ICC-WCF
Rona Yircali
Yircali re-elected as Chair of the World Chambers Federation
New Delhi, 9 December 2009
The ICC Executive Board has approved the re-election of Rona Yircali for a third term
The ICC Executive Board has approved the re-election of Rona Yircali for a third term as Chair of the World Chambers Federation (WCF).
Mr Yircali’s re-election came at a Board meeting in the Indian capital last week as part of the 90th anniversary celebrations of the world business organization effectively confirmed the decision made by WCF General Council in New York last October, which unanimously supported a new three-year mandate for Mr Yircali.
The ICC Board also approved the election of Peter Mihok as WCF Deputy Chair. Under the new governance structure established by the WCF General Council, Mr Mihok will become WCF Chair at the end of Mr Yircali’s term. Mr Mihok has served as one of WCF Vice Chairs since 2002, working closely with both Mr Yircali as well as with Avijit Mazumdar, WCF’s past and honorary Chair during their respective terms.
“I am honoured to have been re-elected as WCF Chair and I am looking forward to working with Mr Mihok and our vice chairs, who will assist us in getting closer to chambers in the different corners of the world and in becoming increasingly involved in the work of ICC,” Mr Yircali said following the Board’s vote.
“I am looking forward to their input and support,” he added.
Mr Yircali appointed five new vice chairs who had been previously endorsed by the WCF General Council at its New York meeting. They are Mick Fleming, American Chamber of Commerce Executives; Mahendra Sanghi, Assocham India; Hamad Buamim, Dubai Chamber of Commerce; Mustafa Mansur, Federation of Malaysian Manufacturers; and Lorenzo Ysasi Martinez, Mexico City Chamber of Commerce. Prince Sifiso Zulu, Durban Chamber of Commerce, South Africa, was renewed as a WCF Vice Chair.
In his presentation to the ICC Executive Board, Mr Yircali cited the 6th World Chambers Congress held in Kuala Lumpur last June as one of the major achievements of the closing year. More than 1,000 delegates attended the Congress despite the global recession.
He also cited the important progress made in the negotiations with Mexico and Brazil with a view to having the two countries adopt the ATA Carnet System. Mexican Customs is scheduled to appoint a National Guaranteeing Organization shortly to manage the programme in that country.
This year also saw the strengthening of the partnership between the WCF and the World Customs Organization and the development of a business plan to help WCF better support the role of chambers in delivering the Certificates of Origin (CO) service. In addition, CO guidelines were published in English, Arabic, Chinese and Russian.
An important development during the year, Mr Yircali told the Board, was the conclusion of a partnership agreement with the United Nations Procurement Division, fostering local alliances with Chambers of Commerce and Industry and national committees to promote new business opportunities.
Looking ahead to 2010, Mr Yircali said he hoped to increase the involvement of chambers and their profile in key ICC policy areas, implement the election process for the WCF General Council, launch the 2011 World Chambers Competition, and create an on-line e-library of capacity building and training materials available to chambers.
In addition, the WCF must make a decision on the host for the 8th World Chambers Congress to be held in 2013 in the region of Africa and the Middle East.
ICC
Victor Fung
ICC Chairman addresses major Chinese economic conference
Beijing, 3 July 2009
ICC Chairman Victor Fung told a group of high-level international business leaders and government officials today that governments must avoid the temptation to seek isolation from the global recession through protectionist measures to restrict imports and foreign investment.
Mr Fung praised the pledge by G20 governments at their London summit in April not to raise trade barriers before the end of 2010. He also commended efforts by the World Trade Organization to monitor compliance with trade regulations.
“With the world as economically integrated as it has become in recent decades, any lurch into economic nationalism would dislocate commercial activity even further and risk turning the global crisis into a depression,” he said.
The ICC Chairman spoke at The Global Think Tank Summit organized by The China Centre for International Economic Exchanges, which was set up by the Chinese government in March to develop strategies to steer China through the current economic crisis. The centre is headed by former Chinese Vice Premier Zeng
Peiyan.
ICC, as the voice of world business, has recently held private meetings with world leaders to urge governments to resist protectionism and increase international cooperation as part of a solution to global problems such as the economic recession and climate change. In March, Mr Fung met with British Prime Minister Gordon Brown, ahead of the G20 Summit on 2 April. Last month, an ICC delegation met with Italian Prime Minister Silvio
Berlusconi, to provide official business input to the G8 Summit he will host on 8-10 July.
