The International Federation of Accountants^® (IFAC^®) Nominating Committee issued today the Call for Nominations from Latin America and Caribbean for the Nominating Committee in 2017. The supplementary Call for Nominations sets out this upcoming opportunity for membership on the IFAC Nominating Committee.

The Nominating Committee is looking for a senior and highly respected member of the profession, with considerable international experience and general knowledge of IFAC and its activities, who is knowledgeable of the risks and opportunities having an impact on the global accountancy profession to fill the position of Nominating Committee Member. The Nominating Committee is particularly interested in candidates who previously served on nominating or similar committees in their region or have previous involvement with human resource functions, and also have experience in assessing candidates’ skills and qualifications with a high degree of impartiality. English proficiency (both written and oral) is essential.

This vacancy is open for nominations by IFAC member organizations.

“Volunteers are key to the effective functioning of IFAC,” said Nominating Committee Chair Olivia Kirtley. “We seek to have as broad a representation as possible to better reflect IFAC’s diverse, global membership and want to make sure that the Latin America and Caribbean region is appropriately represented in this important committee. We thank all our member organizations for their continued support and look forward to receiving their nominations.”

Candidates should apply online via the nominations database by August 1, 2016. Instructions on how to apply are available on the IFAC website.

It is anticipated that an interview for this position will be conducted by the Nominating Committee at a time to be determined once the applications have been received.

To access this press release in Spanish, see IFAC abre Convocatoria Especial para un Miembro de América Latina y el Caribe para el Comité de Nominaciones.

About IFAC
IFAC is the global organization for the accountancy profession, dedicated to serving the public interest by strengthening the profession and contributing to the development of strong international economies. It is comprised of over 175 members and associates in over 130 countries and jurisdictions, representing almost 3 million accountants in public practice, education, government service, industry, and commerce.

Last night’s decision on the UK referendum on Europe caught many by surprise; capital markets have reacted negatively, and we can expect them to continue to reflect uncertainty in the short term.

The withdrawal process could be a long and complex one, spanning a number of years, and the knock-on effect in Europe is hard to predict.

“Clearly, the UK, Europe, and many other parts of the world will be operating in a period of considerable uncertainty. The accountancy profession will have an important role to play in the myriad issues that will need to be addressed,” said Fayezul Choudhury, IFAC Chief Executive Officer.

IFAC recognizes that the effects of these issues will be pervasive:

• for companies addressing short-term risks and thinking through their longer-term plans;
• for regulators as they overlay the implications of recent developments on an already complex and fragmented regulatory environment;
• for capital markets as they seek to regain stability and an orderly process; and
• for governments as they realign public policies, particularly in significantly affected areas, such as taxation.

IFAC has consistently advocated for the importance of global cooperation and coordination, and of the need for governments to work together to support a strong, sustainable global economy. Regulatory cooperation and consistency, enhanced public sector financial management and transparency, the adoption and use of globally accepted, high-quality standards, and commitments to work together to address taxation matters are fundamental to finding solutions and outcomes that benefit all of society.

“IFAC has always stressed that governments, businesses, and the regulatory community across the globe must work together, cooperatively, to respond to the challenges being faced by our interconnected financial markets and economies,” said Mr. Choudhury. "Brexit makes this collaborative approach all the more vital, and the global accountancy profession must be engaged in bringing its experience and expertise to bear in many of the areas where work will be needed.”

About IFAC^®
IFAC is the global organization for the accountancy profession, dedicated to serving the public interest by strengthening the profession and contributing to the development of strong international economies. It is comprised of more than 175 members and associates in more than 130 countries and jurisdictions, representing almost 3 million accountants in public practice, education, government service, industry, and commerce.

The International Auditing and Assurance Standards Board^® (IAASB^®)’s new ISA^® 701, Communicating Key Audit Matters in the Independent Auditor's Report, and other revised standards designed to enhance auditor’s reports for investors and other users of financial statements, have been published in French.

