History of the International Chamber of Commerce

The ICC''s origins

The International Chamber of Commerce was founded in 1919 with an overriding aim that remains unchanged: to serve world business by promoting trade and investment, open markets for goods and services, and the free flow of capital.

Much of ICC''s initial impetus came from its first president, Etienne Clémentel, a former French minister of commerce. Under his influence, the organization''s international secretariat was established in Paris and he was instrumental in creating the ICC International Court of Arbitration in 1923.

ICC has evolved beyond recognition since those early post-war days when business leaders from the allied nations met for the first time in Atlantic City. The original nucleus, representing the private sectors of Belgium, Britain, France, Italy and the United States, has expanded to become a world business organization with thousands of member companies and associations in around 130 countries. Members include many of the world''s most influential companies and represent every major industrial and service sector.