As economies face converging challenges, global solutions must reflect regional realities.    

That’s the purpose of IFAC Connect, a global event series from the International Federation of Accountants (IFAC), that brings together professional accountancy organizations, regulators, businesses, investors, and other leaders to share insights and work together to drive meaningful change. 

Lee White, Chief Executive Officer, and Manuel Arias, Principal, Introduce IFAC Connect

Now in its second year, IFAC Connect is a platform for engagement and action. Stakeholders share insights and develop solutions that align with global baselines, and local leaders are empowered to drive transformation.   

In 2025, IFAC will hold four events in the series across the globe:  

• Africa: Nairobi, Kenya. August 19-20.  
• Middle East & North Africa (MENA): Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. October 2.  
• Latin America (IFAC Connect Global): Mexico City, Mexico. November 12-13.  
• Asia Pacific: Jakarta, Indonesia. December 4.  

Lee White, Chief Executive Officer of IFAC said, “Through IFAC Connect, we work alongside our members and the Forum of Firms to promote international standards, share best practices, and collectively shape the future of the profession in service of the public interest and stronger, more resilient economies. 

To meaningfully respond to global challenges, we must have alignment and cooperation with governments, regulators, standard setters, and the entire ecosystem. As our profession’s our collective voice, we are key drivers of positive momentum by breaking across those sector silos and creating real progress.”  

Participation is by invitation only. Visit IFAC Connect for more information or contact your IFAC regional manager.

About IFAC  
IFAC, by connecting and uniting its members, makes the accountancy profession truly global.    

IFAC member organizations are champions of integrity and professional quality, and proudly carry their membership as a badge of international recognition.    

IFAC and its members work together to shape the future of the profession through learning, innovation, a collective voice, and commitment to the public interest.    

The International Federation of Accountants (IFAC) has launched a public consultation on targeted revisions to its Statements of Membership Obligations (SMOs), a cornerstone of IFAC and its members’ commitment to a strong and sustainable global accountancy profession. These requirements provide the foundational framework that supports the profession in upholding high-quality international standards and best practices.

The proposed revisions focus on key areas to reflect developments in international standards and reinforce the profession’s role in serving the public interest. When final, the proposed changes will require IFAC members to:

• Enhance Quality Assurance Reviews – Updates quality assurance review procedures to align with the International Auditing and Assurance Standards Board’s (IAASB) quality management standards.
• Emphasize Flexible Entry Requirements for Accounting Education Programs – Reinforces the evaluation of flexibility entry pathways into professional accounting education as outlined in the International Education Standards (IES).
• Evaluate Adoption of the IAASB’s ISA for LCE – Clarifies expectations for adopting and implementing the International Standard on Auditing for Less Complex Entities (ISA for LCE).
• Adopt IFRS Sustainability Disclosure Standards – Formalizes the expectation to adopt or work toward the adoption of all IFRS Standards, including S1 and S2, issued by the International Sustainability Standards Board (ISSB).

In line with IFAC’s commitment to delivering value to its members and upholding global best practice, IFAC invites feedback from its members, members of the Forum of Firms, Network Partners and other regional accountancy organizations, regulators, standard setters, and other key stakeholders. These insights are crucial to ensuring the SMOs remain relevant, fit for purpose, and aligned with evolving international standards.

Feedback can be provided via a response template form, available on the IFAC website. The consultation is open until August 8, 2025. Following this public consultation and IFAC Board approval, the revised SMOs are expected to take effect on January 1, 2026.

For more information and to participate in the current consultation, visit the IFAC website.

About IFAC
IFAC, by connecting and uniting its members, makes the accountancy profession truly global.

IFAC member organizations are champions of integrity and professional quality, and proudly carry their membership as a badge of international recognition.

IFAC and its members work together to shape the future of the profession through learning, innovation, a collective voice, and commitment to the public interest.

The International Federation of Accountants (IFAC) warmly welcomes the appointment of Ryan W. Wolfe as the new Chair of the Monitoring Group, and extends its appreciation to Paul Munter, outgoing Chair, for his leadership and service.