The other revised standards consist of:

• ISA 260 (Revised), Communication with Those Charged with Governance;
• ISA 570 (Revised), Going Concern;
• ISA 700 (Revised), Forming an Opinion and Reporting on Financial Statements; and
• ISA 706 (Revised), Emphasis of Matter Paragraphs and Other Matter Paragraphs in the Independent Auditor's Report

In addition, three other French translations of International Standards on Auditing^® were published: ISA 800 (Revised), Special Considerations─Audits of Financial Statements Prepared in Accordance with Special Purpose Frameworks, ISA 805 (Revised), Special Considerations─Audits of Single Financial Statements and Specific Elements, Accounts or Items of a Financial Statement, and ISA 810 (Revised), Engagements to Report on Summary Financial Statements.

These standards are effective for audits of financial statements for periods ending on or after December 15, 2016.

The French translations were performed by the Chartered Professional Accountants Canada.

For an overview of translations of International Federation of Accountants^® (IFAC^®) publications, please visit the Translations Database.

The International Federation of Accountants^® (IFAC^®) today announced the selection of Certified Public Accountants Ireland (CPA Ireland) to partner with the Association of National Accountants of Nigeria (ANAN) and its training arm, the Nigerian College of Accountancy (NCA), to review and strengthen its study materials and examination processes.

NCA is a postgraduate professional college established in 1994. It is responsible for determining the standards of knowledge and skills needed by potential ANAN members and promoting the highest standards of competence, practice, and conduct. NCA provides tuition to 1,000 full-time residential students every year, as well as to part-time students through its mature students program.

In working with ANAN, CPA Ireland will review, update, and make recommendations for ongoing maintenance to the syllabus, study materials, and examination for NCA’s professional and conversion programs.

“CPA Ireland is no stranger to the accountancy profession in Nigeria, having worked with ANAN on a number of projects in recent years,” said Eamonn Siggins, CPA Ireland Chief Executive. “We have a strong understanding of ANAN, its position in the accountancy profession in Nigeria, and the Nigerian profession. We look forward to continuing our strong relationship with ANAN through this partnership to advance accountancy education.”

“Working with CPA Ireland to strengthen their training and examination will help NCA elevate their accountancy education in line with good practice, and position them to make a strong contribution to building public sector accountancy capacity as well as attract increasing numbers of students,” said Alta Prinsloo, IFAC Executive Director, Strategy, and Chief Operating Officer.

In 2014, IFAC received almost £5 million from the UK Department for International Development (DFID) to fund PAO capacity building in ten emerging countries over seven years. CPA Ireland joins other global accountancy organizations that have been selected to develop the profession in specific nations. Each partner organization was selected following global Calls for Expressions of Interest and an extensive proposal and review process involving multiple global organizations and the IFAC PAO Capacity Building Program Oversight Committee and Independent Selection Panel. Work stemming from these partnerships are currently underway in Ghana, Rwanda, Uganda, and Zimbabwe and a planned project in Kyrgyzstan is in development.

About IFAC
IFAC is the global organization for the accountancy profession, dedicated to serving the public interest by strengthening the profession and contributing to the development of strong international economies. It is comprised of more than 175 members and associates in more than 130 countries and jurisdictions, representing almost 3 million accountants in public practice, education, government service, industry, and commerce.

About CPA Ireland
The Institute of Certified Public Accountants in Ireland (CPA Ireland) is one of the main Irish accountancy bodies representing 5,000 members and students. The CPA designation is the most commonly used designation worldwide for professional accountants and the Institute’s qualification enjoys wide international recognition. Its current membership operates in public practice, Industry, financial services and the public sector and CPAs work in over 40 countries around the world.

CPA Ireland is active in the profession at national and international level participating in the Consultative Committee of Accountancy Bodies – Ireland – CCAB (I) and together with other leading accountancy bodies the Institute was a founding member of the International Federation of Accountants (IFAC) – the worldwide body. CPA Ireland is also a member of the Federation des Experts Comptables Europeens (FEE), the representative body for the main accountancy bodies in 37 European countries.

