Corporate Secretaries International Association (CSIA) Launches at Paris

CORPORATE SECRETARIES INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION (CSIA) LAUNCHES 20 PRACTICAL STEPS TO BETTER CORPORATE GOVERNANCE AT PARIS TODAY.


Corporate Secretaries International Association (CSIA) an International Federation of Company/ Corporate Secretaries registered in Geneva, Switzerland is being officially launched today at Paris. The member organizations of the association include International representative organizations from HongKong, India, South Africa , Australia, U.K., Singapore, Malaysia, Zambabwe, USA, New Zealand, Canada and many other countries which have expressed interest to join the association.

The purpose of CSIA is to improve professional standards, the quality of governance practices and to ultimately improve organizational performance. It also aims to advocate for good governance through carrying out research, developing standards and raising awareness. Developing and improving the services and professionalism of members of these organizations as well as working with International multilateral organizations and global business community to improve global business standards and establish universally acceptable principles of good governance are the main objectives of CSIA.

The President of Institute of Company Secretaries of India (ICSI), Mr. Vinayak S. Khanvalkar has been elected as the Vice-President of Corporate Secretaries International Association (CSIA) at its first Council Meeting held on 20th March, 2010 at Paris.

Mrs. April W.V. Chan, the President of the Hongkong Institute of Chartered Secretaries has been elected as the President of CSIA, while Stephen Sadie of South Africa and Peter Turnbull of Australia have been elected as Secretary and Treasurer of CSIA respectively.

CSIA will release at the Launch, a Research Report recommending 20 practical steps for Boards to improve their Companys Corporate Governance.

The details of CSIA including the official release are placed at www.csiaorg.com.

A media conference call is scheduled today on 22nd March, 2010 at 10.45 Paris time, the details of which are placed at the website.

Mr. Vinayak S Khanvalkar, President ICSI & Mr. N K Jain, Secretary & CEO, ICSI will be available for interview via Conference Call {1800 200 4397 (from India) & Participant PIN Code 823411 #}
Sd/-
Dr. Amita Ahuja
Senior Director
(Public Relations & Corporate Communication)
Telefax- 011-24604756 , Mob- 9717196255
Email-dprpp@icsi.edu

CORPORATE SECRETARIES INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION

Corporate Secretaries International Association to launch with publication:

20 Practical Steps to Better Corporate Governance
19 March 2010: The Corporate Secretaries International Association (CSIA) will release a research report on Monday 22 March recommending 20 practical steps for boards to improve their companies corporate governance.

The report coincides with the formation of the CSIA, which is a Geneva-registered body representing more than 70,000 governance professionals in more than 70 countries.

Corporate governance is undergoing much questioning given the serious governance failings that contributed to and sustained the financial crisis, said Phillip Baldwin, CSIA Steering Committee President and Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Institute of Chartered Secretaries.

We are creating a global professional organization one building on the strengths of territorial associations that represent corporate secretaries, who are on the front line in helping companies implement best practice corporate governance. Governance is as much about people, as it is about procedures. Corporate secretaries are part of the solution to improve corporate governance practices worldwide.

[Note: Phillip Baldwin and April Chan, President of the Hong Kong Institute of Chartered Secretaries and Company Secretary of CLP Holdings Limited will be available for interview via conference call on Monday 22 March at 10.45 Paris time. They will be joined by NK Jain, Stephen Sadie, Tim Sheehy, and David Wilson, CEOs of the Institute of Chartered Secretaries in India, Southern Africa, Australia, and United Kingdom. To dial in, please call 1800 052 112 (from Australia) 800 933253 (from Hong Kong) 400 681 5425 (from China) 1800 812 614 (from Malaysia) 0800 9414 56 (from France) 1800 200 4397 (from India) 800 120 4323 (from Singapore) 0800 983 093 (South Africa) 0800 358 4856 (from UK) and use the participant PIN code which is 823411#.]

CSIA will work to achieve broader recognition of corporate secretaries and governance professionals with worldwide organisations such as the WTO, ILO, OECD, IFC, WorldBank, EU and the UN. It will also promote the study and practice of secretaryship. Full CSIA members include corporate secretary associations and institutes from Australia, Hong Kong, India, Malaysia, Singapore, Southern Africa, UK/Ireland, and Zimbabwe. Equivalent professional bodies from Canada, New Zealand, and the US joined CSIA as affiliate members.

