On March 16, 2020， International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) Executive Board held its first online working meeting. ICC Executive Board member Xu Niansha, joined by ICC China Secretariat Director General Yu Min, attended the meeting.

At the meeting, ICC and World Health Organization (WHO) issued a joint statement that they would cooperate closely in COVID-19 prevention and control, and provide the global business community with up-to-date information and targeted and reliable guidance.

“As an international public health emergency, COVID-19 requires prompt and effective actions by governments, businesses and individuals in various countries. Enterprises play an important role in stemming the spread of the virus and reducing the impact of the epidemic on society. Effective actions taken by enterprises in advance can not only reduce the short-term risks facing their employees, but also lower the long-term costs of corporate and national economic development”, said the statement.

The statement also called on all sectors of the world to make coordinated efforts and take necessary measures such as raising awareness, coordinating resources, strengthening international cooperation and utilizing WHO’s special funds to tackle the epidemic promptly.

ICC will take pragmatic steps, like regularly offering advice to its 45 million plus member companies and providing global enterprises with a COVID-19 response roadmap through surveying global private sector, to assist enterprises in obtaining up-to-date information, stabilize their confidence and support the global business community to combat the epidemic by coordination and collective efforts.

As the sole representative body of ICC in China, ICC China will be in accordance with the call of ICC and WHO to work with domestic and foreign business communities, resolving on winning the battle against the epidemic.