Lee White, Chief Executive Officer of IFAC, said: "The Monitoring Group plays a critical role in supporting and upholding the integrity of global capital markets and serving the public interest. Ryan Wolfe brings a wealth of technical expertise, regulatory insight, and a deep commitment to high-quality financial reporting and audit oversight. His appointment is a positive step for the continued advancement of the Monitoring Group’s reform agenda and its strong partnership with IFAC on behalf of the global accountancy profession."

Mr. Wolfe, a Certified Public Accountant in Virginia and Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) Charterholder currently serving as the Acting Chief Accountant at the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), brings over 20 years of experience from his tenure at both the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and as a Managing Director at Credibility International LLC.

IFAC also acknowledges the significant contributions of Paul Munter, former Chief Accountant at the SEC, during his tenure as Chair of the Monitoring Group, and congratulates him on his retirement from federal service.

"We thank Paul Munter for his leadership and unwavering dedication to advancing audit quality and investor confidence and the key role he played in the MG reform process. We wish him all the best in his future activities," concluded Mr. White.

IFAC looks forward to working closely with Mr. Wolfe and continuing to support the Monitoring Group’s mission to enhance international standard-setting in the public interest.

About IFAC 
IFAC, by connecting and uniting its members, makes the accountancy profession truly global.   

IFAC member organizations are champions of integrity and professional quality, and proudly carry their membership as a badge of international recognition.   

IFAC and its members work together to shape the future of the profession through learning, innovation, a collective voice, and commitment to the public interest.   

As the European Union (EU) moves to simplify its sustainability legislation, global sustainability reporting and assurance practices are evolving to meet growing demands for transparency, credibility, and impact.

Accountancy Europe and the International Federation of Accountants (IFAC), as representatives of the European and global accountancy profession, reaffirm their commitment to high-quality and consistent sustainability assurance. Achieving this requires a collective effort by all stakeholders, robust professional standards, and regulatory consistency.

Global baseline for consistent assurance

Independent external assurance enhances information’s credibility and supports investors and other users in making informed decisions. To fully deliver on this potential, a global baseline for assurance and ethical standards are vital to meet users’ needs and ensure quality, consistency and efficiency of assurance engagements. High-quality sustainability assurance, based on globally accepted standards, is critical to reinforcing trust and ensuring comparability and usefulness of disclosures across markets.

As a stand-alone, profession-agnostic and principles-based standard, the IAASB’s International Standard on Sustainability Assurance (ISSA 5000) could fulfil this role.

IOSCO recognises the potential of the ISSA 5000 and IESBA’s International Ethics Standard for Sustainability Assurance to enhance consistency, comparability and reliability of sustainability information provided to the market. The ISSA 5000 could provide a strong basis for adoption of a future sustainability assurance standard in the EU and beyond.

Level playing field

It is vital that all providers, regardless of their background, operate under an equivalent framework, ensuring a level playing field on professional assurance standards, qualification, ethical requirements including independence, quality framework and public oversight.

“It is absolutely critical for investor and consumer protection that practitioners outside of the audit profession are held by jurisdictional regulators to the same regulatory oversight, disciplinary responsibility and requirements that apply to professional accountants”, said Lee White, CEO of IFAC.

Connectivity for better decision-making

Connectivity between financial and sustainability reporting helps to provide a full picture of the company’s viability and performance. Integrated information allows investors, regulators, and other stakeholders to understand how sustainability risks and opportunities translate into financial outcomes.

The accountancy profession has provided assurance on sustainability information for over two decades, building expertise through professional standards and extensive experience in evaluating systems, processes and controls throughout companies. This is crucial for improving the connectivity between financial and sustainability information. Engaging a single assurance provider for both financial and sustainability reporting enhances consistency, efficiency, and the integration of financial results with ESG performance while reducing administrative complexity.

“When sustainability and financial data align, companies present a clearer, more consistent narrative to the market, enabling stakeholders to make effective and sustainable decisions. Statutory auditors are also well placed to provide assurance on sustainability reporting to support information’s connectivity”, said Eelco van der Enden, CEO of Accountancy Europe.

Notes to Editors

Contacts:

For Accountancy Europe
Nha Vy Nguyen, Head of Communications
Email: nhavy@accountancyeurope.eu

For IFAC
IFAC Communications
Tel: +1-212-286-9344
Email : ifaccommunications@ifac.org

About IFAC  

IFAC, by connecting and uniting its members, makes the accountancy profession truly global.  

