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The International Organization of Securities Commissions (IOSCO) celebrated the sixth annual World Investor Week (WIW) from 3 to 9 October 2022, although some participating jurisdictions will continue hosting WIW-related activities in October and November.
For the first time since the initial WIW edition in 2017, regional launch events were celebrated in Africa-Middle East, Europe and the Americas to mark the celebration of the WIW, in addition to the global kick-off event. Securities regulators, stock exchanges, financial intermediaries, financial industry and professional associations, universities and organizations representing civil society, among many others, joined the campaign and conducted a wide range of activities (in-person, hybrid and virtual formats) to deliver key messages and promote financial literacy for themes related to sustainable finance, crypto assets, investor resilience, and fraud and scams prevention.
Pasquale Munafò, Chairman of the IOSCO Committee on Retail Investors and Senior Finance Professional, Commissione Nazionale per le Società e la Borsa, Italy, said: “Financial and investor education is needed all around the world. Investors in developed and emerging markets alike can benefit from increased levels of financial literacy to take informed investment decisions. Actual and potential investors need to plan for their future and need to know how to remain financially resilient through different circumstances in their life cycle.”
One of the core objectives of IOSCO refers to investor protection. There are different ways to promote this objective, including through financial and investor education. In this vein, Jose Vasco, WIW Working Group Coordinator, and Director, Office of Investor Protection and Assistance, CVM Brazil, said: “The need for investor education and financial literacy has never been greater than today. As the financial marketplace continues to evolve and innovate, investors require a better understanding of the financial ecosystem to evaluate the choices available to them, take informed decisions and avoid financial fraud. The WIW will continue disseminating key messages on investor education and investor protection and fostering learning opportunities for investors.”
The WIW website www.worldinvestorweek.org provides additional information on the activities conducted during 3-9 October, as well as on the WIW-related events to be hosted by some participating jurisdictions in other weeks of October and November.
