Recognizing the critical role of ethical values and standards on protecting the public interest, the International Federation of Accountants (IFAC) has developed new proposed guidance for corporate accountants and management worldwide. Its Professional Accountants in Business (PAIB) Committee has issued an exposure draft, Guidance for the Development of a Code of Corporate Conduct, proposing guidance to assist professional accountants and others in establishing and implementing codes of conduct in their organizations. The exposure draft may be viewed by going to https://www.ifac.org/EDs.

"The goal of this proposed new guidance is to support sound corporate governance policies worldwide," emphasizes IFAC President Graham Ward. "The publication draws greater attention to the need for corporate codes of conduct and provides practical guidance on the scope and implementation of such codes."

The proposed guidance highlights the benefits of an effective code of conduct and identifies the professional accountant's role in the development, monitoring, reinforcement, and reporting of such codes in their organizations. To assist in the creation of codes of conduct, the guidance includes information on presentation and content, organizational and management challenges, and implementing a code of conduct in a global organization.

The new guidance identifies a three-stage approach to the development and implementation of codes of conduct: managing for compliance, managing stakeholder relations and creating a values-based organization, in which the values and principles permeate the organization and are enduring. 

"Effective codes of conduct are a vital component of an organization's control systems. This new publication will enable professional accountants, who are responsible for internal control and risk management, to work with senior management to develop such codes, which, in turn, will support the control, direction and evaluation of their organizations' performance," states PAIB Committee Chair Bill Connell. "It is intended not only for professional accountants working in business and industry, but also for those in the not-for-profit and government sectors."

How to Comment

Comments on the exposure draft are requested by April 15, 2006. These comments will assist the Professional Accountants in Business in modifying and/or augmenting the guidance to improve its usefulness and relevancy. Comments may be submitted by email to EDComments@ifac.org. They can also be faxed to the attention of the PAIB Committee Technical Manager at +1-212-286-9570 or mailed to the PAIB Committee Technical Manager at 545 Fifth Avenue, 14th Floor, New York, NY 10017, USA. All comments will be considered a matter of public record.

About IFAC

IFAC is the worldwide 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's current membership consists of over 160 professional accountancy bodies in 120 countries, representing more than 2.5 million accountants in public practice, education, government service, industry and commerce. In addition to developing guidance to support professional accountants in business, IFAC, through its independent standard-setting boards, sets international standards of ethics, auditing and assurance, education and public sector accounting.

The involvement of related parties, such as directors, owners, and management, in major corporate scandals encouraged the International Auditing and Assurance Standards Board (IAASB) of the International Federation of Accountants (IFAC) to review its current auditing standard on the subject. The IAASB has just issued an exposure draft (ED), proposed International Standard on Auditing (ISA) 550 (Revised), Related Parties, as a result of its review, and is inviting comments on proposed requirements for auditors regarding the audit of related party relationships and transactions.

The current standard requires the auditor to perform certain specified procedures. The proposed standard would extend current practice by requiring the auditor to obtain an understanding of the nature and business rationale of an entity's related party relationships and transactions sufficient to identify, assess and respond to the risks of material misstatement resulting from them. It also places greater emphasis on the difficult task for the auditor of attempting to identify related party relationships and transactions not identified or disclosed by management. The proposed standard places new emphasis on evaluating the effects of related party relationships and transactions on the financial statements, even in circumstances where the financial reporting framework does not establish related party accounting or disclosure requirements.

John Kellas, Chairman of the IAASB, explains: "The proposed standard gives greater recognition to the particular risks associated with related parties and calls on the auditor to do more work to identify related parties and the rationale for the transactions between them and the audit client."

How to Comment

Comments on the exposure draft are requested by April 30, 2006. The exposure draft may be viewed online. Comments may be submitted by email. They can also be faxed to the attention of the IAASB Technical Director at +1-212-286-9570 or mailed to the IAASB Technical Director at 545 Fifth Avenue, 14th Floor, New York, NY 10017, USA. All comments will be considered a matter of public record and will ultimately be posted on IFAC's website.

About IAASB and IFAC

The objective of the IAASB, an independent standard-setting board within IFAC, is to serve the public interest by setting high quality auditing and assurance standards and by facilitating the convergence of international and national standards, thereby enhancing the quality and uniformity of practice throughout the world and strengthening public confidence in the global auditing and assurance profession. The international Public Interest Oversight Board* oversees the activities of the IAASB and, as one element of that oversight, establishes the criteria for its due process and working procedures.

IFAC is the worldwide organization for the accountancy profession dedicated to serving the public interest by strengthening the profession and contributing to the development of strong international economies. Its current membership consists of over 160 professional accountancy bodies in 120 countries, representing more than 2.5 million accountants in public practice, education, government service, industry and commerce. In addition to setting international auditing and assurance standards through the IAASB, IFAC sets ethics, education, and public sector accounting standards and develops guidance to encourage high-quality performance by professional accountants in business.

* Note to Editors The international Public Interest Oversight Board was formally established in February 2005 to oversee IFAC's auditing and assurance, ethics, and education standard-setting activities as well as the IFAC Member Body Compliance Program. The objective of the PIOB is to increase confidence of investors and others that such activities, including the setting of standards by the IAASB, are properly responsive to the public interest. PIOB members are nominated by international institutions and regulatory bodies.