IFAC member organizations are champions of integrity and professional quality, and proudly carry their membership as a badge of international recognition.  

IFAC and its members work together to shape the future of the profession through learning, innovation, a collective voice, and commitment to the public interest.  

About Accountancy Europe

Accountancy Europe unites 49 professional organisations from 35 countries that represent 1 million qualified accountants, auditors and advisors. As Accountancy Europe, we translate professional accountants’ daily experience from across Europe to inform the European policy debate. Accountancy Europe is in the EU Transparency Register (No 4713568401-18). 

The International Auditing and Assurance Standards Board (IAASB) today released its revised International Standard on Auditing 570 (Revised 2024), Going Concern. The revised standard responds to corporate failures that raised questions regarding auditors’ responsibilities by significantly enhancing the auditor’s work in evaluating management’s assessment of an entity’s ability to continue as a going concern. Effective for audits of financial statements for periods beginning on or after December 15, 2026, the standard will also increase consistency in auditing practices and strengthen transparency through communications and auditor reporting on matters related to going concern in a consistent manner.

ISA 570 (Revised 2024) introduces several key changes:

• Robust risk assessment. Auditors must conduct, in a more timely manner, thorough risk assessments to determine whether events or conditions are identified that may cast significant doubt on the entity’s ability to continue as a going concern.
• Evaluating Management’s Assessment. Auditors must evaluate management’s assessment of going concern irrespective of whether events or conditions are identified. In doing so, auditors must consider the potential for management bias and evaluate the underlying method, significant assumptions, and data used when management formed its assessment. Additionally, auditors must evaluate whether management’s judgements and decisions indicate potential bias.
• Extended date of evaluation period. The auditor’s evaluation period for going concern now extends at least twelve months from the date of approval of the financial statements, contributing to an assessment of more relevant, decision-useful information.
• Enhanced transparency. The standard requires clearer communication in the auditor’s report about the auditor’s responsibilities and work related to going concern and strengthened communications with those charged with governance and external parties.

“This milestone addresses calls from investors, regulators, and other stakeholders for more robust audit procedures related to going concern. It provides decision-useful, entity-specific information in the auditor’s report regarding the auditor’s work and responsibilities for going concern,” noted IAASB Chair Tom Seidenstein. “The changes in the standard further advance high-quality audits and help narrow the expectation gap, thereby supporting users’ interests and broader financial stability.”

To support successful implementation, the IAASB also developed a fact sheet and Basis for Conclusions, which are available on the IAASB’s website. The IAASB will also issue a frequently asked questions document and technical overview video to support the revised standard’s implementation.

About the IAASB
The International Auditing and Assurance Standards Board develops auditing, assurance, related services, and quality management standards and guidance in the public interest that support consistent performance of quality engagements. Along with the International Ethics Standards Board for Accountants, the IAASB is part of the International Foundation for Ethics and Audit. The Public Interest Oversight Board oversees IAASB and IESBA activities and the public interest responsiveness of the standards. For copyright, trademark, and permissions information, please visit Permissions.

• Consultation Paper seeks views on auditor independence matters pertaining to audits of Investment Schemes when these Schemes involve “Connected Parties”

• The consultation aims to inform the IESBA’s consideration of whether its International Independence Standards are sufficiently clear and fit for purpose for such audits

• The IESBA welcomes comments from all interested parties, including financial industry representatives, audit firms, experts, investors, regulators and jurisdictional standard setters

The International Ethics Standards Board for Accountants (IESBA) today issued a Consultation Paper seeking feedback on whether revisions to the International Code of Ethics for Professional Accountants^TM (including International Independence Standards^TM) (the “Code”) are necessary to address the independence of auditors when they carry out audits of Collective Investment Vehicles (CIVs) and Pension Funds (collectively referred to as “Investment Schemes” or “Schemes”).

Investment Schemes enable investors to pool their funds and often rely on external parties (“Connected Parties”) for functions typically managed internally in conventional corporate structures. This structure introduces specific relationships that are highlighted in the Consultation Paper and need to be carefully considered to ensure that any threats to auditor independence are identified and appropriately addressed.  

