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ICC
chairman pledges world business support for renewed trade talks
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| Jean-René
Fourtou: It is vital that business
creates rules for itself, acts ethically and seeks to promote overall
growth in trade and the development of all the world's people |
Québec
City, 17 September 2003
- ICC Chairman Jean-René Fourtou used his closing address to the
World Chambers Congress here today to pledge full support of world business
for reinvigorating stalled global trade talks.
Referring to the recent
failure in Cancun of WTO negotiations, Mr Fourtou told an audience of
some 800 international business executives that efforts to find agreement
among countries on ways to move the Doha Development Round forward must
be renewed with new determination.
"On behalf of
ICC and the multitude of businesses of all sizes, all sectors and all
countries it represents, I express our disappointment at the failure of
Cancun, particularly as it comes at a time where a stagnant world economy
would have benefited from a positive outcome," he said.
"While we are
disappointed, we still believe this process will eventually succeed."
Mr Fourtou said he
looked forward to the next WTO general counsel meeting on December 15,
where he hoped negotiations would start again with new vigour, and be
concluded by the set timetable, the end of 2004.
He pledged the full
cooperation of the ICC to see a successful completion of the Doha Development
Round.
"It is a goal
ICC will continue to work towards with the WTO in Geneva, with individual
governments via its network of national committees in more than 80 countries,
in its efforts with other business organizations and, finally, by making
globalization and development the central themes of ICC's upcoming World
Congress in Marrakesh in June 2004," he said. "This Marrakesh
congress will be an event of exceptional importance."
"It is vital
that business creates rules for itself, acts ethically and seeks to promote
overall growth in trade and the development of all the world's people."
Mr Fourtou said a
weakened world economy and the current state of geo-political uncertainty
meant the work of ICC had assumed even greater importance.
"The name given
to ICC's founders in 1919, the "merchants of peace", has never
been more relevant to our organization than it is today," he said.
"The role of ICC is to promote international trade and investment.
Like our founders, we believe trade leads to economic development and
contributes to peace."
Mr Fourtou added that
businesses themselves were best placed to identify and deal with the challenges
of globalization.
"Who is more
qualified than companies themselves to know exactly what the problems
are in their respective sectors, and therefore what the best solutions
will be?"
"Let us strive
to find answers to these problems and move forward as much as possible
through our own efforts while cooperating with international institutions
and our governments."
He called on all congress
delegates to participate in ICC's work, urging them to reconvene at the
ICC World Congress in Marrakesh next June with ideas on how to advance
the process of trade liberalization.
For
further information on the Congress, visit: or telephone ICC Communications
Director, Bryce Corbett in Quebec City: (+1 418 261 4989)
French
version
World
Chambers Competition
3rd
World Chambers Congress
World
Chambers Federation website
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