Introduction

We are pleased to publish the programme and open the online registration for ICGN's 12th Annual Conference and Annual General Meeting which will take place in Cape Town, South Africa from 4-6 July 2007 with the support of the National Treasury of the Republic of South Africa and the Johannesburg Securities Exchange.

All the details can be found on this website through the menu above.

Our theme this year will be 'Corporate Governance - Seizing the Initiative'

The conference will debate some of the key issues in global corporate governance including hedge funds, private equity, shareholder accountability, board performance, the role of regulators, and whether the interests of stakeholders are taken into account in investment decisions. The two-day programme is structured to elicit a high degree of interaction between delegates and speakers in plenary, breakout and hot topic sessions. In conclusion, the conference will draw up a priority agenda for future action.

As usual, we will be bringing together an international array of speakers to discuss all the topics and air the issues that matter to members. Confirmed already are Runa Alam, Chief Executive Officer, Kingdom Zephyr Africa Management, UK, Jamie Allen, Secretary General, Asian Corporate Governance Association, Hong Kong, Mark Anson, Chief Executive Officer, Hermes Pensions Management, ICGN Chairman, UK, Daniel Blume, Principal Administrator, Corporate Affairs Division, OECD, France, Paul Boyle, Chief Executive, Financial Reporting Council, UK, Erik Breen, Head, Competence Centre of Corporate Governance and Sustainability, Robeco Asset Management, The Netherlands, Roel Campos, Commissioner, SEC, USA, Cheryl Ann Carolus, Director, Investec Limited and Investec plc, South Africa, Glenn Cooper, Chairman, Efficient Capital Structures (ECS), UK, Bill Crist, Partner, Governance for Owners, USA, Judge Dennis Davis, Judge of the High Court of South Africa, and Judge President of the Competition Appeal Court, South Africa, Alison Dillon Kibirige, Director, Masantili Graphic Designers Limited, Uganda, Patrick Dunne, Group Communications Director, 3i, UK, Michelle Edkins, Managing Director, Governance for Owners, UK, Jim Emery, Principal Advisor, Investment Climate, Private Enterprise Partnership for Africa, International Finance Corporation, South Africa, Peggy Foran, SVP-Corporate Governance, Associate General Counsel & Corporate Secretary, Pfizer, USA, Andrew Gilchrist, Partner, Egon Zehnder International, UK, Kayla Gillan, Board Member, Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (PCAOB), USA, John Githongo, Former Permanent Secretary for Governance and Ethics, Office of the President of Kenya, Kenya, Gavin Grant, Director, Global Corporate Governance Research, Deutsche Bank, UK, Noreen Harrington, Managing Partner, Alternative Institutional Partners, USA, Jean-Pierre Hellebuyck, Vice Chairman, AXA Investment Managers, France, Janice Hester-Amey, Portfolio Manager, California State Teachers' Retirement System, USA, Michele Hooper, Managing Director, The Directors' Council, USA, Hasung Jang, Dean and Professor of Finance, Korea University Business School, Korea, Keith Johnson, Chairman, Reinhart Institutional Investor Services, USA, Morten Kallevig, Deputy Director General, Ministry of Trade and Industry, Norway, Reuel Khoza, Chairman, Nedbank Limited and NEPAD Business Foundation, South Africa, Mervyn King, Chairman of the Global Reporting Initiative, and Chairman, King Committee on Corporate Governance in South Africa, South Africa, Roland Koestler, Supervisory Board Director, Vodafone, Germany, Jung-Hwan Lee, President, Management Strategy Division, Korea Exchange, Korea, John Lim, President, Singapore Institute of Directors, Singapore, Karina Litvack, Head of Governance and Sustainable Investment, F&C Asset Management, UK, Jon Lukomnik, Managing Partner, Sinclair Capital, USA, Jan Mahlangu, Co-ordinator, Pension and Provident Fund Policy, COSATU, South Africa, Trevor A Manuel, Minister of Finance, Republic of South Africa, South Africa, Erik Mather, Managing Director, Regnan Governance Research and Engagement, Australia, Charlie McCreevy, European Commissioner, Internal Market and Services, Ireland, Leon Michaelides, Head of Research , RMB Morgan Stanley, South Africa, Brian Molefe, CEO, Public Investment Corporation, South Africa, Peter Montagnon, Director of Investment Affairs, Association of British Insurers, UK, Brian Myerson, Executive Director, Principle Capital Investment Trust, UK, Jay Naidoo, Chairman, Development Bank of Southern Africa, South Africa, Nicky Newton-King, Deputy Chief Executive Officer, JSE Ltd, South Africa, Simon Osborne, Director Board Performance Unit, ICSA, UK, José Osorio, Partner, Jardim Botânico Partners, Brazil, Giulio Pediconi, Founder and Managing Director, Sodali, Italy, Daniel Pedrotty, Director, AFL-CIO Office of Investment, USA, Leonardo Peklar, CEO, Socius Consulting, Slovenia, John Plender, Senior editorial writer and columnist, Financial Times, UK, Mark Preisinger, Vice President, Sr. Director, Shareowner Affairs, Coca Cola, USA, Nassir Ramtoola, Member, National Committee of Corporate Governance, Mauritius, YRK Reddy, Founder, Yaga Consulting & Academy of Corporate Governance, India, Mavis Robertson, Chair, Special Projects Committee, Australian Institute of Superannuation Trustees (AIST), Australia, Carl Rosen, Head of Corporate Governance, AP2, Sweden, Keith Savard, Director, Global Economic Analysis, Institute of International Finance, USA, Ignatius Sehoole, Chief Executive, South African Institute of Chartered Accountants, South Africa, Helmut Sihler, Chairman (retired) of the Supervisory Board, Porsche AG, Germany, Anita Skipper, Head of Corporate Governance, Morley Fund Management, UK, Daochi Tong, Deputy Director-General, Department of Listed Company Supervision, China Securities Regulatory Commission (CSRC), China, John Wilcox, Senior Vice President and Head of Corporate Governance, TIAA-CREF, USA, Jeffrey Willemain, Global Managing Partner, Regulatory and Risk, Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu, USA, Simon Wong, Head of Corporate Governance, Europe, Barclays Global Investors, UK, Christy Wood, Senior Investment Officer, CalPERS, USA, and others to be confirmed. Do take a look at the full programme by clicking on the button at the top of the page.

