The International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) will be hosting its biannual ICC Banking Commission Meeting in Doha from March 25 to 29 in association with diamond sponsor Qatar National Bank (QNB).

Some 400 banking leaders and executives from 50 countries are expected to attend this year's event to be held at La Cigale Hotel, Doha, said the event organisers.

Entitled “Reframing the Future of Trade Finance,” the meeting is designed to take stock of the current volatile economic climate, and will feature recent ICC market intelligence on trade finance, as well as discussions on ICC works-in-progress, such as the International Standard Banking Practice revision, the drafting of Bank Payment Obligation and forfaiting rules and a review of Basel III.

A special Arbitration and Banking Summit will be held on the final day. The meetings will also include consultations with heads of global trade from major international banks on ICC’s G20 policy input, it added.

Part of a series of regional consultations led by the ICC G20 Advisory Group around the world, the experts at the Doha meeting will help to frame business positions on stimulating jobs and growth, ahead of the G20 Summit in Mexico, the organisers said.

Since its creation in May 2011, the G20 Advisory Group has been leading the development of ICC policy input to the G20 process in areas including: trade and investment, financial regulation, anti-corruption, the international monetary system, commodity price volatility and green growth.

“Twice a year the ICC Banking Commission meeting brings together bankers, business leaders, finance experts and government officials to encourage dialogue, make policy recommendations, and develop rules to improve trade finance,” said Kah Chye Tan, chair of the ICC Banking Commission.

“Market conditions going into 2012 are grim. Bankers and traders are facing eroding confidence in volatile markets,” remarked  Tan.

“The ICC Banking Commission has carefully selected a world-class line-up of leading experts in trade and finance to help decipher today’s mixed economic messages,” he added.

This year’s meeting will also feature a special focus on the Mena and on Qatar in particular – one of the fastest growing economies in the world.

“Despite the global economy, it is an exciting time to do business in Qatar, thanks to the opportunities created by massive public and private investment in various industry sectors,” said Sheikh Khalifa bin Jassim bin Mohammad Al-Thani, chair of ICC Qatar.

“It is important to highlight the concrete business opportunities this affords and indeed the path of change across the whole Mena region,” Sheikh Khalifa said.

International speakers include Neil Esho of the Basel Committee on Banking Supervision and Akshay Randeva, director of strategic development, Qatar Financial Center, as well as representatives from The World Bank, International Finance Corporation, European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, Asian Development Bank and International Monetary Fund.-TradeArabia News Service