According to the Investment Company 2024 Factbook, total net assets of worldwide regulated open-end funds, which include CIVs, stood at around US$69 trillion in 2023. As collective investment structures continue to evolve and the number of investors and assets under management increase globally, the IESBA recognizes the need for robust and clear independence standards and guidance to maintain public trust in the audits of these Schemes.

“Investment Schemes play a critical role in both the savings and retirement of ordinary citizens and in the development and growth of our economies,” said Gabriela Figueiredo Dias, Chair of IESBA. “This underscores the high level of public interest, and therefore the fundamental role of the independent audit, in this segment of the global financial system. Through this consultation, we are inviting stakeholders to share their insights and perspectives on specific matters to ensure that our independence standards remain relevant and capable of consistent application across audits of these Schemes globally.”

Key areas of focus include:

• The definition of "related entity" in the Code and its applicability to audits of Investment Schemes.
• The Connected Parties that should be considered in relation to the assessment of auditor independence with respect to the audit of an Investment Scheme.
• The application of the Code’s conceptual framework when assessing threats to independence resulting from interests, relationships, or circumstances between the auditor of an Investment Scheme and Connected Parties.

The development of the Consultation Paper was informed by desktop research and stakeholder outreach during the course of 2024.

How to Comment

Stakeholders are invited to submit their comments electronically through the IESBA website by June 30, 2025. The feedback will inform the IESBA Project Team's report and recommendations to the IESBA on whether enhancements or clarifications to the Code are warranted.

For more information and to access the Consultation Paper, please visit the IESBA website.

The International Federation of Accountants (IFAC), which unites and connects professional accountancy organizations worldwide, has finalized revisions to the International Education Standards to embed sustainability throughout aspiring professional accountants' training. These updates reinforce the accountancy profession’s role in supporting high-quality sustainability reporting and assurance while upholding integrity and professional quality.

“IFAC and our members work together to shape the future of the profession through learning, innovation, a collective voice, and a shared commitment to the public interest,” said Lee White, IFAC Chief Executive Officer. “These revisions to the education standards ensure that professional accountants worldwide develop the right competencies to implement sustainability reporting and assurance standards effectively.”

The revisions to these foundational education standards establish a global baseline of sustainability competence, ensuring professional accountants worldwide are prepared to implement sustainability-related disclosure and assurance standards. This includes standards issued by the International Auditing and Assurance Standards Board (IAASB), the International Ethics Standards Board for Accountants (IESBA), and the International Sustainability Standards Board (ISSB), as well as those under development by the International Public Sector Accounting Standards Board (IPSASB).

As sustainability data and information become integral to corporate decision making and transparency, it is crucial that professional accountants are equipped with the necessary skills to provide high-quality reporting and assurance that meets the needs of management, investors, regulators, and other stakeholders.

Key Sustainability Enhancements

• Integrated Sustainability Approach: Sustainability concepts are embedded throughout the IES learning outcomes addressing initial professional development, ensuring professional accountants are able to connect financial and sustainability data and information.
• New Assurance Competence Area: Introduces learning outcomes that allow accountants to develop a strong foundational understanding of assurance fundamentals.
• Strengthened Business Acumen Focus: Enhances accountants' ability to assess sustainability impacts on business models, value chains, and organizational strategy.
• Enabling Behavioral Competencies: Reinforces skills such as decision making, adaptability, and collaboration.
• Expanded Explanatory Materials: Provides additional guidance to facilitate implementation by professional accountancy organizations, universities, and training programs.

Additionally, IFAC has modernized IES 6, Initial Professional Development – Formal Assessment of Professional Competence, to introduce two new principles, integrity and authenticity, and update the principle of equity, alongside enhanced guidance on hybrid and remote assessments.

The updates to the IESs reinforce IFAC’s commitment to strengthening the global accountancy profession through its member organizations, which proudly uphold their role as champions of integrity and professional quality. IFAC calls on all stakeholders to begin preparing for implementation, with early adoption encouraged ahead of the July 1, 2026 effective date.

IFAC also encourages its members and other stakeholders to request permission to translate the revised standards into their local languages. Request permission via the IFAC website here.

