Friends,
From enabling business to tackle trade turbulence to deepening cooperation across regions and multilateral institutions, I am proud of what we have achieved together in 2025. Working hand in hand with ICC’s global network of national committees, chambers and partners, we have advanced our five strategic pillars delivering results for the real economy, for our planet, and for you. In a year marked by global turbulence, our accomplishments cannot be overstated.
Cementing our role as the credible voice of global business, our messages reached policymakers from Africa to the Americas, Southeast Asia to Europe.
Enabling global trade
On behalf of businesses worldwide, we mobilised a comprehensive response to escalating trade tensions – highlighting the real-economy impact of tariffs and uncertainty through network pulse checks and technical analysis. This positioned ICC as the go-to credible voice of business, generating unprecedented media engagement. We also launched a major initiative to revitalise the multilateral trading system, delivering the ICC Call for Action at the 14th WTO Ministerial Conference and introducing the ICC Compact for Trade, Growth and Jobs. Both were informed by extensive global consultations across our network, trade blocs and regional and global governance forums, with input from a dedicated advisory committee. A key milestone in this process was the 1.5-track ASEAN-focused high-level roundtable we convened in Singapore. Meanwhile, the ICC Trade Register – widely adopted by banks, investors, and regulators – cemented its position as the definitive global source of market intelligence for trade finance products. Regionally, we strengthened support for business through initiatives such as the inaugural World Chambers Federation Africa Summit, while boosting SME participation in trade via our ICC OneClick platform and entrepreneurship programmes.
Promoting access to justice, integrity and respect for the rule of law
Globally recognised as the world’s preferred arbitral institution, we further enhanced our services through ICC Case Connect and underscored the economic imperative of accessible dispute resolution, particularly for SMEs. We advanced integrity worldwide, including through efforts to digitalise border processes with the World Customs Organization and revising the ICC/ESOMAR Code for ethical, professional research and data analytics.
Accelerating sustainability and climate action
As the official Focal Point for Business and Industry at COP30, we connected global business, governments and multilateral partners in pursuit of credible climate solutions. We expanded sustainable trade-finance frameworks, gave input towards a global treaty on plastics, and set out pathways to unlock private investment in climate adaptation and resilience while our global campaign showcased the opportunity for business-led climate action across markets and regions.
Shaping an open, trusted and interoperable digital economy
Throughout 2025 we strengthened international cooperation to build a stronger, more inclusive digital economy advancing shared standards, promoting trusted cross-border data flows and supporting global interoperability efforts through activities including the launch of a Paperless Trade Pilot Playbook and our Digital Trade Transformation Forum.
Strengthening multilateral cooperation
In 2025, we continued to deliver tangible solutions for coalition-building at the global level. Alongside policy advocacy during South Africa’s historic G20 presidency, we launched TradeRoots Africa at the B20 Summit – a B20 Legacy Initiative designed to advance implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area and enable more MSMEs and women- and youth-led enterprises to trade across borders on the continent. These efforts complement our first year as a Strategic Partner to the B7 and our inaugural engagement with the BRICS Business Council, ensuring cohesive and coordinated approaches to policy discussions across key established and emerging groups. This work was further reinforced by our participation in the ASEAN Summit and APEC CEO Summit. We also expanded collaboration with the World Bank to support SME-led growth in emerging markets, shaped global conversations on international tax coordination, and convened chambers of commerce from over 100 countries at the 14th World Chambers Congress.
To ensure local economies are not left behind during crises, we deepened partnerships with UNHCR and UN OCHA, and formalised new collaborations to support economic recovery and reconstruction in fragile and conflict-affected areas. Notable 2025 achievements include increasing access to ICC dispute resolution services for reconstruction purposes, convening a high-level dialogue on export finance, and joining the World Bank’s Experts Panel on Ukraine. Finally, we strengthened engagement with the FAO through the ICC Agri-Food Initiative, tripling private sector participation in its annual Hand-in-Hand Investment Forum.
Our achievements this year reflect the sustained engagement and unwavering commitment of our global network, ICC leadership, and staff – guided increasingly by Vision 2035, ICC’s long-term strategic roadmap. Unveiled this year, Vision 2035 is designed to anticipate and respond to global megatrends, align our priorities and ensure sustainable impact through to 2035.
I look forward to building on this momentum in 2026 as we continue to make business work for everyone, every day, everywhere.
Wishing you all the best for the holiday season.
John W.H. Denton AO
Secretary General, International Chamber of Commerce
