In recent decades, the world has grown increasingly interdependent. To meet the challenges brought on by globalization, ICC helps businesses to formulate policy positions and ensures those positions are heard at the national and international level.

Preferred business partner to the UN 

National governments, even rich and powerful ones, are unable to deal single-handedly with pressing global challenges, such as climate change. The way forward to resolving these challenges lies with increased multilateral cooperation among countries in intergovernmental forums. ICC’s privileged consultative status with major intergovernmental organizations (IGOs) and its long experience voicing business views to influence negotiations at this level are crucial to help achieve global consensus. Extensive consultation of its global membership lends ICC special authority and legitimacy to its views in these gatherings.

ICC enjoys a close working relationship with the United Nations and other intergovernmental organizations, including the G8 and the World Trade Organization. Since 1946, ICC has had consultative status with the UN and its specialized agencies. With IGOs increasingly involved in matters of concern to the business community, it is important that business representatives be "at the table" when these issues are discussed. Emphasis on the crucial role of the private sector in the achievement of the international community's development goals makes ICC’s participation in IGO discussions even more necessary.

Trade, investment and globalization

The fight for an open world economy and the market system is never won, as difficulties encountered by the Doha Round of multilateral trade negotiations attest. Successful integration of developing countries into the global economy through increased trade and investment is one of the international community’s most pressing challenges. ICC will remain a steadfast rallying point, telling governments, intergovernmental bodies and the public that strengthening commercial ties among nations is good for business, good for living standards and good for peace.

Business in society

Society’s expectations of the role of business are changing rapidly, and cover everything from the environment to community relations. To address these new demands, ICC provides business input to major initiatives, such as the UN Global Compact, which gives voluntary guidance to business on promoting human rights.