UNCTAD is the United Nations focal point on accounting and reporting issues, which are both critical for attracting investment and promoting financial stability.
ISAR is an intergovernmental working group dedicated to assist member States to improving quality and international comparability of financial reporting and non-financial disclosure, such as environmental issues, corporate governance and corporate social responsibility.
It conducts research and policy analysis on related issues, as well as servicing the Intergovernmental Working Group of Experts on International Standards of Accounting and Reporting.
Technical assistance is also provided on capacity-building in the area based on its Accounting Development Tool.
Membership
ISAR allows for 34 formal members to serve three-year terms. These members include nine African, seven Asian, six Latin American, three Eastern European, and nine Western European and Other States. While sessions are open to all member and observer States of UNCTAD, ISAR is seeking to strengthen the role of formal group members in the ISAR agenda-setting process.
A special meeting of formal members is conducted during its annual sessions to facilitate discussions on key issues to be addressed in ISAR sessions. Note that ISAR membership carries no financial obligation of the part of member countries or UNCTAD.
ISAR’s current members are Algeria, Brazil, Burundi, Cambodia, China, Ecuador, Gambia, Germany, Guatemala, Kenya, Lebanon, Mexico, Netherlands, Nigeria, Peru, Philippines, Russian Federation, Saudi Arabia, Togo, Türkiye, Uganda, Ukraine, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, United States of America, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
The ISAR secretariat welcomes applications for membership from countries interested in contributing to the global conversation on corporate governance and reporting. Note that all member countries of the United Nations are able to send representatives to ISAR sessions, and that ISAR membership carries no financial obligations.
Become a member
ISAR holds regular elections two out of every three years. They normally take place around April-May. Delegations are invited to submit their nominations as early as possible, but at least 3 working days in advance of elections. The next regular elections will take place as follows:
2026 – 21 members
2027 – 13 members
2029 – 21 members
APPLICATION PROCESS STEP-BY-STEP GUIDE:
Step 1. Contact the Permanent Mission of your country in New York or the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the capital and request to submit a candidacy for election as a Member of ISAR, either as an endorsed candidate through your regional group or as a non-endorsed candidate by your Mission.
Step 2. The Permanent Mission needs to submit the application through the dedicated Candidatures and Elections (C&E) module on the edeleGATE platform.
Step 3. Provide a copy of the application to the UNCTAD focal point.
Post-Elections
Summaries of all formal ECOSOC meetings, including the terms of States elected to Council subsidiaries, are published in the UN Journal within one or two days after each meeting. Official summary records in the six languages will eventually be issued for respective ECOSOC meetings and these will also reflect any election results. Decisions on elections can also be accessed on the ECOSOC webpage.
The elected States are encouraged to send a communication to the focal point at UNCTAD with the contact details of the delegated expert(s) to represent them at ISAR related activities.
FOCAL POINTS:
ECOSOC
Ms. Emer Herity
Secretary of the Council
herity@un.org
UNCTAD
Mr. Edvins Reisons
Accounting and Corporate Governance Section
Enterprise Branch
Division on Investment and Enterprise
UNCTAD – Geneva
Edvins.Reisons@unctad.org
The ISAR team remains available to provide up-to-date information on the relevant contacts for ISAR membership application, as well as additional information about ISAR’s impact and agenda.
