Result of ongoing consultations
The World Trade Agenda business priorities are the result of ongoing
consultations within ICC over the past year, including in preparation for and
during the WTA launch conference at the WTO on 14 March 2012.
They also
draw on the recommendations of the Mexico 2012 B20 Task Force on Trade and
Investment, as well as developments in relevant intergovernmental forums such
as the outcomes of the 8th WTO Ministerial Conference, the 2012 G20 Summit in
Los Cabos, and input from international trade experts.
More than 300 business leaders from China and abroad attended the one-day conference, which was preceded by the first ICC Executive Board meeting held in Beijing, on 27 September.
Executives attending the conference participated in a session on international trade and investment that featured the unveiling of ICC’s draft Business World Trade Agenda recommendations.
“The conference in Beijing provided a tremendous opportunity to begin building consensus in the global business community on what developments are necessary for strengthening the multilateral trading system and for improving the quality of the financial services sector,” said ICC Secretary General Jean-Guy Carrier.
Mobilizing business worldwide
Through a series of high-level regional consultations, such as the World
Business Leaders' Conference in Beijing, ICC and its partner the Qatar
Chamber of Commerce and Industry will solicit input on these initial
recommendations and will seek to define what world business considers
to be possible gains to the global economy.
To find out more about upcoming regional events, please visit the meetings and events page on the left menu bar.
Global support
ICC has been leading the global business community with initiatives, including the ICC World Trade Agenda and the ICC G20 Advisory Group, which encourage dialogue between business and government in a bid to establish
practical policies for opening trade and investment.
ICC has been encouraged by the expressions of support it has received from the WTO and the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) for the World Trade Agenda initiative.
The World Trade Agenda business priorities will also feed into the G20 policy process, with the aim of strengthening the trade and investment policy component of the G20 agenda.