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Magazine Issue 8 - Spring 1999 | ||
| ICC - Chamber of Horrors. The International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) Perhaps more appropriately known as the 'International Chamber of Corruption' - is rapidly emerging as a major force among the institutions of globalisation. Originally founded in 1919, its aim is to represent the international voice of business - for which read big multinationals. Roger Geffen examines one of the world’s most influential and least known institutions. Its membership consists of more than 7000 companies in over 130 countries, many of them organised into National Committees. The ICC’s National Committee in the UK is the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) – indeed the ICC can be thought of as playing an equivalent role in international politics to that played in the UK by the CBI. The difference is that there is at least a tiny semblance of “democracy” in national politics (even if it is only one vote in 5 years), but who voted for the Presidents of the UN, European Union, OECD, WTO, IMF or World Bank? Uniting the Nations The ICC agenda is that of multinational corporations, which, it says, “have a well-proven record of improving social and environmental conditions in countries where they invest.” Under the Presidency of Helmut Maucher - the notorious baby-poisoning Chairman of Nestle - the ICC has particularly set to work on (sorry, “cultivated close links with”) the United Nations, the organisation that promotes ‘restrictive practices’ such as the Rio Agreements (including “Agenda 21” and the Conventions on Climate Change and Biodiversity). This has led critics of an increasingly “business-friendly” UN to nick-name the UN president “Nes-Koffee Annan” - much to the anger of Maucher himself! A Paragon of Ethical Responsibility The ICC’s lobbying work is carried out by “Commissions” on topics such as banking, competition, the environment, financial services, insurance, intellectual property, marketing, transport, taxation, and trade and investment policy. It makes its presence felt in international summits promoting an agenda of increased freedom for multinational investment and the removal of trade barriers such as regulations protecting labour or the environment. It nevertheless promotes itself as a paragon of ethical responsibility, by promoting instead voluntary codes of conduct for corporations. The ICC’s own “Sustainable Development Charter” is a model of multinational greenwash: “Company after company is getting into the business of providing environmental solutions. The biotechnology industry is looking at bioengineering of crops to replace fertilisers or pesticides.” Of course, the western world’s mega-corporations have an exemplary record on sustainability, whereas “the great mass of small and medium-sized enterprises, and particularly those in the emerging economies, have yet to take up the concept.” An ICC UK spokeswoman vociferously denied any involvement in advocating the Multilateral Agreement on Investment (MAI), despite the fact that the ICC drafted important sections of the draft treaty. It also operates the “International Court of Arbitration”, a likely candidate to act as the Court for determining trade disputes under MAI if adopted. The ICC’s contribution to the G-8 summit in Birmingham last summer was specifically to advocate progress on ensuring full compliance with the Uruguay Round of GATT and the conclusion of MAI, ideally without environmental or labour standards. Advocating the Benefits of Globalisation More generally, the ICC is actively concerned at present to counter opposition to globalisation, which it dismisses as “irrational fears”. It argues that businesses and governments must work together to advocate the benefits of globalisation, in the face of growing concerns about economic stability in the wake of the Asian financial crisis on the one hand, and about increasing dominance of poorer economies by global corporations on the other hand. The latter, of course, is seen as an entirely good thing: “Companies increasingly look to ICC as they adjust to a world in which the state’s role in the economy is no longer pre-eminent,” boasts the ICC’s Mission Statement. Trade needs rules of course, and rules need strong Government, but only when Governments are making rules which allow trade and investment to flow freely. “The most important task facing governments and business together will be to build a truly global framework for cross-border investment and world-wide business activities.” Conversely, Government must also be lean and efficient, and must avoid the sort of rules which could get in business’s way - environmental or labour standards, protection for local economies - that sort of thing! Looking After the Environment... The ICC even has influence over global environmental conferences, such as the October Climate Change conference in Buenos Aires, where preliminary to the official conference, African politicians met with ICC business representatives from the world’s largest corporations, including Shell, LaFarge, Texaco, Mobil, and Chevron. The goal being to discuss the potential for more government-business dialogue. In the ICC’s own words, “The meeting aimed to tackle the continent’s twin challenges of sustainable economic development and climate change mitigation.” Rather, ways in which the Northern based oil industry can further exploit Africa’s precious oil reserves. Unfortunately, the recommendations made during the preliminary meeting were presented to key players in the international climate change negotiations in Buenos Aires. ... and Democracy The role of NGO’s in shaping global policy is another ICC pre-occupation; indeed this seems particularly to reflect the personal priorities of Maucher himself. As Chairman of Nestle, Maucher has never had much time for campaigning organisations such as "Baby Milk Action", and has never been afraid to adopt a confrontational stand with them. As ICC President, he used his speech to the Geneva Business Convention in September 1998 to sound off about: “activist pressure groups [who risk] weakening the effectiveness of public rules, legitimate institutions and democratic processes. "These organisations should place emphasis on legitimising themselves, improving their internal democracy, transparency and accountability. They should assume full responsibility for the consequences of their activities. Where this does not take place, rules establishing their rights and responsibilities should be considered. " "Business is accustomed to working with trade unions, consumer organisations and other representative groups that are responsible, credible, transparent and accountable and consequently command respect. What we question is the proliferation of activist groups that do not accept these self-disciplinary criteria.” Sounds like a man whose office needs a visit… A global organisation devoted to the globalisation of corporate power itself may seem very intangible and hard to focus on, yet it can achieve dangerously concrete results. Its equivalent in European politics is the European Roundtable of Industrialists (or ERT), of which, unsurprisingly, Maucher is also a member. The ERT has a remarkable track record in setting the agenda of the European Commission. Twyford Down, Newbury, the M77 through Pollok Estate and the Birmingham Northern Relief Road are all part of the EC’s “Trans-European Road Network” (TERN), originally proposed by ERT (see Corporate Europe Observatory’s “Europe Inc.” - contacts p.41). As the ICC attempts to strengthen its grip on the United Nations, it too will become increasingly vocal in promoting globalisation, with unimaginable consequences for societies and the environment world-wide. For this reason, there is a growing need for awareness of - and opposition to - the ICC and other such groups’ activities. Dealing with Dissent Fortunately, there are signs that this is happening. The previously mentioned Geneva Business Dialogue, organised jointly by the ICC and UN, prompted anti-MAI activists to hold a parallel gathering, which so frightened the powers-that-be that within just two days, the police raided the venue for the alternative forum, arrested all present members, expelled the foreign activists, and seized all computers and other materials. The suppression only served to intensify resistance still further - a month later on October 19th, several hundred people took part in an office occupation of the ICC’s headquarters in Paris. That was the day before France pulled out of talks on the Multilateral Agreement on Investments. So let us heed to a communique from the gathering itself: “To those who wish to dominate the world, the world replies; Resistance!" |