Trade & investment

ICC and Qatar Chamber cement future of World Trade Agenda

  • 8 March 2018

The International Chamber of Commerce and the Qatar Chamber of Commerce and Industry have renewed a partnership agreement aimed at securing a robust ICC World Trade Agenda (WTA) work programme, established in 2012 to contribute to the advancement of the global rules-based trade and investment policy agenda.

A joint initiative of ICC and the Qatar Chamber, the WTA mobilises businesses worldwide around an inclusive and multilateral trade agenda for sustainable economic growth and inclusive job creation. WTA policy recommendations feed into a range of discussions at global level, including in the Group of 20 (G20) and Business 20 (B20) discussions, and particularly at the World Trade Organization (WTO).

This third phase of the WTA was officially marked at a memorandum of understanding signing ceremony which took place today in Tokyo one day ahead of the ICC Asia-Pacific CEO Forum.

Launched in 2012, the ICC World Trade Agenda defines global trade negotiation priorities from the perspective of the private sector and advance multilateral trade talks by urging WTO Members to prioritize areas where tangible results can be achieved and have a measurable impact on trade-led growth and development. These areas include:

  1. Liberalizing trade in services
  2. Multilateralising trade liberalisation under the WTO framework
  3. Fostering ‘greener’ economic activity through trade
  4. Moving towards a high-standard multilateral framework on investment
  5. Reforming the WTO Dispute Settlement System
  6. Supporting growth for micro-, small- and medium-sized enterprises and e-commerce

Qatar Chamber Chairman HE Sheikh Khalifa bin Jassim Al-Thani said: “In today’s challenging environment, when hostility and misunderstanding around the benefits of open trade are rife, Qatar Chamber is proud to continue working closely with ICC to put forward business priorities that aim to drive a 21st-century multilateral World Trade Agenda for sustainable economic growth and job creation.”

Signing the memorandum on behalf of the world business organization, ICC Secretary General John Danilovich said: “The Qatar Chamber shares with ICC a deep conviction that international trade and investment are conducive to widespread peace and prosperity. This renewed commitment secures a work programme for ICC and Qatar Chamber to continue manifesting the benefits of open markets and bringing real world business priorities to the forefront of global discussions.”