Accountancy Profession

Promoting high-quality reporting on the financial and non-financial performance of enterprises can help boost sustainable development and recovery from COVID-19.

A guidance tool developed by UNCTAD is making it easier to measure the private sector's contribution to global action for people and the planet.

Five national and two international initiatives that promote best practices in sustainability and reporting on global goals honoured.

​Reporting helps governments and investors to assess the economic, environmental and social impacts of companies on sustainable development.

Experts meet in Geneva from 1-3 November, to discuss the latest issues in international standards of accounting and reporting, including environmental and social corporate governance disclosure.

The private sector has a significant role to play in meeting the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and with the establishment of the SDGs in November last year, the accounting community now have a clear set of goals for their reporting on corporate sustainability.

As part of the 32nd session of Intergovernmental Working Group of Experts on International Standards of Accounting and Reporting (ISAR), UNCTAD held a workshop on the practical implementation of International Public Sector Accounting Standards (IPSAS) in the Palais des Nations, Geneva, on 3 November.

UNCTAD’s Secretary-General, government ministers, and other high-level officials stressed today that a sound corporate reporting infrastructure plays a crucial role in promoting investment, financial stability, and development.

Some 300 experts studied the challenges poor countries face in meeting international standards for transparent business operations and accounting rules. UNCTAD offered a “toolkit” to help.

A stakeholder meeting in Beijing last Friday (29 June) discussed the results of China's pilot test-run of the Accountancy Development Toolkit developed by UNCTAD. Participants confirmed the usefulness of the toolkit and the assessment exercise for China.