The 9th World Chambers Congress began June 10 in Torino, Italy bringing together chamber and business leaders from 109 countries. Under the theme ‘Identity, Community, Vision’, the world’s largest gathering of chambers will address current global trends affecting chambers of commerce and their respective communities, from economic recovery to climate change and other pressing issues that transcend national boundaries.

Peter Robinson, USCIB’s President and CEO, and Cindy Duncan, senior counsel and SVP of international Carnet development attended the congress.

Organized by the International Chamber of Commerce’s World Chambers Federation (WCF) and hosted by the Torino Chamber, the biennial Congress offers hands-on solutions to support the development of small- and medium-sized enterprises, and showcases pragmatic tools for trading in today’s global marketplace.

“Chambers of Commerce play an increasingly important role in the global economy and are central to ICC’s vision to promote trade as a driver of growth, jobs and sustainable development. The World Chambers Congress is an essential forum to promote knowledge sharing between chambers from around the world—driving real innovation in the important services they offer to businesses and in the development of public-private partnerships,” said ICC Chairman Terry McGraw.

Mayor of Torino Piero Fassino who inaugurated the event said: “Torino is happy and honoured to host the 9° World Chambers Congress and welcomes all those who have come here from every corner of the world. Chambers of commerce are a privileged tool in the economic world to circulate ideas, create projects and start a dialogue with markets that are becoming more global and articulated. We are proud to host the Congress, especially because Torino can count on important international assets that we are strongly promoting abroad.”

Taking place over three days, the 9th World Chambers Congress features four plenary sessions on a range of issues including the changing nature of world trade, the impact of migration and the availability of skills, how chambers can help businesses adapt to the challenges of climate change and the need for business input from local contexts into the Millennium Development Goals.

Find out more about the 9th World Chambers Congress by visiting the website.