All ICGN Committees will be meeting before the start of the conference to review their year's activities and plan their work for the next year. As an innovation in 2007, each Committee will hold an open session giving all our members the opportunity to engage in their valuable work. You will be asked to select which of these sessions you would like to join when you register for the conference. We will be also be holding a pre-AGM 'Town Hall' so that members have an extra opportunity to discuss resolutions to be put to the AGM. The conclusions of these meetings and the conference debates will be fed into our Annual General Meeting which will take place on the last day of the conference. The agenda and papers will be published in the Members' area on this website at the beginning of June.

In another new departure for the ICGN, we will be offering a limited number of bursaries from a Development Fund to provide subsidies for delegates to attend the conference with a priority for those from the Africa region. Those eligible to apply should be from low income countries, working in the corporate governance field, and committed to use their experience at the ICGN annual conference to further corporate governance reform. The number of bursaries which ICGN can offer will depend upon the size of the fund. Decisions on bursary awards will be made by the ICGN board in accordance with the criteria which have been agreed. Delegates will be invited to make a contribution to this fund if they so wish when they register for the conference.

We do hope you will be able to join us in South Africa, a country of amazing beauty and diversity. South Africa is a renewed and revived nation that is working hard to earn its place in the world as a prominent emerging market with an impressive commitment to corporate governance.

The conference will take place at the Cape Town International Convention Centre, situated in the financial heart of the city. All the arrangements in South Africa are being handled for the ICGN by the event management company, Successful Events (Pty) Limited. All that you need to know about travelling to Cape Town and arranging your accommodation whilst you are there can be found on the local information and booking website.

A social programme has been put together to ensure that delegates experience both the beauty of Cape Town and the uniqueness of its heritage. They will be introduced to South Africa at a Welcome Reception on Wednesday 4 July, and invited to sample the tastes, sights and sounds of Africa. The Gala Banquet and ICGN Awards for 2007 on Thursday 5 July will take place at Lourensford Estate, established in 1700, and arguably one of the most beautiful wine estates in the world.

An attractive accompanying persons programme has been prepared and provision has been made for delegates at the start of the conference, to take a trip to Robben Island. Go to the local information and booking site for more information about what is available at what cost.

As usual, the ICGN Annual Conference provides an unequalled opportunity to exchange ideas, network and make new friends. And if you would like further to support this premier international corporate governance event, please look at the sponsorship opportunities that are available.

We look forward to welcoming you in Cape Town.

Philip Armstrong

Chair of the ICGN 2007 Organising Committee
Head of the Global Corporate Governance Forum

Mark Anson, Chief Executive Officer, Hermes Pensions Management Limited; Bruce Babcock, President, ADP ICS - Europe and Asia; Professor Hasung Jang, Director, Asian Institute of Corporate Governance at Korea University; Paul Lee, Director, Hermes Equity Ownership Service; Jon Lukomnik, Managing Partner, Sinclair Capital LLC; Freeman Nomvalo, Deputy Director-General, Office of the Accountant-General, National Treasury of South Africa; Michael O'Sullivan, President, Australian Council of Super Investors Inc; Geoff Rothschild, Director: Government & International Affairs, JSE Limited; Anne Simpson (ex officio) , Executive Director, International Corporate Governance Network; Anita Skipper, Head of Corporate Governance, Morley Fund Management; Rhonda Stewart, Conscious Capital; Loren Wulfsohn, Group Secretary, Standard Bank Limited