The Institute fulfils its statutory role as a recognised body by overseeing the professional activities of its members in practice, and insuring that education and training standards are maintained. As the first accountancy body to introduce a mandatory regime of Continuing Professional Development, the Institute ensures that all CPAs remain at the leading edge throughout their careers. The Institute provides a quality service to its Members and Students, which has been recognised through the award and maintenance of ISO 9001:2008. For further information visit www.cpaireland.ie.

About DFID
The UK Department for International Development (DFID) leads the UK’s work to end extreme poverty. They are ending the need for aid by creating jobs, unlocking the potential of girls and women and helping to save lives when humanitarian emergencies hit. For more information, visit www.gov.uk/dfid.

The International Ethics Standards Board for Accountants® (IESBA®)’s staff publication, Ethical Considerations Relating to Audit Fee Setting in the Context of Downward Fee Pressure, has been published in Spanish.

This publication was developed in response to stakeholder concerns about downward pressure on fees being a factor potentially adversely impacting audit quality. It highlights important considerations in the Code of Ethics for Professional Accountants (the Code) for auditors in relation to the setting of audit fees.

The publication will be relevant to auditors when considering tendering for a new audit engagement, or when proposing or agreeing to fees for recurring audit engagements. It may also be of interest to those charged with governance, preparers, regulators and audit oversight bodies, investors, and others with an interest or role in auditors’ work and their independence.

The Instituto de Censores Jurados de Cuentas de España performed this Spanish translation, which is a result of the Ibero-American cooperation framework, known as the IberAm project. Established in 2012, the IberAm project—which includes IFAC and its member organizations in Argentina, Mexico, and Spain—is an IFAC-authorized translation and review process that strives to achieve longer-term, sustainable processes for single, high-quality Spanish translations of international standards and other IFAC publications. The Interamerican Accounting Association, IFAC’s regional organization for Latin America and the Caribbean, is an observer to the project.  The project also involves a Review Committee of technical experts representing IFAC member organizations in nine Spanish-speaking countries.

An overview of translations of IFAC’s publications is available online in the Translations Database.

IFAC is pleased to respond to the UK House of Commons’ Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee’s inquiry into government accounts. In addition to IFAC’s overall comments and based on its understanding of the public sector reporting framework and arrangements in the UK, IFAC believes that it is a model to which other countries might well aspire. Alongside other countries that have strong public sector financial reporting arrangements (like New Zealand and Australia), the UK should see itself as a leader in this field.

The International Auditing and Assurance Standards Board (IAASB)’s new and revised auditor reporting standards, Reporting on Audited Financial Statements – New and Revised Auditor Reporting Standards and Related Conforming Amendments, designed to enhance auditor’s reports for investors and other users of financial statements, have been published in Spanish. This includes the International Standard on Auditing (ISA) 701, Communicating Key Audit Matters in the Independent Auditor's Report, and changes to other ISAs related to auditor reporting, as well as to those addressing the auditor’s responsibilities in relation to going concern and communication with those charged with governance.

The Instituto de Censores Jurados de Cuentas de España performed this Spanish translation, which is a result of the Ibero-American cooperation framework, known as the IberAm project. Established in 2012, the IberAm project—which includes IFAC and member organizations in Argentina, Mexico, and Spain—is an IFAC-authorized translation and review process that strives to achieve longer-term, sustainable processes for single, high-quality Spanish translations of international standards and other IFAC publications. The Interamerican Accounting Association, IFAC’s regional organization for Latin America and the Caribbean, is an observer to the project. The project also involves a Review Committee of technical experts representing IFAC member organizations in nine Spanish-speaking countries.

An overview of translations of IFAC’s publications is available online in the Translations Database.

Accountants in both public practice and industry play a crucial role in an organization’s success. But assessing, or even quantifying, that role is a complex endeavor. Understanding the relationship between using accountancy expertise and business performance requires consideration of what accountancy expertise entails and consideration of a wide range of performance measures.