The 2025 Annual Conference of IOSCO, in which securities regulators from over 130 countries are members, was held on 12 – 15 May 2025 in Doha/Qatar.

CMB Chairman Mr. İbrahim Ömer GÖNÜL is currently the Vice Chair of the Growth and Emerging Markets Committee (GEMC) and member of the IOSCO Board. During the IOSCO Annual Conference, CMB representatives have participated in several IOSCO Committee meetings, including the European Regional Committee, GEMC, IOSCO Board and Presidents Committee.



During the GEMC Meeting, members were informed on topics on the IOSCO Board and regional committee agendas, IOSCO studies with respect to capacity building, as well as implementation monitoring. Members also discussed latest developments in their respective markets and GEMC studies on financial inclusion. The GEMC Network for the Adoption and Other Use of ISSB (International Sustainability Standards Board) Standards, which was inaugurated during the GEMC meetings held in December 2024 in Ankara, also held a meeting, where experiences of members with respect to the adoption of ISSB standards as well as recent studies by the ISSB were discussed.

During the IOSCO Board Meeting, members discussed issues such as studies on retail investor protection and financial technologies as well as latest developments in respective markets. Resolutions were also made in relation to administrative and financial issues in the management of IOSCO.



During the last day of the meetings a public conference was held, where CMB Chairman Mr. İbrahim Ömer GÖNÜL participated in a panel on value proposition of Islamic finance and its role in the growth of capital markets. The panel was moderated by Dr. Ahmet AYSAN of the Katar Hamad Bin Khalifa University and other panelists included Malaysian Securities Commission Chairman Mr. Mohammad Faiz Azmi, and Luxembourg Stock Exchange Head of listing and Regulatory Affairs Ms. Paula Redondo Pereira.

In his speech during the panel discussion Mr. GÖNÜL emphasized the benefits presented by Islamic finance instruments in comparison to conventional instruments, due to the potential of Islamic instruments in providing direct contributions to the financing of the economy, owing to their issuance based on real assets, properties or commodities, and their promotion of profit and risk sharing. Mr. GÖNÜL also stated that, due to these features, Islamic financial instruments also contribute to financial stability since they do not lead to debt accumulation and are not subject to market speculation.  Mr. GÖNÜL also shared Turkish and global experiences on Sukuk, Shariah compliant equities, and Islamic funds, and added that although these instruments are relatively new, they have been established in markets as a viable alternative to conventional finance over the last 15 years. During his speech, Mr. GÖNÜL also conveyed steps adopted by regulatory authorities to overcome the challenges during the launch and development of these markets, and emphasized the importance of international cooperation in these efforts. In line with latest trends, practical uses of Islamic finance especially in financing the green transition was also among the issues discussed by Mr. GÖNÜL during the panel.