The ICC Chairman told the 1,500 persons attending the three-day summit in Beijing that the economic slump has its roots in a decade of cheap money, high leveraging, easy credit, and the associated real estate bubble. He said key actors in the financial sector of many countries, whether retail banks, investment banks, bank supervisors and credit rating agencies must accept blame for the crisis.
But he added that governments and consumers must also share in the blame for encouraging the illusion that the bubble was creating real wealth.
“ICC has consistently argued that a market economy can only work well within a framework of rules,” Mr Fung said. “The consequences of the financial sector’s mistakes have inflicted great damage on other sectors of business where the market economy was functioning normally to allocate scarce resources productively and to create real wealth.”
Recognizing that what he called “the mistakes and failures” of the world financial sector will almost certainly lead to greater government regulation and supervision, Mr Fung said: “Care should be taken not to allow a mood of regulatory enthusiasm to spill over into other sectors of business where the market, or current light regulation or self-regulation, is working well.”
Mr Fung again urged that the Doha Round of trade negotiations be finally approved. “By concluding Doha, governments would demonstrate unambiguously that they are serious about fighting protectionist pressures and reviving international trade,” he said.
He called on the G8 countries that will meet in Italy next week “to exercise the leadership required and commit themselves to bring about a Doha agreement with a minimum of further delay.”
Mr Fung emphasized that the global recession should not be used as an excuse to either put globalization into reverse or to further delay internationally agreed action in combating climate change. “Indeed, the more rapid and successful attainment of environmental objectives should be a priority in government stimulus plans,” he said.
The conference, which ends tomorrow, will be marked by the signing of “The Beijing Initiative,” which calls for enhanced global cooperation in addressing the recession and rejects trade and investment protectionism.
Mr Fung will chair the closing ceremony tomorrow afternoon.
Boughton Law Corporation
Douglas H. Hopkins
This year Boughton Law Corporation celebrates 60 years as one of Vancouver's leading, full
service law firms. The success and continuing momentum of this firm not only results from
having strong and loyal clients, but also from having strong and loyal lawyers.
In addition to the firm’s 60th anniversary, 2009 also marks the 25th anniversary of Douglas H.
Hopkins being called to the Bar of British Columbia. Doug Hopkins has not only been one of
Boughton's leading legal practitioners for the past 25 years, but he has also been instrumental
in building and guiding Boughton. His dedication and loyalty to Boughton continues to be an
inspiration to all of the young lawyers who have followed in his footsteps.
Doug, who has been a Shareholder / Partner with Boughton for the past 20 years attributes his
success to his focus on client service. He has done this by building personal relationships with
most of his clients.
We asked one of his longest serving clients what they appreciated most about Doug, and their
response was simply, “I can always reach him, he gives me good and concise advise, but most
importantly he cares about my problems. Boughton Law Corporation congratulates Douglas H. Hopkins on providing 25 years of
exceptional legal service to the citizens of British Columbia.
Jean Rozwadowski
ICC appoints seasoned international executive as new Secretary General
Paris - Jean Rozwadowski, a businessman with broad international experience, was today named Secretary General of the International Chamber of Commerce.
Mr Rozwadowski was unanimously appointed by the ICC World Council at a meeting in Kuala Lumpur on the eve of the biennial ICC World Chambers Federation Congress. He will replace Guy Sebban, who retires on 1 July at the end of his four-year term.
“I am delighted and honoured to be joining such an illustrious organization,” Mr Rozwadowski said in accepting his position. “In these times of dramatic and accelerating change, it is more important than ever to strengthen ICC’s mission as the voice of global business in promoting a rules-based multilateral trading system and international cooperation.”
“Protectionism and other challenges to globalization must be firmly addressed,” he added.
Mr Rozwadowski, 62, was born in Holland to a Polish father and a French mother and grew up in South Africa. A French national, he has lived and worked on five continents, holding senior executive positions in Bahrain, Belgium, Brazil, Britain, France, Germany, Singapore, and the United States. He speaks several languages, including English, French, Portuguese, Polish and Spanish.
“My professional experience has allowed me to witness first-hand how international business contributes to making this a better world – creating employment, reducing poverty and stimulating education,” he said.
Mr Rozwadowski’s nomination was approved by the ICC World Council following the recommendation of the ICC Executive Board. The nomination was concluded after a robust global search which started with some 100 names.