"The creation of CSIA is an exciting development enabling industry professionals globally to work more effectively together to shape corporate governance and develop unified best practice," said Jeff Sainsbury, EVP, Global Capital Markets, Computershare, a global registrar which provides a wide range of products and services to support the corporate secretaries profession and a CSIA founding sponsor.
Written by world-renowned Professor Bob Tricker, the report draws from nine experts contributions, including Sir Adrian Cadbury.
The 20 steps include:

Check that non-executive directors have the necessary skills, experience, and courage, and fully understand the company

Confirm the boards sound relationship with management

Check directors access to all the information they need

Consider whether the board is responsible for formulating strategy

Recognize that risk governance is a board responsibility

Monitor board performance and pursue improvement opportunities

Review relations with shareholders particularly institutional investors external auditors, corporate regulators, and societies the company affects

Ensure that directors remuneration packages are justifiable and justified

Ensure that company secretarys function is providing value

For further information contact:
Phillip Baldwin: phillip@hkics.org.hk
Marie-Vincente Pasdeloup : +33 6 20 46 00 14 mvpconsultant@gmail.com
James Spellman: james@jamesdspellman.com

Mission

To develop and grow the study and practice of secretaryship to improve professional standards, the quality of governance practice and to improve organisational performance.

Purpose

CSIA has been established in order to assist member organisations to:

Promote the professional status of suitably qualified chartered secretaries, corporate secretaries, company secretaries, board secretaries and other governance professionals. Establish and maintain good relations and exchanges between organisations dedicated to the promotion and practice of secretaryship and/or the promotion of good governance. Develop and improve their services and professionalism of their members. Assist in the creation of such organisations in countries or regions in which they do not currently exist. Promote the growth, development, study and practice of secretaryship and assisttheir members develop and improve their services and professional standards. Advocate for good governance through carrying out research, developing standards and raising awareness. Promote the recognition and influence in respect of secretaryship and its professional practitioners to national governments and their supplementary/sponsored organisations, international organisations and the global business community.How are we governed

CSIA is an association entered into the commercial register in Switzerland. It is governed by a Council of which any National organisation is eligible to become a full member. The Council then elects an Executive Committee to manage the operational aspects of running the federation.

What we do

CSIA represents a group of people that have a unique skill-set - a combination of legal, governance, ethics, business finance, accounting, secretarial, strategic and administration skills. The practitioners within our member organisations are charged with the responsibility of implementing good governance practices within their organisations. Accordingly, what we do is practical in orientation and applied in nature.

Areas of work for 2010
1. 20 Practical Steps to Better Governance CSIA will publish an opinion paper that will draw on published material and the experience of a large group of governance practitioners and academics from all over the world. The paper will attempt to identify good and bad examples of corporate governance culminating in a number of practical steps that an organisation anywhere in the world can take to help it on the path to better governance.
2. Working with the World Trade Organisation to introduce a separate Head in the Services Sectoral Classification List of the WTO.
3. Developing a Corporate Secretaries Toolkit for use in multiple jurisdictions.
4. Lobby at a national and international level to improve global governance standards and establish universally acceptable principles of good governance.

Office Bearers

President April W.Y. Chan
(Hong Kong member representative)

Vice President Vinayak S Khanvalkar
(India member representative)

Secretary Stephen Sadie
(South Africa member representative)

Treasurer Peter Turnbull
(Australia member representative)

Members

INFORMATION ABOUT THE MEMBERS INSTITUTES OF CSIA

Founder Members


Australia Chartered Secretaries Australia (CSA)


Hong Kong The Hong Kong Institute of Chartered Secretaries (HKICS)


India The Institute of Company Secretaries of India (ICSI)


Malaysia


Singapore The Singapore Association of The Institute of Chartered Secretaries and Administrators (SAICSA)


Southern Africa Chartered Secretaries Southern Africa


U.K.


Zimbabwe The Institute of Chartered Secretaries and Administrators in Zimbabwe
Affiliate Members


Canada Institute of Chartered Secretaries and Administrators in Canada


New Zealand Chartered Secretaries New Zealand Inc.


USA Society of Corporate Secretaries and Governance Professionals, Inc.


Contact Us

Corporate Secretaries International Association,
C/o The Hong Kong Institute of Chartered Secretaries,
3/F Hong Kong Diamond Exchange Building,
8 Duddell Street, Central, Hong Kong
P.O Box No.5647, General Post Office,
Hong Kong

Tel: +852 3426 3856
Fax + 852 2881 5050
Email: info@csiaorg.com
Website: www.csiaorg.com