Resources for Adoption & Implementation

To support its members effectively adopt and use these revised standards, IFAC has developed a package of resources, including two fact sheets, a frequently asked questions document, and two Bases for Conclusions, which set out the changes to learning outcomes, including the rationale for what was changed and what was not.

Additionally, two webinars will be held in April, providing global audiences with an overview of the revised standards and their application, as well as an opportunity to address specific questions.

• April 29, 16.00 UTC – Register here
• April 30, 7.00 UTC – Register here

Each of the revised standards—IES 2, 3, 4, and 6—has been published in full ahead of the anticipated release of an updated Handbook of International Education Pronouncements in late 2025.

For more information on the revised standards, visit the IFAC website.

About IFAC  

IFAC, by connecting and uniting its members, makes the accountancy profession truly global.  

IFAC member organizations are champions of integrity and professional quality, and proudly carry their membership as a badge of international recognition.  

IFAC and its members work together to shape the future of the profession through learning, innovation, a collective voice, and commitment to the public interest.  

The accountancy profession stands at a turning point with equally exciting opportunities and challenges. As Accountancy Europe and IFAC CEOs, we believe it is necessary to enhance cooperation for our members’ benefit. This partnership reflects our shared commitment to support our members and strengthen our profession.

As a culmination of previous engagement, we spent time together at Accountancy Europe’s office in Brussels and explored how to align our respective member value and identified four potential workstreams around:

• Trust in sustainability disclosures: high-quality sustainability reporting is essential, especially in an ever-evolving landscape. Our profession will continue to guide companies towards reliable and comparable sustainability information for global investors and stakeholders, to serve as a catalyst for more sustainable business models, ensuring that ethics, independence as well as quality are not compromised.
• Ethical technological transformation: technology and AI are transforming the way accountants work, offering new efficiencies and capabilities. Our profession must continue to embrace these advancements and leverage them to enhance services and deliver greater value.
• The profession’s future: rapidly evolving markets bring unprecedented opportunities and challenges to our profession’s growth. Funding of professional practices, incorporation and networking cooperation are part of evolving organisational models.
• Pathways to the profession: new pathways to attract diverse talent to the profession must be created to ensure future generations of accountants are well-equipped to meet evolving demands.

Through coordinated efforts on these key matters, we will provide stronger representation, better resources, and a clearer voice for our members.

Eelco van der Enden said: “In a time of global challenges and isolationism temptations, it is crucial to demonstrate that the accountancy profession is united. Regional and global efforts are not only complementary but essential. Global issues do not recognise regional borders, and neither should our response”.

“I am excited to work again with Eelco in his new role, and to innovate how we deliver greater cooperation and value for our members. There are multiple opportunities. I am also committed to strengthening our partnerships with regional network partners in Africa, Asia, and the Americas, ensuring that our members and the global accountancy profession is united and well-supported in every region of the world”, said Lee White.

Notes to Editors

Contacts:

For Accountancy Europe

Nha Vy Nguyen, Head of Communications

Email: nhavy@accountancyeurope.eu

For IFAC

Jennifer DiClerico, Head of Communications

Tel: +1-212-286-9344
Email: jenniferdiclerico@ifac.org

About Accountancy Europe

Accountancy Europe unites 49 professional organizations from 35 countries that represent 1 million qualified accountants, auditors and advisors. As Accountancy Europe, we translate professional accountants’ daily experience from across Europe to inform the European policy debate. Accountancy Europe is in the EU Transparency Register (No 4713568401-18). 

About IFAC  

IFAC, by connecting and uniting its members, makes the accountancy profession truly global.  

IFAC member organizations are champions of integrity and professional quality, and proudly carry their membership as a badge of international recognition.  

IFAC and its members work together to shape the future of the profession through learning, innovation, a collective voice, and commitment to the public interest. 

The International Auditing and Assurance Standards Board (IAASB) and the International Ethics Standards Board for Accountants (IESBA) today launched an integrated effort to support effective implementation of their landmark standards aimed at advancing trust and transparency in sustainability reporting and assurance.

Taken together, the IAASB and IESBA sustainability-related standards, as well as the new IESBA standard on using the work of experts, provide a unified global approach to address the growing demand for trustworthy sustainability information to support stakeholder decisions.