“Jean Rozwadowski is the right man at the right time for our organization and for the international business community,” ICC Chairman Victor K. Fung said. “He will lead ICC at a time of major global shifts when protectionist pressures are increasing and the global recession has sharply reduced international trade.”
“His experience and contacts around the world should be invaluable for us as we move forward in this challenging environment,” Mr Fung added.
The ICC Chairman praised the outgoing Secretary General for his role in strengthening the organization. “Guy Sebban, by tirelessly working with all the stakeholder groups inside and outside the ICC organization , made us stronger and more responsive to the needs of international business,” he said.
The Selection Committee said Mr Rozwadowski had easily fulfilled the criteria it sought in a new Secretary General, namely strong international business experience coupled with a track record in managing change, delivering quality customer service in member-driven organizations, and developing innovative products and solutions to enhance revenue.
It said Mr Rozwadowski had the personal and business stature necessary to work closely with leaders in business, government, and multilateral organizations.
Mr Rozwadowski was President of the Latin American and Caribbean Division of MasterCard between 1999 and 2004. Previously he was the company’s Executive Vice President for Europe, the Middle East and Africa, based in Belgium.
Before joining MasterCard Mr Rozwadowski held numerous executive positions during a 20-year career with American Express, heading up the Southeast Asia and Middle East divisions, based in Singapore and Bahrain, respectively, and leading American Express operations in Brazil for six years. The new Secretary General also served as President of the American Chamber of Commerce in Sao Paolo, Brazil.
Mr Rozwadowski graduated with a MBA degree from the Amos Tuck School of Business Administration at Dartmouth College in Hanover, New Hampshire. He earned his undergraduate degree from the Ecole Supérieure de Commerce de Paris.
Mr Rozwadowski’s wife is Brazilian and they have two children.
For further information, please contact :
Catherine Foster
Communications Assistant
Tel: +33 1 49 53 28 22
Georges Fischer, Chair of WCN and Brian Wong, Senior Director of Marketing and Strategic Business Development, Alibaba.com
WCN and Alibaba.com make commitment to strengthen trust in e-commerce
Published: 08 Jun 2009 22:30:26 PST
Kuala Lumpur, June 4, 2009 – Trusting suppliers and products is paramount when conducting trade electronically. With the intention of bolstering trust in international trade on the Internet, the World Chambers Network (WCN), the official web portal for chambers of commerce, and
Alibaba.com, the global leader in B2B e-commerce, have today, at the World Chambers Congress in Kuala Lumpur, signed a memorandum of understanding to cooperate on a range of activities and projects. The agreement stands to strengthen the long-term collaboration between WCN and
Alibaba.com.
"WCN's intensified cooperation with Alibaba.com plays testimony to the growing importance of the Internet for the chamber community and small and medium-sized enterprises," said Georges Fischer, Chair of the World Chambers Network. "Our confirmed commitment will promote international electronic trade by contributing to a trustworthy source of information for traders and provide more exposure for our two organizations in the global marketplace."
"Trust is the number one issue in B2B e-commerce," said Maggie Choo, Director of Alibaba.com in the EMEA region. "We work hard every day to provide a safe environment for our buyers and suppliers so they can trade online with confidence and we look forward to collaborating with WCN in this ongoing effort. We are delighted to open Alibaba.com's community to WCN members and make global trade easier for even more SMEs."
Alibaba.com and WCN consider stringent authentication and verification processes essential to providing a safe trading environment for members as well as a way to improve the credibility of the Internet as a tool for doing business.
As part of the increased cooperation WCN and Alibaba.com are also working towards using WCN's ChamberTrust as an additional validation tool on
Alibaba.com. ChamberTrust is a standardized chamber of commerce and industry international registry of locally verified companies which helps establish trust for SMEs as they enter the global electronic marketplace and overcome issues they face such as lack of exposure.
About WCN
A partnership between the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC), the
World Chambers Federation (WCF) and the Chamber of Commerce and Industry
of Paris, WCN helps to foster an open and comprehensive exchange of
business information. The WCN web portal links over 14,000 registered
chambers of commerce and industry, ultimately representing over 40
million member businesses worldwide and promotes Chamber trust tools for
e-international trade.
