World
chambers will create trade-boosting global network
Marseille,
France, 1 October
- Chambers of commerce from all parts of the world today resolved to form a
global network so that member companies anywhere can gain access to their collective
expertise and connections.
The move for greater cohesion
among the world's 10,000 chambers of commerce came at their first world congress
in Marseille, co-ordinated by the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) and
the Marseille chamber, which was celebrating its 400th anniversary.
ICC President Adnan Kassar
told 700 delegates representing chambers in more than 90 countries: "It will
be a network that the smallest and most remote company can tap into and thereby
reach potential business partners throughout the world."
He said: "By using the latest
communications and information technologies, we shall be able to ensure that
an effective sharing of know-how, expertise and market information is taking
place. For the network to flourish all we need is our will to make it happen."
Speakers emphasized that
chambers of commerce mainly serve the small and medium-sized enterprises that
form the backbone of national economics and are the main generators of employment
and wealth.
To provide what Mr Kassar
called "a rallying point for the chambers movement" ICC announced that the world
congress inaugurated at Marseille would henceforth take place every two years
in a different continent. Already chambers in eight countries have offered to
host the Congress. ICC's International Bureau of Chambers of Commerce, headed
by Avijit Mazumdar, an Indian business leader, will be charged with preparations.
The ICC President said it
was essential for chambers to respond to the new challenges of globalization
in order to better serve their members. He added: "The international marketplace
and the speed of technological progress have intensified competition. These
days your competitor is not just in the next street, but perhaps in the farthest
corner of the world. And the same goes for your new markets."
A key tool for establishing
the network is already in place. ICC, in collaboration with the Paris Chamber
of Commerce and Industry and the Group of 77 chambers of commerce, has established
an electronic database on the Internet into which chambers and their member
companies feed information about products and business opportunities.
The system, called the World
Chambers Network (WCN), carries constantly updated information about
member chambers and their current activities as well as details of public tenders.
It also carries news about trade fairs.