The IAASB’s chairman, Arnold Schilder, and Deputy Chair Dan Montgomery are featured in the Wall Street Journal’s CFO Report, where they discussed what the auditor can add to the understanding of financial statements.

The International Federation of Accountants today announced that Jörgen Holmquist has been appointed as the first independent chair of the International Ethics Standards Board for Accountants (IESBA), beginning September 2012 for a three-year term. The appointment has been approved by the Public Interest Oversight Board*.

“Jörgen brings a wealth of experience to the position of independent chair of the IESBA,” said IFAC President Göran Tidström. “In his past roles, as well as in his current position as a public member of the IESBA, he has shown strong leadership skills, technical competence, and a commitment to the IESBA and its mission to protect the public interest. I am confident that, under his leadership, the IESBA will continue to make a highly effective contribution to ethics standard setting as well as, importantly, adoption and implementation. I would like also to acknowledge the exemplary contribution and commitment Ken Dakdduk brought to the role, and to his position on the board, over the past seven years.” 

Mr. Holmquist has been a public member of the IESBA since 2011. He served as Director General, DG Internal Market and Services, European Commission from 2007 to 2010, where he was responsible for developing the European Union (EU) regulatory response to the financial crisis, including legislation and policy concerning accounting and auditing. Before joining the European Commission in 1997, he served in the Swedish Ministry of Finance for twenty years. Mr. Holmquist holds a degree in Economics and Mathematics from the University of Stockholm, Sweden and is a Fellow of the Weatherhead Center for International Affairs at Harvard University.

The appointment of an independent chair for the IESBA was recommended by the Monitoring Group in its “Review of the IFAC Reforms — Final Report,” which was issued in 2010.

In his role as chair, Jörgen Holmquist will provide leadership to the IESBA. A key function of the chair is to enable, encourage, and promote a deeper understanding by stakeholders and the public of the strategies and activities of the IESBA. The chair also leads the strategic direction of the IESBA, working closely with IESBA staff, and facilitates the deliberative and consultative processes that underpin the authority of the IESBA and the legitimacy of its standards and activities. In addition, the chair is involved in developing and maintaining effective relationships with national standard setters, regulators, and other key stakeholders.

“Convergence to a single set of high-quality ethical standards will contribute to efficient, sustainable, and vibrant capital markets and is in the public interest,” Jörgen Holmquist commented. "I look forward to advancing the IESBA’s current initiatives, as well as the recently announced additional workstreams, enhancing relationships with national standard setters, regulators, governments, and the public and promoting adoption and implementation of the Code."

*Notes to Editors
The international Public Interest Oversight Board (PIOB) was established in February 2005 to ensure that international auditing and assurance, ethics, and education standards for the accountancy profession are set in a transparent manner that reflects the public interest. The objective of the PIOB is to increase confidence of investors and others that such activities, including the setting of standards by the IESBA, are properly responsive to the public interest. PIOB members are nominated by international institutions and regulatory bodies.

About the IESBA
The International Ethics Standards Board for Accountants (IESBA) is an independent standard-setting board that develops and issues, in the public interest, high-quality ethical standards and other pronouncements for professional accountants worldwide. Through its activities, the IESBA develops the Code of Ethics for Professional Accountants, which establishes ethical requirements for professional accountants. The structures and processes that support the operations of the IESBA are facilitated by IFAC. Please visit www.ifac.org/ethics for more information.

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. IFAC is comprised of 167 members and associates in 127 countries and jurisdictions, representing approximately 2.5 million accountants in public practice, education, government service, industry, and commerce.

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IFAC CEO Ian Ball is featured in FT.com's Alphaville discussing the merits of accrual-based accounting.

The 2012 handbook is out of stock.

La Federación Internacional de Contadores (IFAC), una organización mundial para la profesión contable con miembros y asociados en 127 países, celebra la traducción al español del Manual de Normas Internacionales de Auditoría y Control de Calidad. 

Esta traducción única al español es el resultado de un proceso de colaboración de dos años y medio entre el Instituto de Censores Jurados de Cuentas de España (ICJCE), el Instituto de Contabilidad y Auditoría de Cuentas y un comité de revisión encabezado por la Federación Argentina de Consejos Profesionales de Ciencias Económicas (FACPCE), con representantes de organismos miembros de IFAC de Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, México, Panamá, Paraguay, Uruguay y otros interesados clave. 

La publicación traducida incluye una Tabla de Equivalencias no oficial que muestra las diferencias entre la terminología utilizada en España y la comúnmente utilizada en América Latina. También fue revisada por la Dirección General de Traducción (DGT) de la Comisión Europea para corroborar su aceptabilidad en la Unión Europea.

Según el presidente del ICJCE, Rafael Cámara, “los miembros del ICJCE están especialmente complacidos con la publicación y quieren felicitar a todos los participantes. Esta es la primera vez que se publica en España una traducción al español de estas normas internacionales de auditoría de alta calidad, y es la culminación de varios años de trabajo”.

Por su parte, Fermín del Valle, expresidente de la IFAC, afirmó: “Esta publicación es realmente un hecho memorable y será muy beneficiosa para los profesionales de América Latina. El español es un idioma importante a nivel mundial, que se habla en España y en alrededor de veinte países latinoamericanos. Muchos países latinoamericanos planean adoptar las Normas Internacionales de Auditoría y Control de Calidad y, para esto, será fundamental contar con una traducción al español”.