These standards establish clear expectations for ethical behavior in sustainability reporting and assurance and provide more specific requirements for practitioners and organizations in relation to assurance engagements on sustainability information. The IAASB’s ISSA 5000 and the IESBA’s IESSA share five common goals:

• Equipping global markets with a cohesive package of standards. After robust and close coordination, the IAASB and IESBA developed comprehensive, interoperable global standards for assurance, ethics, and independence for sustainability assurance engagements.
• Offering a global baseline and leveling the playing field by meeting market demands and regulatory calls and expectations for profession-agnostic global standards.
• Providing a framework-neutral approach that allows ISSA 5000 and IESSA to be applied in relation to sustainability information prepared under any suitable sustainability reporting framework.
• Promoting informed decision-making based on trust and independently assured sustainability information.
• Mitigating risks of fraud, including greenwashing, and non-compliance with laws and regulations.

A Unified Vision for Sustainability Reporting

“The interoperable package of ISSA 5000 and IESSA represents an important evolution in global sustainability reporting and assurance,” said Tom Seidenstein, Chair of the IAASB. “These standards establish the necessary technical and ethical pillars to ensure that qualified practitioners could consistently perform high-quality assurance engagements on sustainability information.”

Gabriela Figueiredo Dias, Chair of the IESBA, added, “Ethics is the foundation of trust. With these standards, we are equipping preparers and practitioners with the tools needed to uphold integrity and foster transparency in sustainability reporting. Together, the IAASB and IESBA are setting a global standard for accountability and professionalism.”

Effective Dates and Next Steps

In jurisdictions adopting the standards, both ISSA 5000 and IESSA become effective for periods starting on or after December 15, 2026, with early adoption permitted and encouraged. The IAASB and IESBA will provide ongoing support through webinars, implementation guidance, and continued implementation monitoring and feedback channels to ensure smooth and effective adoption.

Stay updated by following IAASB and IESBA on LinkedIn or registering and subscribing to receive announcements directly in your inbox. For more information, visit the joint IAASB and IESBA web page: www.ethicsandaudit.org/TrustInSustainability

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

IAASB’s ISSA 5000: A Framework for Credible Sustainability Assurance

International Standard on Sustainability Assurance 5000 (ISSA 5000) provides a principles-based framework for conducting assurance engagements on sustainability information reported by entities. The standard is designed to:

• Enhance Reliability and Transparency: Focused on enhancing the credibility of sustainability information reported, ISSA 5000 addresses the growing need for assured sustainability information among investors, regulators, and stakeholders.
• Adapt to Global and Local Contexts: The standard is scalable and adaptable to regional regulatory requirements, such as the EU’s Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD), and can be used with any sustainability reporting framework, standard or other suitable criteria.
• Support Diverse Practitioners: Applicable to all assurance providers, ISSA 5000 ensures consistency and rigor, incorporating materiality concepts and proportionality for organizations of all sizes.

To support practitioners, the IAASB has released new guidance today, including an implementation guide, fact sheet, FAQs, and FAQ video series, and will hold a webinar series in the coming months.

IESBA’s Global Ethics Sustainability Standards: A Foundation for Ethical Mindset and Trust

The International Ethics Standards for Sustainability Assurance (including International Independence Standards (IESSA), the provisions related to sustainability reporting, and the new standards addressing using the work of an external expert in the International Code of Ethics for Professional Accountants (including International Independence Standards), establish a strong ethical foundation for sustainability reporting and assurance engagements. The standards are grounded in the fundamental ethical principles for reporting and assurance that underpin the provision of high-quality sustainability information by:

• Offering a coherent ethical infrastructure for sustainability reporting and assurance that is fit-for-purpose. The standards specifically address challenges inherent to sustainability information, such as the use of immature data and systems, and the forward-looking nature of the information.
• Mitigating unethical conduct, including greenwashing risks, particularly by raising awareness of ethical threats and helping practitioners address challenges such as: non-compliance with laws and regulations^TM (NOCLAR^®); pressure to act unethically; independence issues; and ethical risks relating to using the work of external experts.
• Enhancing investor protection and building trust in sustainability information by aligning best ethical practices among all practitioners.
• Promoting judgments and decision-making that help prevent reputational risks, foster an ethical mindset, and attract skilled and purpose-driven professionals.

