On the strength of a 30-year legacy, the International Securities Lending Association (ISLA) plays an important role in the securities finance ecosystem by representing the common interests of over 220 members globally.
From developing market standards and best practices, to driving industry advocacy and regulatory outcomes, we have supported our members to ensure the industry, as a whole, can continue to grow and fulfil its fundamental role in the global capital markets.
As we move through 2026, our market continues to be reshaped by regulatory change. From the complexities of Basel III to the operational demands of SFTR and SEC 10c-1a, the pressures on costs, balance sheet, and capital efficiency are increasingly acute.
To ensure our services and strategy are aligned to the needs of our members, we launched a member survey in early 2026… You told us that uncertainty around capital frameworks and fragmented reporting remain significant barriers to efficiency and that you look to ISLA to, first and foremost, provide certainty and consistency through industry standard legal documentation, regulatory advocacy and industry best practices to support your commercial activities. At the same time, you asked us to be more proactive in championing the value of our industry to the wider financial ecosystem, whilst also working more closely with our affiliate entity, ISLA Americas, and other regional associations to provide a harmonised advocacy voice that reflects the global nature of ISLA’s membership.
In response, we have already taken proactive steps towards shifting our approach.
Firstly, we have reviewed our near- and medium term priorities across our Advocacy, Legal and Digital teams to ensure they are aligned to the feedback we received. The outcomes of that process are outlined in more detail in this document and reflect key areas of our advocacy, legal and digital work, including Basel III application, UCITS, pledge collateral, EU Market Infrastructure & Supervisory Package, T+1 in the UK and EU, regulatory reporting and digital, crypto-asset regulations, new markets, Sharia-compliant lending, and expansion of the GMSLA netting opinion coverage.
Secondly, we have established Advocacy, Public Policy & Regulatory Strategy as a core execution pillar. This marks our transition from reactive technical analysis, toward a high-impact public policy strategy designed to proactively address regulatory change proposals and reduce the risk of unintended consequences.
Thirdly, our Events, Content & Communications team will now formally provide global support across both ISLA and ISLA Americas, ensuring our events and content truly showcase our work across both entities, while also delivering more cohesive output, reflecting multi-jurisdictional operating models, and addressing the growing demand for a unified global advocacy voice across regions.
