ABSTRACT
Business and economic historians have published relatively little on the development of international Business Interest Organizations (BIAs).1 This chapter will improve our understanding of the history of international BIAs by examining the formation of the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) in the immediate aftermath of the First World War. Officially founded in Paris in June 1920, the ICC became a consultative body of the League of Nations. Since 1946, it has been connected to the United Nations. Throughout its history, this organization has maintained a low profile as it has attempted to promote international trade. Over the decades, its main activity has been the resolution of international disputes by arbitration, an efficient procedure for dealing with sensitive matters.
