The International Federation of Accountants (IFAC) today announced the opening of virtual registration for the World Congress of Accountants (WCOA) 2026, hosted jointly with the Korean Institute of Certified Public Accountants (KICPA) from November 17–19, 2026, in Seoul, South Korea. Virtual participation will give professional accountants, students, business leaders, policymakers, academics, and interested members of the public around the world the opportunity to take part in the global profession’s flagship event.

Virtual attendance includes:

• Live access to all main-stage programming, including keynote addresses, plenary panel discussions, fireside chats, and other main WCOA sessions.
• Live programming in Korea Standard Time (KST, UTC+9) for attendees who want to follow the event in real time.
• On-demand access to recorded main-stage sessions after the event through Whova, the official WCOA 2026 event platform.
• Perspectives from more than 30 global thought leaders, including Shin Je-yoon, Chairman of the Board of Samsung; Tom Hood, Executive Vice President, Business Growth and Engagement of AICPA; and Wes Bricker, Global Vice Chair - Global Chief Risk and Regulatory Officer at PwC. Session topics include, but are not limited to:
  • AI and the future of accountancy
  • Sustainable development and stronger institutions, and 
  • Attracting the next generation of leaders to the profession. 
• Flexible access from anywhere in the world, allowing registered virtual attendees to catch up on main-stage programming at a time that works for them.

Please note: Virtual registration does not include live access to concurrent breakout-room sessions. However, registered virtual participants will be able to access recordings of these sessions through Whova following the event.

“WCOA has always been about bringing the global profession together, and virtual participation allows us to extend those conversations far beyond the room in Seoul,” said Lee White, Chief Executive Officer of IFAC. “Whether joining live or watching on demand from another part of the world, participants will hear different perspectives on the issues shaping our future and be part of a truly global conversation.”

"We are delighted to host the first WCOA Congress under its new biennial format here in Seoul, bringing together representatives from around the world," said President Woon-Youl Choi of KICPA. "We hope this Congress sparks in-depth discussion on accounting, auditing, and sustainability, as well as the challenges and opportunities of AI-driven digital transformation, and that Korea's experience strengthening accounting transparency can help shape new value for future generations."

Under the theme “Together for a Connected Tomorrow,” WCOA 2026 will bring together leaders from the accountancy profession and the wider financial ecosystem to explore the forces transforming economies, institutions, businesses, and the profession itself. 

Register for virtual access to WCOA 2026 

For the latest program information, visit ifac.org/wcoa.

About IFAC

IFAC, by connecting and uniting its members, makes the accountancy profession truly global.

IFAC member organizations are champions of integrity and professional quality, and proudly carry their membership as a badge of international recognition.

IFAC and its members work together with the Forum of Firms and other key stakeholders to shape the future of the profession through learning, innovation, a collective voice, and commitment to the public interest.

About KICPA

The Korean Institute of Certified Public Accountants (KICPA), established in 1954 under the Certified Public Accountants Act, is the statutory professional body representing Certified Public Accountants (CPAs) in Korea. Guided by the principle that sound accounting makes economic fundamentals sound, KICPA works to build trust and transparency in Korea's financial markets. Through setting professional standards, ensuring ethical conduct, and supporting continuous professional development, KICPA enables CPAs to serve the public interest, promote sound corporate governance, and contribute to Korea's economic development. KICPA is a member of the International Federation of Accountants (IFAC), the global home for the accountancy profession dedicated to serving the public interest.

Emma Kotch joined the IAASB in September 2026 as an Associate, Executive Assistant.

Emma comes from a background in education, where she worked in a variety of roles spanning teaching, academic advising, and school operations. Most recently, she worked at Phoenix Charter Academy in Chelsea, Massachusetts, supporting the school’s day-to-day operations, coordinating schedules and logistics, managing student and family communications, and collaborating across teams to keep school-wide initiatives running smoothly. Emma graduated from the University of Wisconsin–Madison, where she studied Human Development and Family Studies and Psychology. Emma is based in our New York office.

The International Auditing and Assurance Standards Board (IAASB) and the International Ethics Standards Board for Accountants (IESBA) today released their 2025 Joint Annual Report, Building Trust Through Dialogue, Leadership, and Standards, highlighting a year of global engagement, strengthened collaboration, and continued commitment to advancing high-quality international standards in the public interest.

2025 Highlights

• 246 strategic meetings and other stakeholder engagements worldwide 
• 47 publications, including standards, consultations, handbooks, and implementation resources 
• 105 Board members, technical advisors, and volunteers from 27 jurisdictions 
• 83 translations of 40 publications into 35 languages 

Throughout 2025, both Boards focused on listening to stakeholders and responding to an evolving reporting environment. This included advancing work on technology and quality management, fraud and going concern, private equity investment in accounting firms, and firm culture and governance, alongside supporting implementation of recently issued standards, including those addressing sustainability assurance and ethics and independence for sustainability reporting and assurance. The Boards also expanded opportunities for global dialogue with stakeholders, including through the inaugural IESBA global conference, Ethics and Audit Independence, bringing together stakeholders to exchange perspectives on the issues shaping the future of the profession and international standard setting.

"For the IAASB, 2025 was a year of listening, learning, and preparing for the future," said Tom Seidenstein, IAASB Chair. "The perspectives we gained through our engagement with stakeholders around the world are helping ensure our standards remain practical, globally relevant, and responsive to an evolving reporting environment."

"2025 demonstrated that leadership is not measured only by issuing new standards, but also by supporting their implementation, anticipating emerging challenges, and engaging openly with stakeholders," said Gabriela Figueiredo Dias, IESBA Chair. "Those efforts continue to strengthen ethics, independence, and confidence in the global reporting ecosystem."

The report also highlights the continued evolution of collaboration between the IAASB and IESBA, including coordinated strategic planning, joint stakeholder engagement, coordinated implementation support, and technical collaboration. Together, these efforts help strengthen trust in financial and sustainability reporting and support high-quality global standards that serve the public interest.

"Building and maintaining trust requires more than high-quality standards—it requires collaboration and a shared commitment to serving the public interest," the Chairs said in a joint statement. "We greatly benefit from the insights offered by stakeholders as we shape our work priorities to ensure that our standards remain critical pillars of market trust and integrity."

The 2025 IAASB–IESBA Joint Annual Report is available on the IAASB website here.

About the IAASB and IESBA

The International Auditing and Assurance Standards Board develops auditing, assurance, related services, and quality management standards and guidance in the public interest that support consistent performance of quality engagements.

The International Ethics Standards Board for Accountants serves the public interest by setting high-quality ethics and independence standards that strengthen trust in the reporting and assurance of financial and sustainability information, organizations, and capital markets. 

The IAASB and IESBA are part of the International Foundation for Ethics and Audit. The Public Interest Oversight Board (PIOB) oversees IAASB and IESBA activities and the public interest responsiveness of their standards. For copyright, trademark, and permissions information, please visit Permissions.