World – Trade Associations

A trade association, also known as an industry trade group, business association or sector association, is an organization founded and funded by businesses that operate in a specific industry. An industry trade association participates in public relations activities such as advertising, education, political donations, lobbying and publishing, but its main focus is collaboration between companies, or standardization. Associations may offer other services, such as producing conferences, networking or charitable events or offering classes or educational materials. Many associations are non-profit organizations governed by bylaws and directed by officers who are also members.

In countries with a social market economy, the role of trade associations is often taken by employers’ organizations, which also have a role in the social dialogue.

One of the primary purposes of trade groups is to attempt to influence public policy in a direction favorable to the group’s members. This can take the form of contributions to the campaigns of political candidates and parties through Political Action Committees (PACs); contributions to “issue” campaigns not tied to a candidate or party; and lobbying legislators to support or oppose particular legislation. In addition, trade groups attempt to influence the activities of regulatory bodies.

World Trade Organization (WTO)

The World Trade Organization is the only global international organization dealing with the rules of trade between nations. At its heart are the WTO agreements, negotiated and signed by the bulk of the world’s trading nations and ratified in their parliaments. The goal is to help producers of goods and services, exporters, and importers conduct their business.
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In alphabetical order

ASTM International – Standards Worldwide
ASTM International is one of the largest voluntary standards development organizations in the world-a trusted source for technical standards for materials, products, systems, and services. Known for their high technical quality and market relevancy, ASTM International standards have an important role in the information infrastructure that guides design, manufacturing and trade in the global economy.
> astm.org

CSIL Centre for Industrial Studies
CSIL offers research and consulting services on economic development processes, with an integrated vision of the micro (local scale, niche business environment, SMEs) as well as the macro dimension (country studies, global scenarios, forecasts based on econometric models, development of public policies).
> csilmilano.com

Federation of International Trade Associations (FITA)
The Federation of International Trade Associations, founded in 1984, fosters International Trade by strengthening the role of local, regional, and national associations throughout the United States, Mexico and Canada that have an international mission.
> fita.org

International Chamber of Commerce (ICC)
The world business organization
ICC (International Chamber of Commerce) is the voice of world business championing the global economy as a force for economic growth, job creation and prosperity.
Because national economies are now so closely interwoven, government decisions have far stronger international reper-cussions than in the past.
ICC – the world’s only truly global business organization responds by being more assertive in expressing business views.
ICC activities cover a broad spectrum, from arbitration and dispute resolution to making the case for open trade and the market economy system, business self-regulation, fighting corruption or combating commercial crime.
ICC has direct access to national governments all over the world through its national committees. The organization’s Paris-based international secretariat feeds business views into intergovernmental organizations on issues that directly affect business operations.
> iccwbo.org

International Monetary Fund (IMF)
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) is an organization of 188 countries, working to foster global monetary cooperation, secure financial stability, facilitate International Trade, promote high employment and sustainable economic growth, and reduce poverty around the world.
The IMF collaborates with the World Bank, regional development banks, the World Trade Organization (WTO), UN agencies, and other international bodies. While all of these organizations are involved in global economic issues, each has its own unique areas of responsibility and specialization. The IMF also works closely with the Group of Twenty (G-20) industrialized and emerging market economies and interacts with think tanks, civil society, and the media on a daily basis.
> imf.org

International Organization for Standardization (ISO)
ISO is the world’s largest developer and publisher of International Standards.
ISO is a network of the national standards institutes of 157 countries, one member per country, with a Central Secretariat in Geneva, Switzerland, that coordinates the system.
ISO is a non-governmental organization that forms a bridge between the public and private sectors. On the one hand, many of its member institutes are part of the governmental structure of their countries, or are mandated by their government. On the other hand, other members have their roots uniquely in the private sector, having been set up by national partnerships of industry associations.
Therefore, ISO enables a consensus to be reached on solutions that meet both the requirements of business and the broader needs of society.
> iso.org

International Reciprocal Trade Association (IRTA)
The International Reciprocal Trade Association, IRTA, is a non-profit organization committed to promoting just and equitable standards of practice and operation within the Modern Trade and Barter and other Alternative Capital Systems Industry, by raising the awareness and value of these processes to the entire Global Community.
The mission of IRTA is, to provide all Industry Members with an ethically based global organization, dedicated to the advancement of Modern Trade and Barter and other Alternative Capital Systems, through the use of education, self regulation, high standards and government relations.
> irta.com

International Trade Centre (ITC)
The International Trade Centre is the technical cooperation agency of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) and the World Trade Organization (WTO) for operational, enterprise-oriented aspects of trade development.
ITC supports developing and transition economies, and particularly their business sector, in their efforts to realize their full potential for developing exports and improving import operations.
> intracen.org

