IOSCO World Investor Week gives impetus to investor education and protection

11 October 2019

Hamilton, Bermuda: 11 October 2019 -: IOSCO World Investor Week gives impetus to investor education and protection; The full release stated the following;

IOSCO/MR/29/2019

Madrid, 11 October 2019

IOSCO World Investor Week gives impetus to investor education and protection

On 6 October, members of the International Organization of Securities Commissions (IOSCO) closed the third annual World Investor Week but their efforts to promote investor education and protection will help investors now and well into the future.

From 30 September to 6 October, securities regulators, stock exchanges, international organizations, investor associations and other IOSCO stakeholders from some 90 jurisdictionsparticipated in this week-long campaign to foster financial literacy and investor education and protection. The topics for this year´s WIW ranged from the basics of smart investing to online investments, digital assets and initial coin offerings. Stock exchanges around the world celebrated throughout week with a Ring the Bell for Financial Literacy event, coordinated by the World Federation of Exchanges (WFE).

Ashley Alder, Chair of the IOSCO Board and the Chief Executive Officer of the Hong Kong Securities and Futures Commission, said, “On behalf of the IOSCO Board, I commend the dedication and effort of IOSCO members and stakeholders in making the WIW 2019 such a success and in promoting investor education, investor protection and financial literacy across the globe.”

Paul Andrews, IOSCO Secretary General, said, “Global initiatives like this help bring parties together to work towards accomplishing a common agenda. It is critical to keep up this momentum to ensure that investors worldwide are better prepared, educated and protected.”

José Alexandre Vasco, Chair of IOSCO´s Committee on Retail Investors, said, “We thank all WIW participants and supporters and look forward to tallying the results of the 2019 campaign. The enthusiasm and creative initiatives that emerged on all continents will serve as an inspiration for the work in this field going forward.”

The dedicated campaign website http://www.worldinvestorweek.org provides additional information about WIW.

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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