The International Federation of Accountants (IFAC), the global organization for the accountancy profession with members and associates in 127 countries and jurisdictions, along with the World Bank, the Inter-American Development Bank, and the Global Public Policy Committee recently concluded the sixth annual Conference for Accounting and Accountability for Regional Economic Growth, or CReCER (Contabilidad y Responsabilidad para el Crecimiento Económico Regional) in Managua, Nicaragua with the support of the Inter-American Accounting Association, an IFAC recognized regional organization. The 2012 CReCER events were hosted and executed by the Colegio de Contadores Públicos de Nicaragua (CCPN), an IFAC member body.
This year’s three-day conference centered on providing quality financial information, which in turn supports economic development, and featured high-level global representatives and leaders in the accountancy profession. Attendance at the conference was high—more than 600 attendees and 80 speakers, including representatives from more than 30 countries from the region and world, participated.
“The discussions and debates that take place at CReCER each year drive strategic objectives and collaborative initiatives for the coming year,” said IFAC Deputy President Warren Allen, who spoke during multiple sessions at CReCER. “This opportunity to discuss how to advance the profession and ensure high-quality financial information in Latin America and the Caribbean is critical and extremely productive.”
The conference received a great deal of support and involvement from the Nicaraguan government. The Minister of Finance and Public Credit, Iván Acosta Montalván, and Dr. Paul Oquist, Minister, Private Secretariat of National Policy, both spoke during two sessions, highlighting the important developments and progress of the Nicaraguan economy and citing the crucial role of high-quality financial information to sustaining future growth. Comandante Bayardo Arce, Economic Advisor to the President of the Republic of Nicaragua, spoke at the closing plenary session, congratulating the CCPN and global partners of the CReCER initiative for holding such a relevant event in Nicaragua. He highlighted the importance of the accounting profession to increasing the transparency and auditability of public finances.
The conference included sessions on implementation of international accounting and auditing standards, integrated reporting, quality assurance and fraud. Additionally, many meetings were held in conjunction with CReCER, including regional standard setters meetings with Arnold Schilder, chairman of the International Auditing and Assurance Standards Board, and Andreas Bergmann, chair of the International Public Sector Accounting Standards Board, and a gathering of the presidents of regional professional accountancy organizations.
Presentations from the conference will be available on the IFAC website soon.
About IFAC
IFAC is the global organization for the accountancy profession dedicated to serving the public interest by strengthening the profession and contributing to the development of strong international economies. IFAC is comprised of 167 members and associates in 127 countries and jurisdictions, representing approximately 2.5 million accountants in public practice, education, government service, industry, and commerce.
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