7th Geneva Business Dialogue Roundtable
Geneva, 2 November 2022

ICC Switzerland, in collaboration with ICC Headquarters and the Geneva Chamber of Commerce, is pleased to invite you to the next Geneva Business Dialogue on the topic of the twelfth WTO Ministerial Conference – where do we stand? Next Steps.

The hybrid event will take place on 2 November 2022 at the Geneva Forum.

We will have the pleasure to have with us:

- Christian PAULETTO, Associate Professor, International University in Geneva (IUG)
- Dr. Sofia BOZA, Ambassador, Permanent Representative of Chile to the WTO,
- John DENTON, Secretary General, ICC, tbc
- George MINA, Ambassador, Permanent Representative of Australia to the WTO, tbc
- Ghislaine WEDER, Head, Economics & International Relations, Nestlé
- Michael A. McKAY, Founder of the McKay Interview

Detailed programme PDF

Register now PDF

Should you be interested in participating please kindly register free of charge by using the registration form and This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

We look forward to welcoming you to this dialogue!

Joint Visit to the Secretariat of Court ICC Switzerland and ICC Netherlands
5 September 2022

The visit of the Swiss arbitrators to the Court of yesterday was a great success. This year we have organised it jointly with ICC Netherlands.

Between a joint lunch and dinner, which create an opportunity for exchange for the participants of both national Committees, the meeting allowed for our Swiss arbitrators to discuss general issues of procedures as well as specific issues. It was also a good opportunity to strengthen the relationship between the staff of the Court's Secretariat and the Swiss arbitration community as well as to meet personally with some counsel.

In her welcome address, President of the Court Claudia Salomon stressed the opportunities of a closer cooperation between the arbitration community and other fields of activity of ICC, like competition policy, intellectual property or trade and investment. ICC Switzerland will gladly facilitate such cooperation. Further, Claudia Salomon announced that the Court’s Centenary shall be celebrated in the framework of the 13th ICC World Chamber’s Congress taking place in Geneva from 21 - 23 June 2023. ICC Switzerland supports the Geneva Chamber of Commerce and Industry CCIG in the organisation of the Congress. We are ready to respond any request for cooperation for this unique global showcase for Swiss business and arbitration community.

The visit ended with a speech on sanctions in the field of arbitration with our guest of honour Georges Affaki. We had the pleasure of having the Secretary General of ICC John Denton with us. The delegations were led by Urs Weber-Stecher and Marnix Leijten, whom we thank warmly. The concept of a mixed delegation was very much appreciated and will be repeated next year!

ICC welcomes EU Regulation amendment increasing legal certainty for the business community

Following the strengthening of the Russian and Belarusian related financial sanctions earlier this year, the dispute resolution community raised numerous concerns regarding the subsequent and anticipated impact on the administration and conduct of ICC proceedings implicating these countries.

Read the full statement here

ICC Switzerland Centenary

100 years of "Merchants for Peace"

The challenges for globally active companies and service providers in times of crisis were the focus of the 100th anniversary of ICC Switzerland. Against the background of the consequences of the Ukraine war for the international economy, guest of honor Federal Councillor Guy Parmelin gave an overview of Switzerland's position in the global economy and took part in an exciting discussion. Concrete practical issues were addressed in the preceding workshop on "Contracts and Arbitration in Times of War," focusing on the implementation and consequences of sanctions, the application of "force majeure" clauses, problems in arbitration negotiations involving travel restrictions, and the enforcement of arbitral awards.

A record number of more than 100 interested participants followed the annual meeting of ICC Switzerland in Zurich and at the same time celebrated the 100th anniversary of the Swiss National Committee of the International Chamber of Commerce ICC. This world business organization is active in over 100 countries, has its headquarters in Paris, and since 2017 has been the only private organization with full observer status at the UN General Assembly.

Federal Councillor Guy Parmelin's guest presentation, "Switzerland's Place in the Global Economy in Turbulent Times," focused on the consequences of rising inflation, lack of supply chain security, energy supplies at risk, and Switzerland's involvement in a changing global economic order. The future of multilateralism, a sanctions policy without side effects, and Switzerland's relationship with the European Union were addressed by Thomas Wellauer, president of ICC Switzerland. "Prosperity through multilateralism" will also be the motto of the ICC World Chambers Congress in Geneva in 2023. This will be the first time since 1947 that such a world congress will be held in Switzerland.

We thank everyone who has joined us for the 100 years ICC Switzerland celebration and of course a very warm thank you to our speakers who made this event such a success!

Thank you to our colleagues at ICC Ukraine for these kind congratulations!

Anniversary Letter ICC Ukraine

100 Years ICC Video    John Denton message to ICC

New ICC Brand Identity Video

Check out our ICC Switzerland History Brochure:

ICC Switzerland History Brochure

Ahead of the next World Trade Organization Ministerial Conference (MC12), the International Chamber of Commerce — the institutional representative of over 45 million businesses worldwide, small, medium and large, in over 170 countries — wishes to set out its priorities for a successful meeting.

The global business community views the World Trade Organization as an essential pillar in the multilateral trading system. As end-users of the system, the private sector strongly encourages ministers to work towards ambitious outcomes that will meet the needs of modern economies and all stakeholders.

At a time of serious global economic challenges—in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic, pressures on global supply chains, and the prospect of high inflation and recession—ministers must take the opportunity presented by MC12 to reinforce the role of the WTO and to ensure its effectiveness to meet ongoing and new global challenges.

Read the MC12 ICC STATEMENT

Zurich, 27 June 2022, 18:15

Baur au Lac, Talstrasse 1, 8001 Zurich 

Keynote Speaker: Federal Councillor Guy Parmelin

ICC Switzerland celebrates this year its 100th anniversary. On behalf of our Chairman Thomas Wellauer, I am pleased to invite you to our anniversary celebration at Baur au Lac in Zurich on 27 June 2022. 

Our guest of honour, Federal Councillor Guy Parmelin, will join us and present an overview of Switzerland’s position in the global economy in turbulent times. Concerns regarding inflation, supply chain security, energy security and the integration of Switzerland into a changing global economic order will be main topics. 

Before the anniversary celebration, we are organising a workshop which will focus on the topic “Contracts & Arbitration in Times of war” with sub-topics such as sanctions, force majeure, travel restrictions, order public and enforcement of awards. Exchange your views and experiences with our experts!

We look forward to seeing you in June. Our event is open to representatives of members of ICC Switzerland, delegates in general and our contacts and friends. Please feel free to forward this invitation to colleagues. Non-members are also welcome. Registration is compulsory. Places are limited. 

Yours sincerely,

Thomas Pletscher

Secretary General