IOSCO World Investor Week 2024 to focus on Technology and Digital Finance, Crypto Assets and Sustainable Finance
July 10, 2024/IOSCO
The World Investor Week (WIW) is 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.
WIW has two primary objectives, namely (i) to disseminate key messages that support investor education, investor protection and financial literacy; and (ii) to foster learning opportunities for investors. The campaign also aims to strengthen collaboration among IOSCO members on investor education and protection initiatives.
Launching on 7 October 2024 and spanning the course of the week, organizations representing over 100 jurisdictions will come together to drive awareness around trending issues which impact investors around the world.
Principal themes include
- Technology & Digital Finance
- Crypto Assets
- Sustainable Finance
These will be complemented with discussions and workshops on
- Fraud and Scam Prevention
- Investor Resilience
- Basics of Investing
Mr. Jean-Paul Servais, Chair of IOSCO’s Board, and Chairman, Financial Services and Markets Authority, Belgium, said: “Last year’s World Investor Week saw the involvement of 118 jurisdictions and reached almost 730 million individuals. We have to keep the ball rolling as with technological advancements and increased use of AI, new challenges arise. We also see how crypto, fractional trading, gamification and copy-trading are trending.
I am confident that WIW2024 will build on the success of previous years to drive greater investor awareness of these issues and look forward to contribute to its success.”
This year’s themes were agreed by IOSCO’s Committee 8 which conducts its work on retail investor education and financial literacy and includes 38 members from both established and emerging markets.
Mr. Pasquale Munafò, Senior Officer, Commissione Nazionale per le Società e la Borsa, Italy, and Chair of IOSCO’s Committee 8, said: “The principal themes we have identified this year result from extensive engagement with all Committee 8 members and unanimously reflect the most urgent issues facing investors today. We also collaborate very closely with other relevant committees to ensure a comprehensive and unified approach to investor protection and education.
“By placing the spotlight on these critical areas, we aim to empower and protect investors worldwide, providing them with the knowledge and tools needed to navigate an increasingly complex financial landscape.”
As in previous years, WIW2024 will be supported by the Financial Standards Planning Board’s (FSPB) bespoke ‘World Financial Planning Day’ which will take place on 9 October.
Additional information, and details of how to participate, can be found at www.worldinvestorweek.org
Follow the WIW on Facebook (@worldinvestorweek), Twitter (@ioscowiw) and Instagram (@ioscowiw).
Notes to Editors
- IOSCO is the leading international policy forum for securities regulators and the global standard setter for financial markets regulation. It develops, implements and promotes adherence to internationally recognized standards for financial markets regulation and works closely with other international organizations on the global regulatory reform agenda.
- The organization’s membership regulates more than 95% of the world’s securities markets in some 130 jurisdictions. By providing high quality technical assistance, education and training, IOSCO supports its members to come together to achieve the following three objectives.
- Enhance investor protection;
- Ensure markets are fair and efficient;
- Promote financial stability by reducing systemic risk.
- The IOSCO Board is the governing and standard-setting body of IOSCO and is made up of 35 securities regulators. Mr. Jean-Paul Servais, the Chair of Belgium’s Financial Services and Markets Authority (FSMA) is the Chair of the IOSCO Board. Mr. Shigeru Ariizumi, Vice Minister for International Affairs, Financial Services Agency, Japan, Dr. Mohamed Farid Saleh, Executive Chairman of the Financial Regulatory Authority, Egypt, and Mr. Rostin Behnam, Chair of the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission, are the Vice-Chairs of IOSCO Board.
- The Growth and Emerging Markets (GEM) Committee is the largest Committee within IOSCO, representing more than 75% of the IOSCO membership, including ten of the G20 members. Dr. Mohamed Farid Saleh, Executive Chairman of the Financial Regulatory Authority, Egypt, is Chair of the GEM Committee. The Committee unites members from four growth and emerging markets and communicates their views at other global regulatory discussions.
IOSCO’s work on investor education and financial literacy
IOSCO believes the need for investor education and financial literacy has never been greater than today. As the financial marketplace continues to evolve and innovate, investment products are becoming increasingly complex and financial services increasingly diverse. Greater understanding of key financial concepts is required on the part of retail investors to understand and evaluate the choices available to them and to avoid financial fraud. Strengthening investor education and financial literacy programs also is essential at a time when responsibility for saving and investing for retirement is shifting from the employer to the individual in many jurisdictions.
IOSCO’s Committee on Retail Investors (Committee 8)
In response to these challenges, IOSCO’s Board approved the establishment of Committee 8 on Retail Investors in June 2013. Committee 8’s primary mandate is to conduct IOSCO’s policy work on retail investor education and financial literacy. Its secondary mandate is to advise the IOSCO Board on emerging retail investor protection matters and conduct investor protection policy work as directed by the IOSCO Board.
In November 2014, Committee 8 published a final report on the Strategic Framework for Investor Education and Financial Literacy, which describes IOSCO’s role in promoting investor education and financial literacy and its strategic approach to both.
IOSCO’s Committee on Regulation of Market Intermediaries (Committee 3)
Committee 3 seeks to promote investor protection and market efficiency through its recommendations on issues relating to market intermediaries. Recent work includes publication of suitability requirements for the distribution of complex financial products, final guidance for regulators on how to enhance their supervision of intermediaries holding client assets, and contributions to the FSB roadmap on reducing the reliance of financial intermediaries on the ratings of credit rating agencies.
IOSCO’s Committee on Enforcement and the Exchange of Information (Committee 4)
Committee 4 aims to help prevent and detect the breaches of securities laws and regulations in global financial markets. It seeks to implement global enforcement cooperation under the IOSCO Multilateral Memorandum of Understanding Concerning Consultation and Cooperation and the Exchange of Information (MMoU), the international standard for cooperation and information exchange.
IOSCO’s online harm statement can be found here:
https://www.iosco.org/library/pubdocs/pdf/IOSCOPD752.pdf
WIW2023 Public Report is available to read here:
https://www.worldinvestorweek.org/resources/WIW2023%20-%20Public%20Report.pdf
