The International Organization of Securities Commissions (IOSCO) is preparing to launch its fifth annual World Investor Week (WIW) from 4 to 10 October 2021. Like last year, jurisdictions can choose any other week of October or November to promote financial and investor education, considering the conditions resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic.
IOSCO organizes the WIW, a week-long global campaign, to raise awareness of the importance of investor education and protection and to highlight the various initiatives of securities regulators in these two critical areas.
The key messages of the IOSCO WIW campaign in 2021 will be based on two themes: 1) sustainable finance and 2) frauds and scams prevention. These messages complement those of previous IOSCO WIW editions, such as online investing, initial coin offerings, the basics of investing, and digital learning and online education.
The IOSCO WIW campaign continues to gain support among a growing number of jurisdictions, stakeholders and major international organizations. In last year’s IOSCO WIW, participating jurisdictions undertook a range of mostly virtual activities, adapting and delivering them in exceptionally challenging circumstances. This dedication underscores the relevance and top priority that WIW participants give to financial education and investor protection.
Ashley Alder, Chair of the IOSCO Board and the Chief Executive Officer of the Hong Kong Securities and Futures Commission, said, “I welcome this fifth edition of the IOSCO World Investor Week. This annual global initiative has effectively disseminated key investor protection messages worldwide particularly at a time when a growing number of retail investors are participating in securities markets. Despite the pandemic, the IOSCO WIW´s educational initiatives continue to play a critical role in fostering confidence in the markets and protecting retail investors.”
The dedicated campaign website www.worldinvestorweek.org provides details on the various participating authorities and the international organizations supporting this effort.
About IOSCO
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 some 130 jurisdictions and it continues to expand.
The IOSCO Board is the governing and standard-setting body of the International Organization of Securities Commissions and is currently made up of 33 securities regulators. Mr. Ashley Alder, the Chief Executive Officer of the Securities and Futures Commission of Hong Kong, is the Chair of the IOSCO Board. The members of the IOSCO Board are the securities regulatory authorities of Argentina, Australia, The Bahamas, Belgium, Brazil, China, Egypt, France, Germany, Hong Kong, India, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Mexico, Morocco, Nigeria, Ontario, Pakistan, Portugal, Quebec, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, 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.
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. Mohammed Omran, Executive Chairman of the Financial Regulatory Authority, Egypt, is 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.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 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 to assist the development of markets, strengthen market infrastructure and implement appropriate regulation.
