ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses issues that are of concern to all associations but of particular interest to peak associations, which meet different challenges than do the industry associations and alliances. The chapter analyzes and offers a profile of the following actors: the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC), International Organization of Employers (IOE), World Chambers Federation (WCF), Business and Industry Advisory Committee to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) (BIAC), World Economic Forum (WEF), World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD), Global Business Coalition (GBC), and the most recently formed, BRICS Business Council (BBC). It discusses the apparent similarities and differences among this small group of organizations and by placing the associations into the context of the general system of business associations and related entities. Global peak associations have, in principle, more or less identical tasks as they all seek to organize business on a global scale, but nevertheless there is huge variation as to how this task is defined.
