Merchants of Peace

Founded in 1919, ICC (International Chamber of Commerce) is the world business organization and is the voice of the private sector within the UN, WTO, OECD, G20 and other international organizations.

As the only business organisation with UN Observer Status, ICC gives its members direct access to the UN and its sub-organisations.

ICC was created by a group of entrepreneurs to promote international trade and represent business all over the world. Acting on their conviction that the private sector is best qualified to set global standards for business, these entrepreneurs called themselves “Merchants of Peace”.

Its members are organized in national committees.

Mission of ICC

The mission of ICC is to make business work for everyone, every day, everywhere by promoting open international trade and investment systems that foster peace, prosperity and opportunity for all.

Today, ICC works to advance its purpose to secure peace, prosperity and opportunity for all by combining its global influence and unmatched expertise in advocacy, standard setting activities, commercial dispute resolution and provision of global services. ICC supports the international community through the promotion of international trade and the delivery of practical tools and services to adapt and meet the challenges of globalisation towards a more inclusive and sustainable future.

ICC Switzerland 

ICC Switzerland is the Swiss National Committee of ICC and pays an annual fee subscription to ICC’s international secretariat in Paris. The rate is proportionate to the economic importance of each country’s member. ICC Switzerland is financially independent of ICC.

Members of ICC Switzerland are automatically members of ICC.

ICC Switzerland was founded in 1922 by economiesuisse (then called SHIV «Vorort»), the Swiss Bankers Association and the Swiss Chamber of Commerce in France. Its office is at economiesuisse in the “House of the Economy” in Zurich.

ICC Switzerland provides access for companies based in Switzerland to the activities of ICC. In Switzerland, in coordination with economiesuisse, ICC Switzerland alerts the Swiss Federal Administration to international business concerns.

Our Work

ICC Switzerland:

• opens access for Swiss based companies to ICC and international Organizations, notably the WTO and UN
• in coordination with economiesuisse, voices the views of Swiss Business in ICC Work
• through its Secretary general, defends Switzerland's interests on the ICC World Council, the ICC's supreme body
• in coordination with economiesuisse, conveys the ICC's official positions to the Swiss Federal Administration
• exclusively appoints Swiss delegates to ICC organs and Commissions and coordinates their work
• informs its members about ICC work and activities
• runs the secretariat of the Swiss Commission on Arbitration and ADR which appoints Swiss based arbitrators in ICC procedures at the International Court of Arbitration
• appoints Swiss members of the Court of Arbitration
• hosts events in Switzerland on topics within the global activities of ICC
• is the official distributor for ICC publications in Switzerland, for example the well-known Incoterms
• ICC Switzerland hosts the Focal Point for the UN Global Compact Network Switzerland