IFRS Enforcement and Governance Leo Goldschmidt Director of ECGI (European Corporate Governance Institute) OECD - Russian Corporate Moscow Governance Roundtable 11 November 2004
2 Enforcement Broad and narrow definitions –Prevention and then identification /correction of errors /omissions –Investigation of non compliance and its causes –Disciplining and sanctioning malfunction and fraud
3 Levels of enforcement of IFRS Internal – Self enforcement (preparers) –Audit (internal) –Oversight / Assessment /Approval (audit committee / board / AGM) External –Audit –Oversight / Assessment /Sanction (official / market/ press)
4 Primacy of Company 1st level of responsibility Other levels : failsafe Companies must have mechanisms in place to exercise that responsibility = Corporate Governance
5 Corporate Governance Set of principles, structures, mechanisms To ensure Companies are properly run Based on –Integrity –Fairness –Accountability / transparency
6 IFRS related CorporateGovernance Structures and mechanisms –Systems, infrastructure : organised, resourced departments Accounting Control Internal audit (1)
7 IFRS related Corporate Governance (2) Structures and mechanisms –Managerial and oversight organs : aware, responsible and active Management Audit committee Board AGM
8 IFRS related Corporate Governance (3) Structures and mechanisms –Procedures / Responsibilty : decision making, assessment, sign off –Authority : powers, reporting lines
9 IFRS related Corporate Governance (4) Conflicts of interest –Where possible : avoid and minimise –Where they subsist : manage & foster independence
10 IFRS related Corporate Governance (5) Tools : Examples –Separation of functions –Incompatibilities – criteria –Definition of reporting lines / Chinese walls –Disclosure (substance, process) –Whistle-blowing procedures
11 Other levels of enforcement Same principles
12 Conclusions Governance issues : Nothing new – same principles IFRS related Governance is relevant –both internally and externally to the company –both as framework and in concrete applications Primary aim of enforcement : to prevent, detect and correct errors in corporate financial reporting Primary responsibility for IFRS implementation and compliance lies with the company Corporate governance is not only relevant to IFRS, it is essential