Alongside today’s published standards, the IESBA has released Basis for Conclusions documents, fact sheets and technical overviews on the standards. Additional implementation support material and activities, including a series of webinars (see below) and implementation guides, will follow in the near future.

Upcoming IESBA Webinars 

To help stakeholders understand and use the new standards, the IESBA is holding a series of webinars at various times to accommodate a global audience. 

• IESBA Sustainability-related Ethics and Independence Standards 
  • IESBA Sustainability Overview and Sustainability Reporting 
    • February 18 at 14.00 UTC (9.00am ET)
    • February 26 at 01.00 UTC (8.00pm ET February 25)
  • Key Topics in the IESSA 
    • February 19 at 14.00 UTC (9.00am ET)
    • February 27 at 00.00 UTC (7.00pm ET February 26)
  • IESSA Independence Standards: A Deep Dive 
    • February 20 at 13.00 UTC (8.00am ET)
    • February 28 at 00.00 UTC (7.00pm February 27)
• Using the Work of an External Expert
  • March 3 at 23.00 UTC (6.00pm ET) 
  • March 4 at 13.00 UTC (8.00am ET) 

About IAASB and IESBA
The International Auditing and Assurance Standards Board and the International Ethics Standards Board for Accountants are part of the International Foundation for Ethics and Audit (IFEA), a nonprofit organization that supports high-quality, international ethics, audit, and assurance standards in the public interest. The IAASB and IESBA develop and issue their standards independently and in accordance with an approved due process and the Public Interest Framework, overseen by the Public Interest Oversight Board.

The IAASB develops auditing, assurance, related services, and quality management standards and guidance in the public interest that support consistent performance of quality engagements.

The 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.

For copyright, trademark, and permissions information, please visit Permissions.

On January 1, 2025, the International Ethics Standards Board for Accountants (IESBA) welcomed two new members following their appointments by the Public Interest Oversight Board (PIOB) in November 2024.

• Nancy Miller (USA), Managing Director in Risk Management - Audit and Independence, KPMG - “The opportunity to collaborate with a diverse group of accomplished professionals, to continue IESBA’s mission, is a unique and important role that I am honored to hold. I hope to bring my background, working in both very small and very large accounting firms, to support strong international ethics standards that fulfill obligations to comply with the underlying principles while drafting standards that are clear, operationally sound and can be consistently applied.” 
• Obichukwu Nwazota (Nigeria), Managing Consultant, UGN Consulting Services Ltd - “Accountants are profoundly essential to a sustainable economic future, providing financial and non-financial insights that drive decision-making across diverse sectors and levels, with far-reaching local and global impacts. To maintain the public trust and proper functioning of economies, high-quality ethical standards for accountants are critical. It is a great privilege to join the IESBA and contribute to the enhancement of its high-quality ethical standards and strengthening their implementation globally in the public interest.”

The IESBA also welcomed the appointment of Channa Wijesinghe FCPA (Australia) as the Board’s Vice Chair. Channa, the CEO of the Australian Accounting Professional & Ethical Standards Board (APESB), joined the Board in 2022. In addition to Channa, Mark Babington (United Kingdom), Christelle Martin (France), and Rich Huesken (USA) were all reappointed to the Board.

"It is my pleasure to welcome Nancy and Obichukwu to the IESBA. I also want to thank Channa for accepting the important role of Vice-Chair and congratulate him on his appointment, as well as Mark, Christelle, and Rich on their reappointments," said IESBA Chair Gabriela Figueiredo Dias, who added: "As we take on critical issues of global importance—such as ethics in sustainability reporting and assurance, accounting firm culture and governance, and expanding the scope of the Code—having a mix of new perspectives and experienced voices is essential. Nancy and Obichukwu bring fresh insights and expertise, while Channa’s leadership as Vice Chair, along with the deep knowledge of our returning members, provides continuity and strength to the Board. Together, this dynamic group will help us achieve our ambitious goals and continue to lead with ethics to make a meaningful impact in the public interest. I am looking forward to working with them over the next term.”

The PIOB’s Invitation for Applications for IESBA members for terms of service beginning in January 2026 will be open in February. The IESBA encourages qualified candidates to apply.