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.

MC12 ICC Statement

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.

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. 

A five-point plan to keep Ukraine’s private sector alive

While ICC welcomes emerging thinking from governments about a “modern-day” Marshall Plan to support an eventual post-war recovery, it remains gravely concerned—based on its consultations with local chambers and businesses—that the attrition of Ukraine’s productive capacity will accelerate in the coming months absent of a comprehensive package of interventions from the international community.

A new survey by the Ukrainian Chamber of Commerce and Industry indicates that 30% of businesses have completely closed their activities since early March—while a further 45% are operating at severely reduced levels of output. Trade capacity has also been reduced by an estimated 70%, with key maritime trade routes in the Black Sea unsafe for navigation—limiting the capacity of businesses to generate essential export revenues. Based on current trajectories, direct losses alone could amount to over US$500 billion.

A fruitful Chairman's Lunch

Swiss Foreign Policy and the Economy

Speaker: Ambassador Stefan Estermann
At the moment, important marks are the war in Ukraine and its consequences as well as the imminent Swiss membership in the UN Security Council that will remain an important topic in the next months. What are the implications for business and what can the private sector contribute? Further, Switzerland still must find a new balance in its relations to the European Union after the negotiations on a Framework Agreement ended on unsolvable differences in core points. What are the prospects and possible timeframes? Ambassador Stefan Estermann introduced the discussion with his views on current challenges for Swiss Foreign Policy and gave us valuable insights into these pressing topics.

World Intellecual Property Day 

IP and Youth: Innovating for a Better Future

26 April 2022, 16:00 - 18:00 CET

Innovation plays a crucial role in addressing local and global challenges, and young innovators are shaping this landscape with the power of their ideas and ambitions for the future, including the future of health. With adequate support and effective use of intellectual property (IP) rights, young innovators can mobilize change and help advance science, innovation and business for improved health outcomes.

With its focus on IP and Youth: Building a Better Future, this year’s World Intellectual Property Day provides a unique opportunity to bring young innovators and policy makers together to explore how youth innovation is generating solutions to some of the world’s greatest health challenges.

But what challenges do young innovators face and how do innovation ecosystems need to evolve to enable them to deliver their promising solutions?

An exciting line-up of award-winning young innovators will share their experiences and perspectives on these and other topical questions in two panels that promise wide-ranging and rich discussions.

Find more Information and Registration here