Delegates from 30 associations from around the world gathered for the 23rd Annual Conference and General Meeting of the International Investment Funds Association in Seoul, Korea held earlier this week.

Kun Ho Hwang, chairman of the Korean Financial Investment Association and host of the conference, which ran from October 19 to 21, said members came together to discuss future directions for the investment funds industry and the changes and impacts that have occurred over the past year as a result of the difficult financial markets.

At the conference, IIFA members welcomed the efforts of international regulators, legislators and multi-national bodies, such as the G20 and the International Organization of Securities Commissions (IOSCO), to work more cooperatively with the funds industry to increase stability in the global financial markets.

Peter De Proft, chairman of the Board of Directors of the IIFA commented, “We support active engagement among governments, regulators and stakeholders in the financial markets. We believe these efforts will help strengthen economies, restore and build investor confidence and enhance the regulatory framework for all market participants.”

The IIFA has been operating since 1987 and is an association of national and regional investment funds associations from around the globe, collectively representing close to US$18.2 trillion assets at the end of the first quarter of 2009.

The Investment Funds Institute of Canada is a long-time member of the IIFA and provides administrative services to the IIFA, from the head office in Montreal.