Global strategy: ICC workplan

 ICC’s core mission is to make business work for everyone, every day, everywhere. Recognizing the severe challenges faced by business as a result of deteriorating economic and geopolitical conditions, ICC is committed to ensure that its policy work informs effective decision making by governments, while providing business with the necessary tools to facilitate crossborder business and drive sustainable development. 

 

In this context, ICC's global operations are guided by a strategic framework encompassing five defining themes for the future of international business:  

 ICC 5 Strategic Pillars and Operational Objectives 003

 

The ICC workprogram responds to each of these strategic themes, placing a strong focus on projects where ICC can provide a unique value proposition to its members. Through its national committees, ICC represents over 45 million businesses from 170 countries and is uniquely positioned to leverage private-sector expertise and insights to deliver practical solutions to interconnected challenges, acting as the primary voice of the real economy in a range of intergovernmental organizations – from the United Nations to the World Trade Organization – and championing the needs of local business in global decision making. 

 

 

External Engagement Opportunities

 

ICC is committed to providing high quality engagement opportunities for members to participate in and contribute expert insights to critical intergovernmental negotiations, both directly and indirectly. Complementing the global policy commissions, ICC leverages its Permanent Observer status to the UN General Assembly to accredit delegations of business leaders to intergovernmental conferences held by the UN and its associated organizations. 

 

Special Initiatives and Partnerships

 

ICC maintains several special initiatives and partnerships to provide specialist services to business and support the implementation of critical policy reforms at country level – leveraging, where relevant, the work of the global policy commissions. These include:

 

  • The ICC Digital Standards Initiative (DCI) - an ambitious global initiative to remove paper-based processes from the global trading system by championing harmonised, practical standards for digital trade documents and platforms – and accelerating their implementation globally.
  • The Global Alliance for Trade Facilitation - a unique donor-funded program to support the implementation of customs reforms in developing and least developed countries. The Alliance leverages local, multistakeholder partnerships – ensuring that programs are informed by business needs and expertise.
  • ICC Business Action to Support the Information Society (ICC BASIS) - a unique platform to facilitate business engagement in major internet governance processes.
  • SME Action - holistic portfolio of engagement focused on the needs of small business – encompassing ICC’s SME Champions Network, private sector expertise and the development of practical guidance to enable access to finance, effective digitalisation and ambitious climate action.

 

 

ICC Commissions

 

ICC commissions examine major issues of practical concern to world business and work together to address cross-cutting subjects. They prepare policy products, including statements to inform and shape intergovernmental discussions and resulting policy, as well as rules and codes to facilitate international business transactions.

Priority commission projects for 2024 include "Rules, standards and guidance" and "Policy advocacy". ICC commissions are specialized working bodies composed of business experts nominated by ICC national committees.

 

Swiss delegates in ICC Commissions

 

ICC Switzerland is exclusively responsible for nominating the Swiss delegates to ICC commissions at global level. Excepting the Swiss Commission on Arbitration & ADR, ICC Switzerland runs no commissions at national level. Input for the ICC global commissions is coordinated with the corresponding commissions of economiesuisse, the Swiss Business Federation.

 

ICC Switzerland gold members* may participate in ICC commissions. 

 

  • Arbitration and ADR
  • Anti-Corruption and Corporate Responsibility
  • Banking (Trade, Supply Chain and Export Finance)
  • Commercial Law and Practice
  • Competition
  • Customs and Trade Facilitation
  • Digital Economy
  • Environment and Energy
  • Intellectual Property
  • Marketing and Advertising
  • Taxation
  • Trade and Investment Policy

 

*Gold membership is mandatory for Swiss participation in ICC Commissions

 

pdfMandate 

pdfICC Commissions Terms of Reference