Hard copies of the public sector accounting and ethics handbooks are now available to purchase and/or download: 2013 Handbook of International Public Sector Accounting Pronouncements and 2013 Handbook of the Code of Ethics for Professional Accountants. The 2013 Handbook of International Quality Control, Auditing, Review, Other Assurance, and Related Services Pronouncements will be available for purchase soon and is currently accepting pre-orders. Discounts are available for students, educators, and those living in World Trade Organization developing countries.
 

A new article, “IAASB Proposals for Enhancing the Auditor’s Report: Potential Impact on Audits of Unlisted Entities,” has been made available for publication by IFAC member organizations. The article aims to support auditors of unlisted entities by highlighting the specific proposals that are likely to affect them. The article can also be tailored to suit the needs of your organization and membership. This article, and previously released articles, are available on the IFAC Extranet (under Resources, see Member Bodies—Articles for Member Body Publication). If you plan to reproduce or adapt an article, email communications@ifac.org with publication details, including the title, when and where you plan to publish, and any changes tracked for our review. Email permissions@ifac.org for permission to translate.

 

The International Accounting Education Standards Board (IAESB) released its 2012 Annual Report, Enhancing Professional Accounting Education. The annual report highlights the IAESB’s work in the public interest to enhance the quality and consistency of accounting education practices throughout the world, and thereby strengthen the public’s confidence in the competence of the global accounting profession. It covers the revised International Education Standards (IESs) issued by the IAESB during the year, as well as the board’s progress on its adoption and implementation activities to support the revised IESs. The report also summarizes the IAESB’s outreach efforts designed to bring greater awareness to its projects and activities.
 

The International Ethics Standards Board for Accountants (IESBA, the Ethics Board) released its 2012 Annual Report, Connecting and Engaging with Our Global Stakeholders. The report includes a message from Jörgen Holmquist, the first independent chair of the Ethics Board, and details the board’s ongoing commitment to developing high-quality ethics standards for the global accountancy profession. It emphasizes the board’s further commitment to promoting and facilitating the adoption and effective implementation of these standards around the world, thus supporting professional accountants in their commitment to act in the public interest within their diverse roles in business and practice. It also details the board’s outreach activities and includes a report from Richard Fleck, chair of the IESBA Consultative Advisory Group.
 

The Professional Accountants in Business (PAIB) Committee released International Good Practice Guidance, Project and Investment Appraisal for Sustainable Value Creation. The guidance supports the accountancy profession’s facilitation of sustainable organizations, financial markets, and economies by providing guiding principles to manage the complexities of performing a robust project and investment appraisal. Greater rigor in the appraisal and decision process can be achieved by using the principles as a benchmark against which to assess an organization’s current practice.
 

IFAC is hiring for a number of different positions, including technical managers in multiple areas. While positions require a familiarity with the accounting profession and global financial issues, an accounting degree is not required for all positions. Visit Working at IFAC to learn more. Qualified candidates should send a resume and salary requirements to jobs@ifac.org.
 

• Macedonian—International Public Sector Accounting Standards (IPSAS) 1-25 (2012) 

• Romanian—Boosting the Quality and Efficiency of Smaller Entity Audits (2013)

• Slovak—Handbook of International Quality Control, Auditing, Review, Other Assurance, and Related Services Pronouncements (2012)

• Spanish—June Global Digest (2013), June IFAC Update (2013)

Recent and Upcoming Events
 

 

IFAC, along with the World Bank, the Inter-American Development Bank, and the Global Public Policy Committee, recently held the seventh Conference for Accounting and Accountability for Regional Economic Growth, or CReCER (Contabilidad y Responsabilidad para el Crecimiento Económico Regional), in Cartagena, Colombia. IFAC member body the Instituto Nacional de Contadores Públicos de Colombia hosted and executed the 2013 CReCER event. Themed Integrating Approaches to Financial Reporting to Advance Regional Economic Growth: An Exchange between Public and Private Sector, the conference drew more than 350 attendees and speakers and covered national and regional initiatives to advance adoption and implementation of international standards; global perspectives on the evolving role of auditors and accountants; recent capital market developments to support investment; and the future of business reporting, including integrated reporting.
 

The Professional Accountants in Business (PAIB) Committee will hold a PAIB forum on October 16, 2013, in Beijing, China, at the offices of the Chinese Institute of Certified Public Accountants. Anticipated sessions include the changing roles and expectations of accountants in business and the role of the accountancy profession in developing and supporting accountants as finance leaders. The forum will be preceded by the PAIB Committee meeting on October 14-15. Additional details on the forum will be shared on the IFAC website and in the next issue of the PAIB Committee eNews (register and subscribe).
 

The next World Congress of Accountants (WCOA) will be hosted by the Consiglio Nazionale dei Dottori Commercialisti e degli Esperti Contabili (CNDCEC) in Rome, Italy in 2014. Themed 2020 Vision: Learning from the Past, Building the Future, the 2014 WCOA will be held November 10-13 at the Auditorium Parco della Musica. More than 4,000 professionals from around the world will convene at this quadrennial IFAC event. WCOA 2014 will look back to explore the evolution of the accountancy profession and forward to showcase the innovations that will shape the future of the profession. Watch the video for more information on the 2014 WCOA. Register Now.
 

The WCOA also provides a global platform for organizations and firms to share their projects and visions via various sponsorship opportunities. For more information, please contact info@wcoa2014rome.com or Dimarco@wcoa2014rome.com.

 

 

 

The International Auditing and Assurance Standards Board (IAASB) released proposals to enhance the future auditor’s report. The IAASB’s Exposure Draft, Reporting on Audited Financial Statements: Proposed New and Revised International Standards on Auditing (ISAs), responds to calls from investors, analysts, and other users of audited financial statements in the wake of the global financial crisis for the auditor to provide more relevant information in the auditor’s report based on the audit that was performed. The IAASB’s deliberations on the proposed new and revised ISAs were informed by international research, two public consultations, stakeholder outreach including three public roundtables held in 2012, and the 165 responses to the June 2012 Invitation to Comment: Improving the Auditor’s Report. Comment Deadline: November 22, 2013 

The International Accounting Education Standards Board (IAESB) has published for comment an Exposure Draft of its proposed 2014-2016 IAESB Strategy and Work Plan. The IAESB’s proposed strategy focuses on projects and activities aimed at providing adoption and implementation guidance on the revised IESs to interested stakeholders in professional accounting education. This will assist IFAC’s member bodies in increasing the capacity and capability of the global accountancy profession, contributing to strengthened public trust. Comment Deadline: October 4, 2013

IFAC and the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy (CIPFA) have issued a Consultation Draft, Good Governance in the Public Sector, to promote the development of robust governance. The Draft looks to establish a benchmark for good governance in the public sector at both the government and individual public sector entity levels. This Consultation Draft was developed after an initial review of relevant governance literature and with input from a joint International Reference Group, whose members are listed in the Framework. Public sector representatives and other public sector stakeholders are encouraged to respond to the proposed Framework to help improve its applicability to public sector entities at all levels internationally. Comment Deadline: September 17, 2013