ICC Global Banking Commission Meeting | 09-11 November 2026

Event Programme:

1. Day 1 — Monday 9 November
   Working Groups and Technical Sessions (Members Only)

    

   08:00–08:30	Registration
   08:30–10:30	Morning Working Groups Sessions — restricted to group members Working groups running in parallel; participants attend the relevant group: Working Group A — Technical Advisors (TA) briefing group Working Group B — Financial Crimes & Risks Working Group C — Guarantees Working Group D — Export Finance
   10:45–13:15	Morning Working Groups Sessions — continued Working groups running in parallel: Working Group E — Legal Committee
   10:45–12:45	Morning Working Groups Sessions — continued Working Group F — Commercialisation — KTDDE Working Group G — Regulatory Advocacy Working Group H — Global Supply Chain Finance Forum (GSCFF)
   12:45–13:45	Afternoon registration, lunch break and networking
   13:45–14:45	ICC National Committees Forum
   14:45–15:15	Coffee and networking break
   15:15–17:45	Technical Opinions and Rule Developments Format: Hybrid This session will provide the latest insights into the development of trade finance rules, promote international best practice and address the latest disputes.
   17:45	Close

2. Day 2 — Tuesday 10 November
   Plenary Sessions

   08:00–09:00	Registration and networking breakfast
   09:00–09:05	Welcome remarks Speaker: Emma Bennett, Interim Secretary General, ICC United Kingdom
   09:05–09:20	Opening remarks: Global trade finance priorities Speaker: Florian Witt, Chair, ICC Banking Commission; Managing Director Divisional Head, International Banking and Corporate Banking; Member of the Group Business Executive Committee, ODDO BHF
   09:20–09:35	Keynote: Going for growth — creating agile economies Speaker: Lord Holmes of Richmond MBE
   09:35–10:20	The Global Trade Finance Gap and Regulatory Treatment of Trade Finance A strategic session on coordinated action across public institutions, private finance, development actors and policymakers. Topics include aligning mandates, tools and capital; policy reform; risk sharing; capacity building; regional perspectives; and the role of ICC as a neutral convener. The session will draw on evidence including the ICC Global Trade Intelligence Report and showcase the 2026 report. Moderator: Florian Witt, Chair, ICC Banking Commission; Managing Director Divisional Head, International Banking and Corporate Banking; Member of the Group Business Executive Committee, ODDO BHF Panellists: • Makiko Toyoda, Global Head, Global Trade Finance Programme & Global Supply Chain Finance Programme, International Finance Corporation (IFC) • Shona Tatchell, Director, Trade Facilitation Programme, Financial Institutions, European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) • Parvaiz Dalal, Global Head Payables Finance, Citi Bank and Chair of ICC United Kingdom Trade Finance Committee • Marc Auboin, Chief, Trade and Macro-Finance, World Trade Organization
   10:20–10:30	Platinum sponsor keynote Speaker: Vivek Ramachandran, Head of Global Trade Solutions, HSBC
   10:30–11:15	Coffee and networking break
   11:15–12:00	Financing Trade Resilience: Navigating Geopolitics and Supply Chain Risk Explores how corporates are redefining supply chain resilience and how banks and capital markets are adapting products and capital allocation. The session will consider geopolitical chokepoints, including the Strait of Hormuz, the Red Sea and around Chinese Taipei, and how risks are assessed, mitigated and priced within trade finance frameworks. Moderator: Deepesh Patel, Managing Director and Editor in Chief, Trade Treasury Payments Panellists: • Sam Lowe, Partner, Trade and Market Access, Flint Global; Associate Fellow, Chatham House • James Lee, Head of ICB UK GTB Specialist Sales, Barclays • Gerardo Gutierrez-Olvera Cabrales, Executive Director, Head of Trade Finance & International Business, Grupo Financiero Banorte • Stéphane Graber, Director General, International Federation of Freight Forwarders Associations (FIATA) • Frederick Rugginz, Global Head of Financial Institutions Trade Sales, JPMorgan
   12:00–12:30	Fireside Chat: Export Finance in a Changing World — Reinventing the ECA–Bank Partnership Examines how export credit agencies and commercial banks can work together to support strategic investment, infrastructure, new technologies and trade in more challenging markets. Moderator: Paul Heaney, Secretary General, Berne Union In conversation with: • Tim Reid, Chief Executive, UK Export Finance • Ed Bullen, Managing Director, Head of Export and Development Solutions, Structured Finance Department, SMBC Bank International plc
   12:30–14:00	Lunch and networking break
   14:00–14:15	Keynote Speaker: Dame Susan Langley DBE, Lord Mayor of the City of London
   14:15–15:00	A New Operating System for Global Trade Considers how stablecoins, tokenised settlement, ICC electronic rules and digital standards may reshape trade finance. Topics include liquidity, collateral, working capital, access to finance, adoption of UCP, URDTT and API standards, and barriers to scaling solutions. Moderator: Merlin Dowse, Co-Chair, ICC Digital Trade Finance Standards & Adoption Working Group; Director, Senior Product Manager Trade & SCF, CGI Panellists: • Myrte Thijssen, Senior Legal Officer, UNIDROIT • Thomas Bagge, CEO, Digital Container Shipping Association (DCSA) • Bhriguraj Singh, Chief Product Officer, Global Trade Solutions, HSBC • Vinay Mendonca, Head of Product, Trade & Supply Chain Finance and Digital Channels, Finastra
   15:00–15:30	Coffee and networking break
   15:30–15:50	Legal Committee presentation: Status of Lading global survey A snapshot of the reach and guidance of the ICC Global Banking Commission, including an analysis of the status of bills of lading by jurisdiction. Presenters: • Georges Affaki, Professor, Partner, AFFAKI; Chair, ICC Legal Committee • Christian Bergeron, Executive Director and Assistant General Counsel, JPMorgan Chase & Co; Member of ICC Legal Committee
   15:50–16:35	Strategic Debate and Resolution Session: Shaping the Future of Trade Finance — From Discussion to Action Banking Commission members and ICC National Committees will examine opportunities and challenges for trade finance. Discussions will consider where ICC can have the greatest impact and conclude with proposed resolutions to guide future Commission activities, policy engagement, advocacy, standard setting and member collaboration. Moderators: • Merlin Dowse, Director — Senior Product Manager Trade & SCF, CGI • Samuel Mathew, Global Head, Documentary Trade, Standard Chartered • Surath Sengupta, Global Head of Trade, Lloyds
   16:35–16:50	Global Policy Outlook and Priorities Speaker: Andrew Wilson, Deputy Secretary General (Policy), International Chamber of Commerce (ICC)
   16:45–17:00	Handover — ICC Banking Commission, March 2027 Speaker: Vincent O’Brien, Director, ICC UAE
   17:00–20:00	Reception drinks and networking