About Alibaba.com
Alibaba.com (HKSE: 1688) (HK.1688) is the global leader in
business-to-business (B2B) e-commerce and the flagship company of
Alibaba Group. Founded in 1999, Alibaba.com makes it easy for millions
of buyers and suppliers around the world to do business online through
three marketplaces: a global trade marketplace (www.alibaba.com)
for importers and exporters, a Chinese marketplace (www.alibaba.com.cn)
for domestic trade in China, and, through an associated company, a
Japanese marketplace (www.alibaba.co.jp)
facilitating trade to and from Japan. Together, its marketplaces form a
community of more than 40 million registered users from 240 countries
and regions. Headquartered in Hangzhou, Alibaba.com has offices in more
than 40 cities across Greater China as well as in Europe and the United
States.
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CCIP
Paris - Le 27 février 2009
COMMUNIQUE DE PRESSE - CCIP
Samedi 14 mars - Découvrez 150 formations proposées en Ile-de-France grâce aux Journées Portes Ouvertes des 12 écoles de la
CCIP.
La période est décisive pour les jeunes en situation d’orientation.
Ainsi, les 12 écoles de la Chambre de commerce et
d’industrie de Paris ouvrent leurs portes samedi 14 mars 2009 de 10h à 18h. Les
collégiens, lycéens, étudiants et apprentis ainsi
que leur famille pourront dialoguer avec des enseignants, des anciens élèves et des experts de l’orientation, s’informer sur le
contenu des formations, connaître les métiers préparés et découvrir les établissements et leur
environnement.
Regroupant près de 14 500 élèves et étudiants, les 12 écoles de la CCIP constituent aujourd’hui un campus unique et original
en Ile-de-France proposant plus de 150 formations à une très grande diversité de publics. Preuve de l’adéquation de ses
enseignements aux besoins du marché, 86% des élèves des écoles de la CCIP obtiennent un diplôme à la fin de leurs études et
92% d’entre eux trouvent un emploi dans les 6 mois à l’issue de leur
scolarité.
Cette année, les Journées Portes Ouvertes seront également l’occasion d’évoquer avec les responsables des établissements
concernés la réforme du bac professionnel annoncée par le gouvernement en décembre 2008. Aligné sur le bac général et le
bac technologique, le bac pro s’effectuera désormais en trois ans au lieu de quatre
actuellement. Parmi les écoles de la CCIP,
cinq d’entre elles adaptent actuellement leur pédagogie et leur programme de formation en vue de la rentrée 2009 :
Tecomah,
l’école de l’environnement et du cadre de vie, le CFI, centre des formations
industrielles, l’école Grégoire-Ferrandi, Gobelins, l’école de l’image et
NEGOCIA.
Plus d’information sur le site des écoles
HEC Paris, www.hec.fr
ESCP-EAP, www.escp-eap.net
ESIEE, www.esiee.fr
ESIEE management, www.esiee-management.fr
ESCF,www.escf.ccip.fr
ESIV,www.esiv.fr
CFI-Centre des Formations Industrielle,www.cfi.ccip.fr
Ecole GREGOIRE-FERRANDI, www.egf.ccip.fr
GOBELINS l'école de l'image, www.gobelins.fr
TECOMAH - l’Ecole de l’Environnement et du Cadre de Vie, www.tecomah.fr
ADVANCIA, www.advancia.fr
NEGOCIA, www.negocia.fr
Information presse :
Marie-Charlotte DICHAMP – Tél : 01 55 65 70 27 mdichamp@ccip.fr
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Boughton Law Corporation
Tony Wilson
Associate Counsel, Tony Wilson, Appointed Adjunct Professor in the School of Criminology at SFU
Vancouver, B.C. (2008) - Boughton Law Corporation is pleased to announce that
Tony
Wilson, Associate Counsel, has recently been appointed as Adjunct Professor in the School of Criminology at Simon Fraser University.
Mr. Wilson is a prolific author and writes articles for several publications on a regular basis. He is an engaging speaker and sought after lecturer on many legal topics.
Mr. Wilson practices franchise and intellectual property law.
About Boughton
Boughton Law Corporation is a premier, full-service Vancouver law firm. Boughton has been privileged to serve the Vancouver business community since 1949.
Boughton lawyers have expertise in aboriginal law, administrative law, animal law, banking, bankruptcy and insolvency, commercial and corporate law, complex litigation, cross border, employment and immigration law, environment law, estates, trusts and wills, franchise law, intellectual property,
labour, real estate, securities, taxation and transportation.
