- Over 300 registrants have already confirmed attendance, including more than 100 in-person participants from 28 different jurisdictions and 6 continents, for the Lisbon gathering of global financial and accounting leaders
- Updated program features new sessions on Trust and Transparency in Capital Markets and the Rise of Private Equity in Accounting
- Over 20 confirmed speakers including top regulators, investors, standard setters, and business leaders
The International Ethics Standards Board for Accountants (IESBA) today announced the updated program for its 2025 International Ethics and Independence Conference, taking place on 15 September 2025, focused on the most pressing ethical challenges facing the accountancy profession and the global business community.
Keynote speakers include Maria Luís Albuquerque, European Commissioner for Financial Services and the Savings and Investments Union, Jean‑Paul Servais, Chair of the IOSCO, and Joaquim Miranda Sarmento, Portugal’s Minister of State and Finance. They join a distinguished line-up of over 20 global experts and leaders.
Participation is free, but physical spaces are limited due to venue capacity.
The full program, latest updates, and registration are available here: https://www.ethicsboard.org/iesba-conference-2025
Themed "Ethics and Audit Independence: Pillars of Resilience and Competitiveness in Turbulent Times," the conference will convene regulators, investors, standard setters, accounting firms, and professional and business leaders. It will investigate the central role of ethics in safeguarding trust and stability and supporting innovation amid disruption.
Program highlights include:
- Six targeted sessions, covering areas such as regulatory shifts affecting accounting and capital markets, accounting firm culture and governance, sustainability reporting, ethical tax planning, and the accountant’s role in combatting financial crime.
- Panels discussing the impacts of technological disruption, AI, and private equity investment, and analyzing their ethical implications in reshaping the accounting services industry.
- A global speaker roster featuring over 20 top voices from capital markets, accounting firms, regulatory bodies, and international institutions, including the keynote speakers.
As regulatory pressures evolve and innovation accelerates, the conference will provide a timely platform for exploring how ethical and independent practices can enhance competitiveness, bolster resilience, and maintain public confidence in business, the accounting profession and financial markets.
This conference marks IESBA’s inaugural global gathering around ethics and independence. It reflects the Board’s dedication to engaging worldwide and promoting its standards embodied in the International Code of Ethics for Professional Accountants (including International Independence Standards) – a benchmark adopted, used, or referenced in over 130 jurisdictions around the globe.
The 2025 IESBA Ethics and Independence Conference marks the beginning of the IESBA’s September Board Meeting, which will take place in Lisbon at the ISEG – Lisbon School of Economics and Management Campus.
The conference benefits from the generous support of ISEG – Lisbon School of Economics and Management, as well as the two Portuguese Professional Accountancy Organizations: OCC – Ordem dos Contabilistas Certificados and OROC – Ordem dos Revisores Oficiais de Contas.
This support is critical to making the conference in Lisbon possible, highlighting these organizations’ alignment with IESBA’s initiative to foster high-level international dialogue on timely and pressing issues for the accounting services industries, financial markets, and the broader economy.
About IESBA
The International Ethics Standards Board for Accountants (IESBA) is an independent global standard-setting board. The IESBA’s mission is to serve the public interest by setting high-quality, international ethics (including independence) standards as a cornerstone to ethical behavior in business and organizations, and to public trust in financial and non-financial information that is fundamental to the proper functioning and sustainability of organizations, financial markets and economies worldwide.
Along with the International Auditing and Assurance Standards Board (IAASB), the IESBA is part of the International Foundation for Ethics and Audit (IFEA). The Public Interest Oversight Board (PIOB) oversees IESBA and IAASB activities and the public interest responsiveness of the standards.
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