Canadian Prime Minister Jean Chretien, Trade Minister Pierre Pettigrew, Premier Jean Charest of Quebec, and over 800 business people from more than 80 different countries will descend on Quebec City in September for the largest gathering of chambers of commerce executives the world has ever seen.

The 3rd World Chambers Congress is expected to transform downtown Quebec City into a veritable United Nations as delegates from as far afield as Colombia, Tunisia, South Africa and Mongolia arrive for the three day business conference.

Prime Minister Jean Chretien will open the Congress with a keynote address and Trade Minister Pierre Pettigrew will assess the implications for Canada of the WTO meeting which will have concluded in Cancun, Mexico only days before.

Other prominent attendees include Jean René Fourtou, CEO of Vivendi Universal and Professor Henry Mintzberg, the controversial management expert from McGill University.

The 3rd World Chambers Congress will take place from September 15-17 in the Quebec City Conference Centre.

"The calibre of speakers and the huge number of delegates from such a wide cross-section of the world bodes well for the success of this congress," said Avijit Mazumdar, Chair of the ICC World Chambers Federation (WCF) - the Paris-based organizers of the event. "We have previously held this congress in France and South Korea, but this is by far the largest. We very much look forward to seeing what our Canadian hosts bring to an already very successful formula."

Mr Mazumdar said the aim of the conference is for chambers of commerce from all around the world to "come together, share best-practice experiences and develop networks".

Quebec City lobbied to be host city, even before the 1st World Chambers Congress was held in 1999 in Marseille. It has set the benchmark for all future bids as the field of contenders grows all around the world for future congresses.

"The international exposure for the city, the boost to local business of a congress of this size and the distinction of having been selected from among an international field of candidates makes the Congress a hotly contested event," explained WCF Director, Anthony Parkes. "We are more than confident Quebec City will rise to the challenge."

Delegates to the conference will be coming from such diverse corners of the world as:

  • Algeria - Congo - Nepal - Ukraine
  • Armenia - Croatia - New Zealand - USA
  • Bahrain - Finland - Pakistan - Uruguay
  • Bangladesh - France - Russia - Venezuela
  • Belarus - Ghana - Serbia
  • Bosnia Herzegovina - India - Spain
  • China - Kuwait - Uganda

French version

Journalists are invited to attend the Congress

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Click here to pre-register or to organize interviews

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Media contacts:

In Paris:
Bryce Corbett,
Director of Communications
International Chamber of Commerce
+ 33-(0)1-49-53-29-87
+ 33-(0)1-49-53-29-24 (fax)
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In Quebec City:
Lise Pilote
Coordonnatrice aux communications
Chambre de commerce régionale des entrepreneurs de Québec
418-651-7181 ou 651-7600, poste 28
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