IFAC Convenes Critical Players in Middle East North Africa Region to Drive Progress in Sustainability Reporting and Assurance

The International Federation of Accountants (IFAC) in partnership with the Emirates Association for Accountants & Auditors (EAAA) and under the patronage of H.E. Abdulla bin Touq Al Marri, Minister of Economy, this week convened regional and global leaders representing finance, accountancy, securities and audit regulators, the investment community, and the standard setting community with the aim of advancing sustainability reporting, assurance, and capacity building in the Middle East North Africa region (MENA).

The event, IFAC Connects MENA, is the third in a series of IFAC Connects events created by IFAC around the world to encourage broad, solutions-oriented dialogue about key regional issues with global impact. IFAC recently held similar events in Singapore and in Bogota, Colombia, and in each of these cases collaborated with local professional accountancy organizations as well as the Forum of Firms -- an association of international networks of accounting firms that promotes consistent and high-quality standards of financial reporting and auditing practices worldwide.

Lee White, IFAC Chief Executive Officer, said, “Connected learning, innovation, a strong collective voice and commitment to the public interest are central characteristics of IFAC’s members, and critical to driving positive momentum. Moreover, in order to respond meaningfully to global challenges related to climate and sustainability matters, we need alignment and cooperation between governments, regulators, standard setters, and the accountancy profession.”

His Excellency Saif Al-Muheiri, Chairman of the Emirates Association for Accountants and Auditors (EAAA), said: “The accountancy profession that EAAA represents in the UAE is critical to how corporate reporting evolves to incorporate sustainability-related information, especially for use in capital allocation and investment decisions. Our skills with data, systems, processes and analysis are critical to this transformation which will create an ongoing dialogue with important regulatory bodies such as the Ministry of Economy.”

IFAC recently released its latest report, Beyond the G20: The State of Play in Sustainability Disclosure & Assurance, which provides a focal point for discussions between accounting, regulatory, and policy leaders and has a specific focus on the unique challenges and opportunities faced by six representative jurisdictions from MENA.

To advance the sustainability transformation or for more information about this conference or IFAC Connects events, please contact the office of Chief Executive Officer Lee White at Communications@IFAC.org.

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Email: communications@ifac.org