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The Securities and Exchange Commission announced today that it has completed its 17th Annual International Institute for Securities Market Development. It was held from April 16 to April 26 at SEC headquarters in Washington, D.C. Along with an International Enforcement Institute, which is held in the fall of each year, the Institute is the SEC's flagship training program.
Attendance included 174 senior securities officials from 74 foreign jurisdictions. It was the largest Institute ever, both in terms of the number of participants and the number of jurisdictions participating. For four countries, it was their first time in attendance.
Approximately 100 speakers made presentations at the Institute and it included speeches by SEC Chairman Christopher Cox, SEC Commissioner Kathleen Casey, and the Director of the SEC's Office of International Affairs, Ethiopis Tafara. Presentation topics included financial reporting, disclosure, auditing and accounting issues, broker dealer regulation, self-regulatory organizations, compliance and supervision, investigatory techniques, remedies and penalties as well as the challenges to securities regulators in emerging markets.
"We are extremely pleased with the extraordinarily high level of participation by regulators from more than 70 countries. This has been any outstanding opportunity to share ideas on how to promote safe and efficient securities markets throughout the world," Chairman Cox said.
Ethiopis Tafara, Director of the Office of International Affairs, said, "The Institute provides a dynamic forum where delegates and speakers can share information on their regulatory challenges and best practices."
Along with the Institute, the SEC offers a technical assistance program, which includes regional training programs, bilateral training programs, reviews of foreign statutes and regulations, and responses to specific technical assistance inquiries. In fiscal year 2006 alone, the SEC's technical assistance program provided training for 1045 foreign officials from 107 foreign jurisdictions.
For more information on SEC's technical assistance program contact Dr. Robert M. Fisher or Z. Scott Birdwell at the Office of International Affairs at 202-551-6690, or by email at OIA@SEC.gov.
