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The SWBL R&D PROGRAM

in Co-operation with UNCITRAL, UNIDROIT, WTO, ICC.


  1. Banking Technique and Practice

    Studies as the global forum and rule-making body act for the international trade finance community.

    Projects:

    • Certified documentary credit examinations
    • Rules on international standby practices (ISP98)
    • DC-PRO (Documentary Credit Professional) multimedia training programmes
    • ICC rules for electronic trade transactions, notably electronic credits
    • UCP 500 (Uniform Customs and Practice for Documentary Credits).

  2. Environment

    Analyses and promotes a world business position on major policy issue in sustainable development; promotes environmental management through voluntary initiatives and self-regulatory products.

    Projects:

    • Preparation of a business position on climate change, environment and trade, environment and taxation, environmental standards, waste management and bio-society issues;
    • Creation of Web sites for sustainable development.

  3. Financial Services and Insurance

    Studies and seeks to break down barriers to international business in the financial services and insurance sectors; contributes to the elaboration of sound self-regulatory and supervisory frameworks.

    Projects:

    • Formulation of a set of core principle for supervision, regulation and risk in the financial system
    • Policy proposal for the WTO negotiations on financial services and insurance
    • Guidelines on reforming private and public pension scheme in light of demographic trends
    • ICC Uniform Rules for Contract Bond as a world-wide standard.

  4. Intellectual and Industrial Property

    Analyses, studies and promotes campaigns to remove obstacles to the creation and exploitation of intellectual property by business. Supports international harmonization of intellectual property rights

    Projects:

    • Identification of emerging intellectual property issue that will have an impact on business;
    • Position business as a key player in the administration of the Internet domain name and address system;
    • Intellectual property implications of environmental protection and economic development
    • Raise of the profile of intellectual property rights as a business issue.

  5. International Arbitration

    Studies ICC’s and AAA’s arbitration rules as a means of settling international business disputes.

    Projects:

    • Assess ICC’s support to specific maritime arbitration rules.
    • Issue examination relating to arbitration in new fields such as electronic commerce.
    • Explore the promotion, adaptation or extension of ICC alternative dispute resolution services.

  6. International Commercial Practice

    Studies and analyses global standards for international commercial contracts

    Projects:

    • ICC Guide to Transfer of Ownership;
    • ICC Model Contract for International Intermediaries;
    • INCOTERMS (International Commercial Terms);
    • ICC model contracts for
      • mergers and acquisitions
      • turnkey transactions
      • sales over electronic networks
      • international franchising contract

  7. International Trade and Investment Policy

    Mobilizes political support for liberalization of international trade and investment so that world business can benefit from expanding global markets and contribute to higher living standards.

    Projects:

    • Track the implementation of the Uruguay Round agreements.
    • Contribute business views to WTO multilateral trade negotiations.
    • Provide business input into

  8. Law and Practice Relating Competition

    Ensures that business needs are taken into account when governments formulate competition laws and policies.

    Projects:

    • Contribute business input to the work of the WTO and OECD on competition and Trade.
    • Project with ICC to convince the European Commission to meet business needs in new policy and legislative proposals on distribution and suppliers’ agreements:

  9. Marketing, Advertising and Distribution Regulations

    Promotes high standards of ethics in marketing by business self-regulation through a series of international marketing codes and guidelines. Encourages harmonization of international marketing practices in the private sector and defines standards for new media.

    Projects:

    • Revision of the ICC International Code of Direct Sales Practice
    • Elaboration of world business views on governments initiatives affecting consumer protection.
    • Contribution to business view for the International Council of the Universal Postal Union.

  10. Taxation

    Promotes a fair international tax system that encourages cross-border trade and investment.

    Projects:

    • Development of a business response to government policy initiatives on the taxation of E.C.
    • Compulsory arbitration in international tax conflicts.

  11. Telecommunications and Information Technologies

    Promotes electronic commerce by encouraging competition and the free flow of information.

    Projects:

    • Private sector leadership in setting rules for E.C. through a joint business action plan.

  12. Transport Regulations

    • Maritime Transport
    • Surface Transport
    • Air Transport

    Projects:

    • Remove obstacles to open shipping markets
    • Customs facilitation
    • Economically viable solutions to environmental issues
    • Information technology-based facilitation.

  13. Electronic Commerce Project

    Creates a framework of self-regulatory rules and principles for trustworthy B2B E.c.

    Projects:

    • Take the lead in developing digital certification infrastructure and provide business input to relevant international organizations.
    • Building a framework of ICC rules for electronic trade transactions.
    • Launch of experimental e-terms database providing full definitions of legal terms for companies drawing up contracts on-line.

  14. Extortion and Bribery

    Studies and encourages self-regulation in confronting extortion and bribery; teaches and seeks to influence organizations that have developed international conventions to fight corruption.

    Projects:

    • ICC manual on best corporate practices in combating extortion and bribery;
    • Implementation of the OECD Conv. on Combating Bribery of Foreign Public Officials.
    • Study and formulation of a global business position on private to private bribery.

  15. CAL – Computer Aided Legislation

    Studies and encourage the application of artificial intelligence into law.

    Project:

    • CALB (Computer Aided Business Law) is a Programme which constructs parallel algorithms based programmes in order to construct an artificial intelligence able to legislate and to verify the logic of any existing business law.

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