On October 12, 2023, the Canadian Securities Administrators
(CSA) and the Canadian Investment Regulatory
Organization (CIRO) published Staff Notice 31-364
(the Notice) containing their Annual Report
(Report) of the Joint Regulators Committee
(JRC) which oversees the Ombudsman for Banking
Services and Investments (OBSI).
Part of the JRC's mandate is to facilitate information
sharing and to monitor dispute resolution processes to promote
investor confidence in the dispute resolution service and investor
protection. The Notice highlights the CSA's continued efforts
to strengthen OBSI into an independent dispute resolution service
that closely aligns with OBSI's international ombuds service
counterparts, including efforts to create a binding authority
framework for OBSI that is fair, efficient, and accessible.