Merchants of Peace

Founded in 1919, the International Chamber of Commerce, ICC, is the world business organization and the voice of the private sector within the UN, WTO, OECD, G20 and other international organizations. Wherever global decisions are made, ICC ensures that business is at the table. ICC is the only organisation authorised to speak on behalf of companies at a global level.

ICC was created by a group of entrepreneurs to promote international trade and represent business all over the world. Acting on their conviction that the private sector is best qualified to set global standards for business, these entrepreneurs called themselves “Merchants of Peace”.

Its members are organized in national committees.

Mission of ICC

The mission of ICC is to promote an open international global trade and investment system, a responsible business conduct, as well as a global approach to regulation.

ICC works to make global trade easier and more accessible by representing businesses, setting standards, and providing commercial dispute resolution services.

ICC supports international business with practical tools and services to adapt and meet the challenges of globalisation towards a more inclusive and sustainable future.

Governance

The ICC World Council is the highest authority and corresponds to the General Assembly. Unlike other organisations, the members are National Committees that represent their country economies and their member companies.

The Executive Board is responsible for developing strategy, political direction, action programme and finances. This body approves all ICC positions. Its members are elected by the World Council for a three-year term.

ICC Chairman is Philippe Varin, who was previously among others CEO of Peugeot.

The Secretary-General of the ICC is John Denton, who was previously an Australian diplomat.

ICC commissions are composed of experts, members of national committees interested in participating in the work of the ICC.

ICC secretariat employs around 200 employees in Paris.

ICC Switzerland  

ICC Switzerland is the Swiss National Committee of ICC and pays an annual fee subscription to ICC’s international secretariat in Paris. The rate is proportionate to the economic importance of each country’s member. ICC Switzerland is financially independent of ICC.

Members of ICC Switzerland are automatically members of ICC. They include international trading companies, international or specialized law firms, chamber of commerce as well as major economic associations.

ICC Switzerland provides access for companies based in Switzerland to the activities of ICC. In Switzerland, in coordination with economiesuisse, ICC Switzerland provides the view of ICC to the Swiss Federal Administration to international business concerns.

ICC Switzerland was founded in 1922 by economiesuisse (then called SHIV «Vorort»), the Swiss Bankers Association and the Swiss Chamber of Commerce in France. Its office is at economiesuisse in the “House of the Economy” in Zurich.

Our Work

ICC Switzerland:

• opens access for Swiss based companies to ICC and international Organizations, notably the WTO and UN
• in coordination with economiesuisse, voices the views of Swiss Business in ICC Work
• through its Secretary general, defends Switzerland's interests on the ICC World Council, the ICC's supreme body
• in coordination with economiesuisse, conveys the ICC's official positions to the Swiss Federal Administration
• exclusively appoints Swiss delegates to ICC organs and Commissions 
• informs its members about ICC work and activities
• promotes rules and standards of ICC
• runs the secretariat of the Swiss Commission on Arbitration and ADR which appoints Swiss based arbitrators in ICC procedures at the International Court of Arbitration
• appoints Swiss members of the Court of Arbitration
• hosts events in Switzerland on topics within the global activities of ICC
• is the official distributor for ICC tools in Switzerland, for example the well-known Incoterms
• ICC Switzerland hosts the Focal Point for the UN Global Compact Network Switzerland