3. Day 3 — Wednesday 11 November
   Next Generation Trade: Innovation, Finance and the Digital Frontier

   08:45–09:30	Registration and networking breakfast
   09:30–09:40	Welcome Opening the day by setting out the ambition for Day 3, building on the strategic discussions from the Banking Commission and moving towards practical solutions that can be implemented and scaled across emerging and frontier markets. Speaker: Parvaiz Dalal, Chair, ICC United Kingdom Trade Finance Committee
   09:40–10:00	Keynote: Why Does Digital Trade Matter for Emerging Markets, and What Role Should MDBs Play? Explores how changing trade patterns, new trade corridors and evolving payment and financial systems are reshaping the trade finance landscape. Speaker: Francis Malige, Managing Director, Head of Financial Institutions Business Group, EBRD
   10:00–11:00	Moving Beyond Fragmentation: Making Digital Trade Interoperable at Scale Examines persistent fragmentation across systems, networks and platforms, the ICC DSI’s move towards a new operating model, and how industry, international organisations and technology providers can support interoperable trade records and system-wide scaling towards 2030. Moderator: Pamela Mar, Managing Director, ICC DSI Panellists: • Oswald Kuyler, Senior Digital Trade Advisor, ADB • Lucy Li, Managing Director, Industry Advisory, Financial Services, Microsoft • Prakhar Jain, Presales Head Europe, Banking, Oracle • David Campos, Head of Partnerships, GLEIF • Bhriguraj Singh, Chief Product Officer, Global Trade Solutions, HSBC
   11:00–11:02	Remembrance Day: Two-minute silence
   11:05–11:50	Connecting Digital Trade at the Border: Data, Standards and Interoperability Explores how trusted data, digital trade documents and standards such as the WCO Data Model can support simpler border processes and better connections between public and private systems. Moderator: Dr Theodora A Christou, Co-Founder and Director, Centre for Applied Sustainable Transition Law (CASTL) Speakers: • Ieuan Smiton, Senior Customs Data Standards SME, HMRC • Dr Maria Mogilnaya, Advisor, Trade Finance, CargoX — TBC • Nick Weaver, Head of BT CCS-UK (Cargo Community Systems) & BT Air Logistics
   11:50–12:15	Ready, Set, Trade: Accelerating SME Digital Adoption Looks at practical support for SME digital trade adoption, including the University Digital Trade Testbed, the UK Government Digital Trade Accelerator programme launched on 9 November as part of International Trade Week, and the “Are You Ready?” guide. Speaker: Professor David Hughes, Associate Dean (Research & Innovation), Teesside University
   12:15–13:30	Lunch and networking break
   13:30–13:50	Fireside Conversation — Beyond the Hype: What Will New Financial Technologies Actually Change for Trade? Considers whether digital assets, stablecoins, tokenisation, digital money and AI can change the economics of cross-border trade, reduce costs, improve access for smaller businesses and emerging markets, and create new trade finance models. Speakers: • Professor Sarah Green, Independent Arbitrator, Newmans Row; Professor of Law, University of Bristol • TBA
   13:50–14:50	From Digital Trade to Financial Inclusion: Who Gets Financed? Examines whether trusted digital invoices, logistics information, transaction histories and electronic trade documents can change financing decisions and broaden access to working capital. Topics include credit decisions, smaller transaction economics, receivables finance and factoring, digital supply chain infrastructure, MDB and DFI guarantees, risk sharing and evidence of a reduced trade finance gap. Moderator: EBRD Panellists: • Marc Auboin, Chief, Trade and Macro-Finance, World Trade Organization • Syed Sazzad Haider Chowdhry, Deputy Managing Director, Prime Bank PLC • Batil Kurtulus, Secretary General, FCI • Sean Edwards, Chairman, ITFA
   14:50–15:00	Closing — From Infrastructure to Impact: Priorities for Scale Identifies priorities for scaling successful initiatives across emerging markets, considering what industry and technology providers, financial institutions, MDBs and DFIs should do differently, and what can realistically be implemented over the next 12–24 months. Panellists listed in the source programme: • Merlin Dowse, Director — Senior Product Manager Trade & SCF, CGI • Samuel Mathew, Global Head, Documentary Trade, Standard Chartered • Pamela Mar, confirmed
   15:00	Closing remarks Speaker: Tomasch Kubiak, Policy Manager, ICC Banking Commission