Shortly after the first World War, 1n 1919, prominent members of the business communities of the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Belgium and Italy met to found an organization to promote world peace.

These men, who referred to themselves as ‘merchants of peace’ believed that the more countries were intertwined through international trade and commerce, the less likely they would be to go to war. That their belief, novel at the time, is now widely shared throughout the world is credit to the institution they founded-the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC).

Over ninety years later, the ICC, a not-for-profit organization headquartered in Paris, continues to pursue its founders’ mission and has grown to become the voice of the world business community, making the case for the global economy as a force for peace and prosperity.

ICC is the world business organization, a representative body that speaks with authority on behalf of enterprises from all sectors in every part of the world. Today it groups hundreds of thousands of member companies and associations from over 130 countries. National committees work with their members to address the concerns of business in their countries and convey to their governments the business views formulated by ICC. The fundamental mission of ICC is to promote trade and investment across frontiers and help business corporations meet the challenges and opportunities of globalization.

ICC has three main activities rules-setting, arbitration and policy. Because its member companies and associations are themselves engaged in international business, ICC has unrivalled authority in making rules that govern the conduct of business across borders. Although these rules are voluntary, they are observed in countless thousands of transactions every day and have become part of the fabric of international trade.

ICC also provides essential services, foremost among them the ICC International Court of Arbitration, the world’s leading arbitral institution. Another service is the World Chambers Federation, ICC’s worldwide network of chambers of commerce, fostering interaction and exchange of chamber best practice.

Business leaders and experts drawn from the ICC membership establish the business stance on broad issues of trade and investment policy as well as on vital technical and sectoral subjects.

These include financial services, information technologies, telecommunications, marketing ethics, the environment, transportation, competition law and intellectual property, among others.

ICC enjoys a close working relationship with the United Nations and other intergovernmental organizations, including the World Trade Organization and the G8.

Presently the activities of ICC Sri Lanka are confined to a few areas only and do not fully exploit its mandate.