ICC’s Commission on Banking will for the first time introduce a series of panel discussions under a central theme, Innovations in Trade Finance Solutions, on the second day of its meeting, which will take place in Athens on 15-16 April.

The meeting will be attended by over 300 delegates from more than 70 countries, including Guy Sebban, ICC Secretary General.

The first day of the meeting will be reserved for the discussion of various ongoing commission projects. These include an update of the Uniform Rules for Bank-to-Bank Reimbursements under Documentary Credits (URR) and a progress report on the revision of the Uniform Rules for Demand Guarantees (URDG) .

The second day will comprise four panel sessions related to the Innovations in Trade Finance Solutions theme. The first panel will analyze how the trade finance sector is affected by the recent credit crunch and how certain activities may be curtailed as a result of market conditions. The second panel will outline supply chain finance integration as the next wave of cost improvement for financial organizations. The third panel will focus on standardization efforts in relation to e-invoicing and will include representatives from the European Commission, standardization organizations, the banking industry and services providers. In recognition of the growing importance of regional trends, the final panel will feature speakers from Argentina, Greece, Israel, UAE, Ireland and the Czech Republic who will examine market specificities in some countries.

Keynote speakers during the meeting will include: Christos Folias, Greek Minister of Development; Gertrude Tumpel-Gugerell, member of the Executive Board, European Central Bank; Nikolaos Garganas, Governor of the Bank of Greece; and Petros Doukas, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs.

Another highlight of the meeting will be a presentation by Dan Taylor, President of the International Financial Services Association and Vice Chair of the ICC Banking Commission, who will speak about his book, Complete UCP: Texts, Rules and History 1920-2007,, during a dinner reception on 16 April hosted by Hellenic Bank Association and ICC Greece.  

The meeting will be staged by ICC Greece in conjunction with the Hellenic Bank Association, with the National Bank of Greece as the main sponsor.

For more information about the ICC Banking Commission meeting, please   click here

Or contact M Philippos Ioannou, ICC Greece,   iccgr@otenet.gr , Tel: +30 21 03 81 08 79, or Ms Konstantina Sakellariou, ICC Greece,  konstantina_sakellariou@yahoo.gr , Tel: +30 69 44 61 03 39.