The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission has announced that the SEC Historical Society, in cooperation with the commission and with the support of the Northwestern University School of Law, will hold a Major Issues Conference on Securities Regulation in the Global Internet Economy.

This is the first SEC-supported conference since 1984 that is devoted to examining broad policy issues in securities regulation. The conference will be held November 14-15 in Washington, DC, and will bring together more than 43 speakers to participate in five panel discussions, including David Brown, head of the Ontario Securities Commission.

The theme of Securities Regulation in the Global Internet Economy was chosen because the rapid development of a global marketplace requires a careful reexamination of the fundamental principles of securities regulation.

SEC chairman Harvey Pitt, who will address the group as the keynote speaker, said, “In the field of securities law today, there is no more important priority for securities regulators than to address the role of securities regulation in the global marketplace. This conference will play an important role in helping us set our regulatory agenda. We look forward to participating in the proceedings and discussing the important issues and challenges confronting today’s capital markets.”

Conference sessions will cover the entire range of commission responsibilities in the global Internet economy. Speakers at the conference represent a broad spectrum of U.S. and foreign securities regulators, stock market officials, accountants, lawyers, and academics.