Group photo of participants at the ICC RCG Meeting with ICC Secretary General John W.H. Denton AO (2nd row 5th from right), ICC RCG Asia-Pacific Regional Coordinator Kok Ping Soon (2nd row 6th from right) and ICC Bangladesh Secretary General Ataur Rahman (2nd row 2nd from right).

The 2nd ICC Regional Asia-Pacific Consultative Group (RCG) Meeting and 2nd Future Trade Forum held in Singapore on 29-30 September. The 2nd ICC Regional Asia-Pacific Consultative Group (RCG) Meeting held on 29 September at Singapore a business Federation (SBF) was chaired by ICC RCG Asia-Pacific Regional Coordinator and CEO of ICC Singapore Kok Ping Soon and attended by ICC Secretary General John W.H. Denton AO, ICC Bangladesh Secretary General Ataur Rahman and representatives of ICC National Committees from Indonesia, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Mongolia, The Philippines, Singapore and Sri Lanka.

Welcoming the participants, Mr. Kok Ping Soon briefed the members on the numerous challenges faced by the Asia-Pacific region in recent years, including environmental, financial, social and geopolitical pressures, which have converged to create new and increasingly complex issues.

ICC Secretary General John W.H. Denton AO briefed the meeting on ICC’s participation in the United Nations General Assembly and related high-level events in New York. He said that ICC brought the voice of business to global discussions, highlighting ways to strengthen collaboration and deliver real-world impact.

From crisis response and humanitarian action to multilateralism, climate action and artificial intelligence (AI), he said that ICC Chair Harsh Pati Singhania and other ICC representatives called for closer collaboration among governments, businesses and international organisations to translate global commitments into tangible results.

ICC Secretary General John W.H. Denton AO also referred to his remarks at a high-level gathering of nearly 50 representatives from governments and international organisations at the United Nations. He warned that disruptions to critical trade routes are placing already fragile food systems under growing strain.

At a Devex discussion on food security, Denton reiterated this message, highlighting ICC’s work with the United Nations to develop practical solutions to keep food supply chains moving and strengthen global resilience.

He also referred to his participation in the WTO Public Forum, where he highlighted the often-overlooked impact of disruptions to fertiliser supplies through the Strait of Hormuz. He warned that restricted access could put further pressure on food production and prices, with emerging economies particularly vulnerable. He called for urgent action to strengthen the resilience of global food supply chains and avert the risks of food scarcity and hunger.

He also highlighted ICC’s efforts to address the fertiliser supply crisis and advance a UN mechanism to facilitate the safe movement of fertiliser shipments through the Strait of Hormuz.

Mr. Denton emphasised the importance of close collaboration among National Committees (NCs) to advance ICC’s strategic priorities, including enabling global trade; promoting access to justice, integrity and respect for the rule of law; accelerating sustainability and climate action; and ensuring the legal enforceability of digital negotiable instruments.

The meeting also discussed, among other issues, what APAC National Committees need from ICC and from one another; digital trade in the Asia-Pacific, from legal reform to company adoption; the participation of NCs in positioning the ICC Academy as the preferred education partner across the region; regional corporate engagement and global partnerships, with a focus on building an APAC pipeline and identifying practical outcomes; and a regional update on Dispute Resolution Services (DRS), focusing on turning dispute resolution expertise into local value.

The 2nd Future Trade Forum was held on 30 September at Shangri-La Singapore, bringing together more than 500 delegates from Singapore and abroad. In his welcome address, Mr. Mark Lee, Chairman of the Singapore Business Federation, said that the main objective of the Forum was to examine how geopolitical rivalry, reshoring and regionalisation are reshaping global trade and investment flows.

The opening keynote address was delivered by the Guest of Honour, Ms. Grace Fu, Singapore’s Minister for Sustainability and the Environment and Minister-in-charge of Trade Relations. In her address, she outlined the Singapore Government’s policies and initiatives aimed at attracting investment and strengthening the country’s position as a leading global business and trade hub.

The Forum was also addressed by Ms. Johanna Hill, Deputy Director-General of the World Trade Organization (WTO), and ICC Secretary General John W.H. Denton AO.

At the beginning of the Forum, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on advancing paperless trade was signed among the ICC Digital Standards Initiative (DSI), Amazon Web Services (AWS) and the Singapore Business Federation (SBF). The initiative forms part of ABAC Singapore’s efforts to operationalise the APEC Centre of Excellence for Paperless Trade.

Speakers at the Forum discussed a wide range of issues, including navigating the future of trade; digitalising trade flows; re-anchoring Singapore’s trade strategy in a fragmented and digitalised world; navigating trade compliance and maximising the benefits of FTAs; sustainable trade in a fragmented world; and dealing with emerging non-trade regulations, including forced labour requirements, security-related export controls and due diligence laws.