The Trinidad and Tobago Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) recently hosted the 6th Annual Meeting of the Caribbean Group of Securities Regulators (CGSR) at the Hyatt Regency Trinidad, Wrightson Road Port of Spain, from October 22 to 23, 2009.

The theme of the meeting was “Beyond the Crisis: Regional Initiatives in Regulatory Reform.”

Securities regulators from ten jurisdictions including Anguilla, Bahamas, Barbados, BVI, Eastern Caribbean, Guyana, Jamaica, Netherland Antilles, St. Kitts, and St. Vincent and the Grenadines, participated. The meeting also had representatives from the Caribbean Regional Technical Assistance Centre (CARTAC) as well as CARICOM.

The first day’s session which was open to market participants, the media and specially invited guests, featured presentations on the following topics:

1. “Unregulated Financial Markets & Products” the Regulatory Response to the Crisis
2. Improving Regional Regulatory Cooperation-The Role of the College of Regulators
3. Towards a Regional Takeover Code
4. Best practice for Government Intervention in the Regional Financial Sector

The second day consisted of a closed door meeting for CGSR members only. Included on the agenda for discussion was a focus on possible collaborative approaches to manage the effects of the global financial crisis, on the economies of the region. Trinidad and Tobago was elected Chair of the CGSR for the upcoming year and the delegates agreed that Jamaica would be host to next year’s annual meeting.