The fundamental mission of ICC is to promote trade and investment across frontiers and help business corporations and governments meet the challenges and opportunities presented by globalization. All ICC’s actives are directed to that major end.

ICC derives a unique legitimacy at the global level not only from its presence in 130 countries, among firms of all sizes and in all sectors, but from its unswerving advocacy of open international trade and investment and the market economy system for almost 90 years. That policy stance has made an enormously effective contribution towards the healthy expansion of business and the improvement of living standards across large parts of the world.

But ICC has never just limited itself to policy advocacy, waiting upon governments to solve problems. Our world-renowned commercial arbitration service is a form of private justice. Drawing on the expertise and experience of its worldwide membership, ICC has over time developed a large array of voluntary rules, guidelines, and codes –sometimes referred to as ‘trade tools’ –which facilitate business across borders and help spread best practice among companies. A prominent example is ICC’s universally-accepted rules on the use of documentary credits, an updated version of which will come into force in mid-2007. The historic rules-writing function of ICC –some of it technical and low-profile – provides an invaluable service to business across the globe.

A further big asset of ICC is its privileged consultative status with major intergovernmental organizations and its long experience in voicing the views of business to influence intergovernmental negotiations. Over recent decades, the world has become increasingly interdependent. National governments, even in rich and powerful countries, are clearly unable to resolve alone such global challenges as climate change.

The way ahead must lie in increased multilateral cooperation among countries in intergovernmental fora, and it must be a major priority of ICC to promote that development. ICC is well positioned to take full advantage of its close ties with intergovernmental organizations, and its unique ability to build policy consensuses within the global business community, to ensure that the business voice is heard loud and clear where it will increasingly count.

The fight for an open world economy and the market system is never won, as can be seen from the suspension of the Doha Round trade negotiation in 2006 and the pronounced hostility to globalization in many quarters. Each generation has to learn the old  lessons. As it has done throughout its history. ICC will remain a steadfast rallying point for those who believe, like ICC’s founders, that strengthening commercial ties among nations is good for business, good for world living standards, and good for peace.

These are the strategic priorities of ICC. The Programme of Action for 2007 presents the projects undertaken by ICC’s  various departments as a contribution towards our strategic goals. Once again, the projects planned for our policy commissions are presented in three “clusters”:

·   Rules –writing for business;

·   Trade, investment and globalization;

·   Business in society issues.

This categorization is intended to show how the numerous individual projects of ICC’s policy commissions, many of them of a technical nature, contribute to ICC’s overall goals and priorities. That commission work will be complemented as required by Special Projects enjoying supplementary funding. Following Business Action to Stop Counterfeiting and Piracy(BASCAP), a second Special Project has recently been created called Business Action to Support the Information Society(BASIS).

The suspension of the Doha Round in July 2006 was a grave setback to multilateral trade liberalization and sent an encouraging signal to the ever-present forces of protectionism across the world. Without a doubt, ICC’s principal challenge for 2007 will be to continue to take a lead to revive the round, defend the multilateral trading system, and fight protectionism in all its forms.

Finally, it is not enough to elaborate good arguments. They have to be delivered effectively to target audiences if they are to influence decision-making. A particular goal over the medium-term is to strengthen ICC’s outreach through the world’s media. Moreover, while ICC’s through consultation of its global membership lends special authority and legitimacy to its views, we will continue to refine our procedures to ensure that ICC can respond swiftly to urgent circumstances in a rapidly-moving world.