El Director General de la IFAC, Ian Ball, agregó: “Este proyecto es un excelente ejemplo de colaboración entre organismos miembros de IFAC para beneficio de toda la profesión contable y de auditoría. La IFAC agradece enormemente a todos los que aportaron recursos y esfuerzos para esta importante publicación. Esta traducción al español representa un paso esencial para promover la adopción e implementación de normas internacionales de alta calidad de auditoría y control de calidad de interés público”.

Los organismos miembros de la IFAC están trabajando juntos en varios proyectos relacionados. Recientemente, se firmó un acuerdo de cooperación entre el ICJCE, la FACPCE y el Instituto Mexicano de Contadores Públicos para publicar una traducción única al español del Código de Ética para Contadores Profesionales, emitido por el Consejo de Normas Internacionales de Ética para Contadores. Se espera que la traducción final se publique en la página de Internet de la IFAC en el 2012. También se ha preparado el borrador de un memorando de entendimiento entre estos tres organismos miembros de la IFAC con el objetivo de colaborar para lograr procesos sostenibles a más largo plazo para la realización de una traducción única al español de las normas internacionales y otras publicaciones de la IFAC.

La traducción fue publicada en España por el ICJCE y en América Latina por la FACPCE (Argentina). Para comprar copias impresas del manual traducido, comuníquese con el ICJCE enviando un mensaje de correo electrónico a auditoria@icjce.es o con la FACPCE a facpce@facpce.org.ar.

Acerca de la IFAC
La IFAC es la organización mundial para la profesión contable que se dedica a servir el interés público mediante el fortalecimiento de la profesión y la contribución al desarrollo de economías internacionales fuertes. IFAC está compuesta por 167 miembros y asociados de 127 países y jurisdicciones, que representan a aproximadamente 2,5 millones de contadores en la práctica pública y en sectores como la educación, el gobierno, la industria y el comercio.

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This Companion Manual provides member bodies and other professional accountancy organizations with guidance on how they can make the best use of the SMP Committee's four implementation guides, including adapting, translating, or incorporating the Guides into CPD courses and/or training programs. 

Download the related Guides:

The International Federation of Accountants (IFAC), the global organization for the accountancy profession with members and associates in 127 countries, welcomes the Spanish translation of the Handbook of International Standards on Auditing and Quality Control.

This single Spanish translation is the result of a two-and-a-half-year-long collaborative effort by Instituto de Censores Jurados de Cuentas de España (ICJCE) and Instituto de Contabilidad y Auditoría de Cuentas, and a review committee led by Federación Argentina de Consejos Profesionales de Ciencias Económicas (FACPCE), with representatives from IFAC member bodies in Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Mexico, Panama, Paraguay, and Uruguay, and other key stakeholders.

The translated publication includes an unofficial Table of Equivalencies showing differences between terminology used in Spain and that commonly used in Latin America. It has also been reviewed by the Directorate General of Translations (DGT) of the European Commission for its acceptability in the European Union.

According to Rafael Cámara, president of ICJCE, “ICJCE is especially delighted with the publication and would like to congratulate all those involved. This publication represents the first time a Spanish translation of these high-quality international auditing standards has been published in Spain, and is the culmination of several years of work.”

Fermín del Valle, former president of IFAC, said, “This publication is indeed a significant milestone and will be of great benefit to professionals in Latin America. Spanish is a significant world language, spoken in Spain as well as in some 20 Latin American countries. Many Latin American countries have plans to adopt the International Standards on Auditing and Quality Control, and availability of the Spanish translation will be essential in this regard.”

Ian Ball, IFAC chief executive officer, added, “This project is an excellent example of cooperation between IFAC member bodies for the benefit of the global accounting and auditing profession. IFAC is extremely grateful to all those who have contributed resources and efforts to this very important publication. This Spanish translation represents an essential step in furthering the adoption and implementation of high-quality international auditing and quality control standards in the public interest.”

IFAC member bodies are working together on a number of related projects. A cooperation agreement was recently signed between ICJCE, FACPCE, and Instituto Mexicano de Contadores Públicos to publish a single Spanish translation of the Code of Ethics for Professional Accountants, issued by the International Ethics Standards Board for Accountants. The final translation is expected to be published on the IFAC website in 2012. A draft memorandum of understanding between these three IFAC member bodies has also been prepared with the objective of collaborating to achieve longer-term, sustainable processes for a single Spanish translation of the international standards and other IFAC publications.

The translation was published in Spain by ICJCE and in Latin America by FACPCE (Argentina). Contact ICJCE at auditoria@icjce.es or FACPCE at facpce@facpce.org.ar to purchase printed copies of the translated handbook.

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. IFAC is comprised of 167 members and associates in 127 countries and jurisdictions, representing approximately 2.5 million accountants in public practice, education, government service, industry, and commerce.

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The Compliance Advisory Panel oversees the implementation and operation of the IFAC Compliance Program, which is the responsibility of the IFAC staff and operates in accordance with this agreed upon Strategy and SMO Revision Due Process.

IFAC CEO Ian Ball is quoted in the Economist on accounting standards and transparency in the public sector.