The IOSCO July 1986 Paris Annual Conference was the first to take place outside of the American continents and on that occasion a decision was made to create a permanent General Secretariat for the Organization.

[4] IOSCO members are divided into three main categories: The organization is made up of a number of committees that meet several times a year at locations around the world supported by a permanent administrative General Secretariat.

It is composed of 35 securities regulators; Jean-Paul Servais, Chairman of the Financial Services and Markets Authority, is the chair of the IOSCO Board.

He is supported by three vice chairs: Dr. Mohamed Farid Saleh, Executive Chairman, Financial Regulatory Authority, Egypt; Shigeru Ariizumi, Vice Minister for International Affairs, Financial Services Agency, Japan; and Rostin Behnam, Chairman, Commodity Futures Trading Commission, United States of America.

This inclusiveness increases IOSCO's effectiveness and positions it to play a bigger part in shaping the global regulatory framework: The GEM has been allocated a seat on the IFRS Foundation Monitoring Board.

The IOSCO MOUs are considered the primary instruments to facilitate cross border cooperation, reduce global systemic risk, protect investors, and ensure fair and efficient securities markets.

[7][8] Additionally, IOSCO is a member of, participates as an observer in, or coordinates with a number of other international organizations, including the OECD, FSB, Financial Action Task Force on Money Laundering, IASB, PIOB, IMF, World Bank, and European Commission.