A Year of Accomplishments for ACSDA

The Americas’ Central Securities Depository Association (ACSDA) was active on multiple fronts in 2007. Key initiatives include:

• Enhancing the organization’s global influence. Initiatives included participating in the UNIDROIT negotiations regarding harmonization of securities laws, and supporting the adoption of the Hague Securities Convention, a treaty aimed at bringing greater legal certainty to cross-border securities transactions. ACSDA also sent a comment letter to S.W.I.F.T. Standards regarding its Giovannini Barrier 1 Protocol Gap Analysis - Market Infrastructures Report, urging that its documentation about national differences in technology be widened beyond E.U. markets.
• Increasing its presence at international forums. ACSDA participated in more than 10 global conferences in 2007, including the CSD9 in Seoul, Sibos in Boston and the World Bank’s Western Hemisphere Payments and Securities Settlement Forum in Brazil.
• Developing a new cross-training program. The ACSDA Leadership Forum (ALF) was conducted to strengthen collaboration within the association and build a new generation of globally focused leaders. Hosted by DTCC in 2007, the program brought together more than 50 executives from ACSDA along with delegates from the Asia-Pacific, Middle East and Europe. The next ALF will be hosted by DCV, the Chilean depository, in 2009.
• Strengthening communications. ACSDA implemented an ambitious communications strategy, including publishing a member newsletter and enhancing the association’s bilingual website (www.acsda.org), where all documents from the General Assembly are now available in English and Spanish.