Washington, D.C., May 3, 2010 — The Securities and Exchange Commission announced today that it recently completed its 20th Annual International Institute for Securities Market Development.
The International Institute is the SEC's flagship international training initiative — a two-week, management-level program covering the development and oversight of securities markets.
This year's session was held from April 19 to April 29 at SEC headquarters in Washington, D.C., with 165 delegates attending from 66 participating countries and territories. Approximately 70 speakers made presentations at the Institute, including SEC Chairman Mary Schapiro, Lorin Reisner (SEC Deputy Director of Enforcement), Ethiopis Tafara (Director of the SEC's Office of International Affairs), and a host of SEC senior staff.
The Institute also featured presentations by the U.S. Department of Justice, Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, representatives from the securities industry, and academics. Presentation topics included the financial crisis, hedge funds, insider trading, pyramid schemes, market manipulation, conducting examinations of broker dealers and investment advisers, oversight of exchanges, optimal remedies for violations, and investigatory techniques.
Ethiopis Tafara, Director of the SEC's Office of International Affairs, said, "The Institutes and the other technical assistance projects by the SEC are helping to build markets around the world, while at the same time ensuring that we have strong regulatory partners that can work with us to protect our markets and our investors. The majority of technical assistance programs include intensive enforcement and investigation training on insider trading, market manipulation, Ponzi schemes, financial accounting fraud, inspections and compliance, and anti-money laundering. The program cultivates invaluable professional and personal contacts with regulatory and law enforcement partners that have served to advance numerous SEC investigations and examinations by receipt of key tips and referrals, production of documents for our investigations, and arrangements for overseas asset restraints in support of SEC cases and to benefit investors."
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For more information on the 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 OIA@SEC.gov.