Kimberley Process
The Kimberley Process is an international certification scheme that regulates trade in rough diamonds. It aims to prevent the flow of conflict diamonds, while helping to protect legitimate trade in rough diamonds. The Kimberley Process started when Southern African diamond-producing states met in Kimberley, South Africa, in May 2000, to discuss ways to stop the trade in ‘conflict diamonds’ and ensure that diamond purchases were not financing violence by rebel movements and their allies seeking to undermine legitimate governments.
The Kimberley Process Certification Scheme (KPCS) outlines the rules that govern the trade in rough diamonds. The KPCS has developed a set of minimum requirements that each participant must meet. The KP is not, strictly speaking, an international organisation: it has no permanent offices or permanent staff. It relies on the contributions – under the principle of ‘burden-sharing’ – of participants, supported by industry and civil society observers. Neither can the KP be considered as an international agreement from a legal perspective, as it is implemented through the national legislations of its participants.
> kimberleyprocess.com

Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD)
The OECD groups 30 member countries sharing a commitment to democratic government and the market economy. With active relationships with some 70 other countries, NGOs and civil society, it has a global reach. Best known for its publications and its statistics, its work covers economic and social issues from macroeconomics, to trade, education, development and science and innovation.
> oecd.org

Union of International Associations (UIA)
The Union of International Associations (Union des associations internationales | Unión de Asociaciones Internacionales | Union der Internationalen Verbände | Unie der Internationale Verenigingen) has been a clearing house for information on around thousands of international non-profit and intergovernmental organizations and constituencies since 1907. It publishes yearbook, CD-ROM and online database materials on international organizations, bibliography, who’s who, world problems and strategies identified by international organizations, human values and development, knowledge management, and many other topics. There is an extensive link directory as well as project news, visualization and sonorification experiments, hundreds of original research documents and statistics, services provided, online catalogue that allows secure transactions, collaborative efforts, and a user discussion forum.
> uia.org

World Chambers Network (WCN)
The WCN gateway officially links the virtual power of the Internet to the dynamic and only truly global physical business network of over 12,000 registered Chambers of Commerce and Industry & Boards of Trade (CCIs).
> worldchambers.com

World Customs Organization (WCO)
Established in 1952 as the Customs Co-operation Council, the WCO is an independent intergovernmental body whose mission is to enhance the effectiveness and efficiency of Customs administrations. With 159 Member Governments, it is the only intergovernmental worldwide organization competent in Customs matters.
> wcoomd.org

Worlddidac
Worlddidac is the global trade association for companies providing products for education and training at all levels. We are the only globally operating organization in this business sector.
Worlddidac has currently 180 member companies and organizations from 43 countries on 5 continents. They are grouped into the following categories:
• Manufactures and suppliers (70%)
• Distributors & Dealers (5%)
• Publishers (20%)
• National trade Associations (5%)
Worlddidac is also the organizer of the bienal WORLDDIDAC BASEL exhibition and trade show, which is the most international event in the trade with educational supplies.
> worlddidac.org

World Economic Forum
The World Economic Forum is an independent international organization committed to improving the state of the world by engaging leaders in partnerships to shape global, regional and industry agendas. Incorporated as a foundation in 1971, and based in Geneva, Switzerland, the World Economic Forum is impartial and not-for-profit; it is tied to no political, partisan or national interests. The World Economic Forum is under the supervision of the Swiss Federal Government.
> europaregina.eu/organizations/ngos-csos/world-economic-forum/

World Jewellery Confederation (CIBJO)
Describing itself as the “United Nations of the jewellery business, CIBJO, the World Jewellery Confederation, represents the interests of all individuals, organisations and companies earning their livelihoods from jewellery, gemstones and precious metals. It is the oldest international organization in jewellery sector, having originally been established in 1926.
With its membership made up largely by national jewellery trade organizations from more than 40 countries around the world, CIBJO covers the entire jewellery, gemstone and precious metals sectors vertically, from mine to marketplace, and horizontally within each of the component sectors in the various production, manufacturing and trading centres. Most of the international jewellery sector’s leading corporations and service providers are also affiliated to CIBJO through commercial membership.
> cibjo.org

World Trade Association (WTA)
The fundamental objective of WTA is to further the development of world economy with the firm belief that world trade is conducive to both greater prosperity and peace among nations under the theme of “We Trade for All”, which calls for “Free and Fair Trade for Peace and Prosperity.
> worldtradeassociation.com

World Trade Centers Association (WTCA)
The WTCA was established in 1970 to facilitate International Trade by bringing together exporters, importers and service providers. The first seeds of the international movement were sown in 1970 when the pioneer World Trade centers- Houston, New Orleans, New York and Tokyo and a number of World Trade center enthusiasts first organized a World Trade Centers Association.
The World Trade Centers Association (WTCA) is a not-for-profit, non-political association that fosters the WTC concept and develops inter-WTC cooperative programs. WTCA membership includes nearly 300 WTCs in almost 100 countries. Over 750,000 companies are affiliated with WTCA members worldwide.
> wtca.org

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