At Boughton, we serve our Canadian and International clients from our Vancouver, BC and Whitehorse, Yukon offices.
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Boughton - Meritas:
Meritas Canada Insolvency and Restructuring Group Holds First Meeting
Attendees of the Canadian Insolvency Group Meeting in Montreal
Chicago, Montreal and
Vancouver -
(2008).
The inaugural meeting of the Meritas Canada Insolvency and Restructuring
Group, which has been holding monthly conference calls since it was
established in 2007, took place in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Lawyers in
attendance represented nine Meritas affiliate firms from the provinces
of British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario, Québec
and Nova Scotia.
Items on the agenda for the meeting included
marketing the group, technical developments in each region, and the
establishment of a Meritas Canada Insolvency and Restructuring Group web
site similar to that established by the Meritas Canada Tax Group.
For more information on the group, contact Alan
H. Brown, Boughton
Law Corporation (Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada)
About Boughton
Boughton Law Corporation is a premier, full-service Vancouver law firm. Boughton has been privileged to serve the Vancouver business community since 1949.
Boughton lawyers have expertise in aboriginal law, administrative law, banking, bankruptcy and insolvency, commercial and corporate law, complex litigation, cross border, employment and immigration law, environment law, estates, trusts and wills, franchise law, intellectual property,
labour, real estate, securities, taxation and transportation.
At Boughton, we serve our Canadian and International clients from our Vancouver, BC and Whitehorse, Yukon offices.
ICC-WCF
Mexico City wins close contest to host 7th World Chambers Congress
Beijing (November 2008) The 7th World Chamber Congress will take place in Mexico City in 2011
Following several weeks of intense deliberation, the ICC World Chambers Federation General Council meeting, held in Beijing today, announced that the 7th World Chamber Congress will take place in Mexico City in 2011.
Mexico City’s Chamber of Commerce, Services and Tourism narrowly beat out the Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce / American Chamber of Commerce Executive’s bid for the Congress.
“The selection of who will host the 2011 WCF Congress has been a very close and difficult decision for the selection committee. Both chambers demonstrated equal strength in aspects of organization, venue, government support, accommodation, accessibility and infrastructure. This is why choosing between them has not been an easy task,” said Rona
Yircali, World Chambers Federation Chair.
Many members of the Congress Selection Committee expressed their congratulations to Los Angeles and Mexico on the outstanding dossiers presented to help them undertake their task.
The World Chambers Congress is the only international forum for chamber executives worldwide to share best-practice experience, develop networks and learn about new areas of innovation from other chambers as they face the challenge of remaining relevant to companies in their region.
“It is going to be a great honour to host the Congress in 2011,” said Lorenzo
Ysasi, Chairman of the Board of the Mexico City Chamber of Commerce. “Our candidacy represented 20 Latin American countries, and will further the integration of this region into the World Chambers Federation”.
Mexico represents the 12th largest economy and the 7th largest exporting power in the world, mainly of raw materials and manufacturing. Mr Ysasi added that delegates attending the Congress will have an opportunity to meet and discuss business opportunities especially with companies in Mexicos leading sectors including oil, agriculture, service industries, trade and the fishing industry.
The 5th Congress in Istanbul in 2007 attracted a record number of 1,600 chamber of commerce executives and business leaders from 118 countries.
The 6th Congress will be held in Kuala Lumpur 3-5 June 2009. Under the theme “Leading sustainable growth and change,” the Congress will address the major challenges facing businesses today. Plenary sessions will cover issues at the top of chambers' agendas including the food, water and energy crisis; the economic implications of climate change as well as other global challenges affecting business communities.
Bids have already been received for the 2013 and 2015 Congresses which will be held in Africa/Middle East and Europe.
About WCF
The World Chambers Federation represents ICC's chamber of Commerce members worldwide. WCF was first established by ICC in 1951 as the International Bureau of Chambers of Commerce.
WCF is a non-political, non-governmental body representing the interests of local, national, regional, bilateral and transnational chambers of commerce and industry.
WCF strengthens links between chambers, enabling them to improve performance as well as discover new products and services to offer their members. Chambers represent companies of all sizes, particularly small-to medium-sized enterprises. WCF promotes and protects the chamber of commerce as an essential intermediary between business and government and between business and the general public.
For more information on the World Chambers Congress, please click here
For further information, please contact :
Anthony Parkes
Director, World Chambers Federation
Tel: +33 1 49 53 29 67
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