The Business and Industry Advisory Committee (BIAC) is the official voice of business in the OECD's MAI negotiations. BIAC, based in Paris and established in 1962 like the OECD itself, is regularly consulted by the OECD both formally and informally. It consists of the employers' organizations of the OECD member countries as well as industrial lobby groups like the UNICE, Business Council on National Issues (BNCI, Canada), the US Council for International Business (USCIB), the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC), the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) and others. Some individual corporations -- including Shell, General Electric, BASF and Kobe Steel -- are also represented in BIAC. BIAC is organized into 14 committees which work on issues ranging from trade, education and chemicals to international investment. BIAC has been an enthusiastic supporter of the MAI from the beginning of the negotiation process, and was actively involved in pre-negotiation work between 1991 and 1995. There have been a number of formal consultations between BIAC and the negotiation group, but perhaps more significant has been the work done behind the scenes. For example, an ad hoc group of BIAC representatives meets informally with the OECD negotiators prior to each negotiating session. 31