São Paulo – Rio de Janeiro will host from June 12 to 14 the 11th World Chambers Congress, the world’s largest international gathering of chambers of commerce. Over ten thousand participants are expected to come, including representatives from Arab countries and the Arab Brazilian Chamber of Commerce, the only Brazilian entity of this kind recognized by the League of Arab States. It is the first time the congress occurs in a South American country.
International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) global membership and service director Julian Kassum was at the Arab Brazilian Chamber’s headquarters in São Paulo on Tuesday (2) together with ICC Brasil senior policy advisor Gabriella Dorlhiac and Confederação das Associações Comerciais e Empresariais do Brasil (CACB) superintendent Juliana Kämpf. The group was welcomed by Arab Brazilian Chamber secretary-general Tamer Mansour and government relations manager Fernanda Baltazar (photo above).
Arab Brazilian Chamber is an ICC member. The visit’s goal was to promote the congress, which will have Arab Brazilian Chamber of Commerce’s support to announce it to its members and its Arab countries chamber partners. The entity will also be at the gathering. The World Chambers Congress in Rio de Janeiro is hold by ICC, together with ICC World Chambers Federation. The Brazilian edition is also organized by CACB.
According to Kassum, the congress will debate world economy issues such as sustainability, the United Nations sustainable development goals, the importance of professional training to prepare for the work changes that are coming with technologies and artificial intelligence applications, smart cities, the private sector role, and others. “We will talk about commerce and the big challenges in global trade governance such as the tensions we see in the world that impact business,” he explained.
The central theme will be “Creating a shared future,” proposed to celebrate ICC 100th anniversary and to focus on the importance of the inclusive growth. “A growth that benefits all, every country, every kind of company, not only the big ones but also the small ones, and every citizen,” says Kassum. He says that, without an inclusive economy, markets don’t work. “It is a sine qua non for social and economic success,” he said.
The organization expects approximately one hundred chambers of commerce for the event, 30 or 40 from less developed countries. There is a program to facilitate these chambers’ participation as well as a space in the congress to talk specially to them, the United Nations, the World Trade Organization (WTO), G20 (group made up by the world’s largest economies) and the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). The goal is to know the thoughts of entrepreneurships from these regions, who are not heard. “To have their perspectives on these (world economy) big issues,” says Kassum.
The Arab world is closely involved in the ICC congress. Dubai Chamber president Hamad Buamin is the current ICC World Chamber Federation president and will be one of the hosts of the event. The panel “Building smart cities the right way,” at 1:30pm at day 12, features a representative from the UAE, and the panel “Inclusive infrastructure in emerging economies,” in the 13 at 2pm, will feature Aamad Group CEO, Saudi Arabia ICC president and ICC vice-president Yassin Al Suroor. The event is also sponsored by some Arab institutions such as the Dubai Chamber, Qatar Chamber, and Sharjah Chamber.
“It is clear for me that there is a growing interest in the trade relations of South America and the Arab world, and for this to happen we should look not only at imports and exports but also at the whole climate, which is related to policies of trade, sustainability, market transparence, corruption prevention, education, the importance of having qualified personnel for international commerce and investment operations,” says Kassum. The interlocution between the sectors involved that are going to be at the congress is the event’s added value, according to the director. Registrations are open.
Quick Facts
11th World Chambers Congress
June 12, 13 and 14, 2019
Windsor Convention & Expo Center
R. Martinho de Mesquita, 129 – Barra da Tijuca, Rio de Janeiro – RJ
Information and registrations here
Translated by Guilherme Miranda
