Intergovernmental Working Group of Experts on International Standards of Accounting and Reporting
The Intergovernmental Working Group of Experts on International Standards of Accounting and Reporting (ISAR) is hosted by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD). ISAR was created in 1982 by the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC).[1] The mission of ISAR is to facilitate investment, development and economic stability by promoting good practices in corporate transparency and accounting.
Annual sessions
The Working Group holds its annual sessions at the United Nations Office at Geneva, Switzerland. The annual sessions involve several hundred delegates from more than half of UN member States. Participants include: policymakers, regulators, and representatives from academia, civil society, private industry and various national, regional and international accountancy organizations.
Areas of work
ISAR is focused on a number of areas of financial and non-financial corporate reporting, including:
- Implementation of International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS)
- Accounting by Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs)
- Corporate governance disclosure
- Corporate responsibility reporting
- Environmental accounting and reporting
Reports and publications
The ISAR Group of Experts produces a number of research and voluntary guidance documents. Each year, UNCTAD publishes ISAR's latest research papers in the annual review International Accounting and Reporting Issues. The work of ISAR is freely available for download from the UNCTAD website. The research and guidance documents are also widely distributed through on-the-ground workshops and training programmes around the world.
Voluntary guidance publications include:
- (2008) Guidance on Corporate Responsibility Indicators in Annual Reports
- (2006) Guidance on Good Practices in Corporate Governance Disclosure
- (2003) Accounting and Financial Reporting Guidelines for Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (SMEGA) Level 3 Guidance
References
- ↑ ECOSOC resolution 1982/67