IOSCO to launch 2019 World Investor Week to promote investor education

MEDIA RELEASE

IOSCO/MR/22/2019

Madrid, 14 August 2019

IOSCO to launch 2019 World Investor Week to promote investor education

The International Organization of Securities Commissions (IOSCO) is preparing to launch its third annual World Investor Week (WIW) from 30 September to 6 October 2019, after its successful organization in 2017 and 2018.

WIW is a week-long, global campaign, which aims to promote investor education and investor protection, highlighting the various initiatives of securities regulators in these two critical areas. IOSCO members will provide, in their jurisdictions, a wide variety of activities such as launching publications or services, promoting contests and organizing workshops, conferences and other events. Many members leverage the event to organize further investor education activities throughout the year.

Given today’s digital environment, the WIW 2019 includes key messages regarding online investing, digital assets and Initial Coin Offerings, as well as re-emphasizing the basics of investing.

In last year’s WIW, IOSCO members and stakeholders from some 90 jurisdictions on six continents undertook a range of activities, such as offering investor-focused information and services, promoting contests to increase awareness of investor education initiatives, organizing workshops and conferences and launching local/national campaigns in their jurisdictions.

Ashley Alder, Chair of the IOSCO Board and the Chief Executive Officer of the Hong Kong Securities and Futures Commission, said, “I welcome this third edition of the World Investor Week which evidences IOSCO’s continuous efforts and commitment to investor education and protection, encouraging new initiatives among IOSCO members and preparing them for dealing with the challenges of increasingly interconnected and digitalized capital markets.”

The dedicated campaign website www.worldinvestorweek.org provides details on the various participating authorities and the international organizations supporting this effort.

NOTES TO THE EDITORS

About IOSCO

1. IOSCO is the leading international policy forum for securities regulators and is recognized as the global standard setter for securities regulation. The organization's membership regulates more than 95% of the world's securities markets in more than 115 jurisdictions and it continues to expand.

2. The IOSCO Board is the governing and standard-setting body of the International Organization of Securities Commissions (IOSCO), and is made up of 34 securities regulators. Mr. Ashley Alder, the Chief Executive Officer of the Securities and Futures Commission (SFC) of Hong Kong, is the Chair of the IOSCO Board. The members of the IOSCO Board are the securities regulatory authorities of Argentina, Australia, Belgium, Brazil, China, Egypt, France, Germany, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Kenya, Korea, Malaysia, Mexico, Ontario, Pakistan, Panama, Portugal, Quebec, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom, and the United States of America (both the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission and U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission). The Chair of the European Securities and Markets Authority and the Chair of IOSCO’s Affiliate Members Consultative Committee are also observers.

3. The Growth and Emerging Markets (GEM) Committee is the largest committee within IOSCO, representing close to 80 per cent of the IOSCO membership, including 11 of the G20 members. Dr. Obaid Al Zaabi, Chief Executive Officer, Securities and Commodities Authority, United Arab Emirates, is the Chair of the GEM Committee. The committee brings members from growth and emerging markets together and communicates members’ views and facilitates their contribution across IOSCO and at other global regulatory discussions. The GEM Committee’s strategic priorities are focused, among others, on risks and vulnerabilities assessments, policy and development work affecting emerging markets, and regulatory capacity building.

4. IOSCO aims through its permanent structures:

• to cooperate in developing, implementing and promoting adherence to internationally recognized and consistent standards of regulation, oversight and enforcement in order to protect investors, maintain fair, efficient and transparent markets, and seek to address systemic risks;

• to enhance investor protection and promote investor confidence in the integrity of securities markets, through strengthened information exchange and cooperation in enforcement against misconduct and in supervision of markets and market intermediaries; and

• to exchange information at both global and regional levels on their respective experiences in order to assist the development of markets, strengthen market infrastructure and implement appropriate regulation.

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