The Edinburgh Group

1. The Edinburgh Group

2. Agenda Edinburgh Group - background information • Vision/who are we? • Founding members • Constitution • Group Members • