Association of Certified Commercial Diplomats is the first independent regulatory authority and extraterritorial professional accreditation body for Commercial Diplomats and Commercial Diplomatic Institutions (CDI). ACCD provides a wide range of professional membership options that are tailored to recognise seasoned career Commercial Diplomats and new applicants alike. The organisation is independent of government and does not owe allegiance to any political party. As an extraterritorial judicial-diplomatic institution, ACCD's activities include provision of the Mandatory Qualifying Programme (MQP), advanced specialised training and capacity building, professional accreditation, better regulation of, and contribution to responsible and more efficient Commercial Diplomatic Policy and Practice (CDPP).

UMBRELLA OF THE GLOBAL BODY

The umbrella of ACCD covers international trade policy professionals, career diplomats, trade and investment advisors and representatives of States on international trade, investment and commerce, arbitrators, negotiators of International Investment Agreements, policy-makers & government officials involved in Commercial judicial-diplomatic issues i.e commercial officers/counselors, foreign commercial diplomatic service officers, experts and academia, private sector & NGO representatives, officials in government ministries, parastatals, corporations, and educational institutions globally. The cadres of individual membership are complimented by a corporate option which is reserved for institutions that display an outstanding contribution to, and advocate Responsible Commercial Diplomacy (RCD).

PRINCIPAL ACTIVITIES AS PIONEERING INSTITUTION:

• Advocating Responsible Commercial Diplomacy
• Advancement of the interests of practitioners globally
• Regulation of, and contribution to more efficient Commercial diplomatic education, practise and service
• Setting of policy and guidelines, as well as qualification and accreditation procedures for the Commercial Diplomatic Profession (CDP)
• Provision of the Advanced level Mandatory Qualifying Programme (MQP)
• Advanced training and research on Commercial Diplomatic Policy and Practice (CDPP), through ACCD accredited diplomatic institutions
• Provision of appropriate impartial regulations, public advocacy, capacity building, qualifying examinations and ethical standards at the highest level
• Provision of appropriate impartial accreditation for qualified practitioners, diplomatic institutions, governmental organisations and learning providers of postqualification programmes that display an outstanding passion for, and contribution to the advancement and professional practise of Commercial Diplomacy (i.e qualified institutions of higher learning).