Why African business should join ICC

ICC brings together the world's biggest, most influential and dynamic companies. In joining ICC, African companies become part of the mainstream of international business. They gain influence at national level through ICC's presence in every major trading nation and at international level through its privileged links with major intergovernmental organizations. Both the United Nations and World Trade Organization, for example, recognizes ICC as their natural interlocutor on all matters relevant to business.

African national business organizations need to combine their efforts at international level in order to offer maximum benefits to their members. ICC, with its global dimension, offers them the ideal platform for developing this cooperative approach.

ICC is completely independent of governments. Created by business people and receiving no government subsidies, its sole task is to defend the interests of the private sector.

African business needs fast and easy access to essential knowledge about trade facilitation and cross-border payments systems. Membership of ICC puts them in direct touch with the experts who make the rules. There is no better way to gain international business expertise.

ICC develops guidelines on various aspects of investment. African members of ICC will be involved in such initiatives, including the ICC process of advising governments on legal and tax regimes that are of direct benefit to African business. As part of that process ICC experts joined with UNCTAD (United Nations Conference on Trade and Development) to publish a series of Business Investment Guides for a number of African countries.

A stream of laws and regulations by governments and intergovernmental organizations covers all aspects of business, including trade, investment, environmental management, insurance, taxation, competition law and intellectual property. ICC is where African companies can brief themselves about legislation planned beyond their borders, which will affect their operations.

It is the members who set ICC's agenda. A current example i s modernization of customs procedures, singled out as the source of huge unnecessary costs as tariffs and other barriers to cross-border trade come down.

ICC draws up rules that banks and traders world-wide apply every day to reduce costs and uncertainties in international trade. Correct and widespread application is a must as African business seeks new markets. As ICC members, African companies help to shape those rules, on arbitration, banking, commercial contracts, and so on.

As members of an ICC national committee, African companies and business associations join forces to project their concerns and provide their expertise as an integral part of the world business community. They work directly with business colleagues from Asia and the Pacific, the Americas and Europe.

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