful.
Explain how protectionism (limiting trade) harms jobs and growth.
Help leaders, media, and the public better understand global trade benefits.

The ICC Research Foundation is managed by a board of trustees. These include Cherie Nursalim and Gerard Worms.