IFAC Board Member Joan Curry tells us about the organisation and its work and priorities for the year ahead 

The International Federation of Accountants (IFAC) is the global voice for the accountancy profession. I describe it as the members’ body for members’ bodies. 

IFAC was established in 1977 at the 11th World Congress of Accountants in Germany. At that time, there was recognition that the profession needed a global voice and perspective.

Now, IFAC represents 180 member and associate organisations in 135 jurisdictions, including Chartered Accountants Ireland. Its reach extends to millions of accountants worldwide. 

At this high level, IFAC represents the public interest by advocating for, and amplifying, the relevance, reputation and value of our profession globally.

We operate across three pillars: supporting the development, adoption and implementation of international standards; ensuring the highest-quality education for the profession; and looking to the future to identify and respond to emerging developments so that we can ensure the profession is future-ready.

I joined the IFAC Board in November 2019 and am one of 23 Board Members from around the world. We govern and oversee the operations of IFAC, ensuring that its mission and vision are progressed through its organisational structures.

Coming into 2024 and as the world becomes ever more connected and integrated, our priority is to ensure the continuation and enhancement of trust and confidence in the accountancy profession. This is our North Star, both at a global level and in every jurisdiction in which our members operate.

To this end, we have introduced a set of reforms in recent years to help maintain the independence of standard setting.

There is now a structure that allows standard setting to be developed and delivered in an independent arena, rather than under the banner of IFAC. 

In creating this new structure, IFAC supports, monitors, promotes and advocates for the work of the standard-setting boards in developing independent standards across audit, assurance and ethics.

These standards are directed towards the areas of greatest public interest and underpin trust and confidence in the profession.

This is important in every sense but especially so given the global drive to develop sustainability reporting standards so that the profession can play its part in tackling climate change.

IFAC represents the profession in supporting the delivery of the G20’s Sustainable Development Goals and ensures our voice is heard on issues with global impact, such as climate change.

We will continue to be future-focused and to ensure that issues of importance to all accountants, including the younger generation, are at the heart of IFAC’s mission and vision. 

We recognise the diversity of thought and inclusion required to maintain the relevance of the profession into the future and the importance of our role in envisioning how the profession will evolve and the impact we can make in the years ahead.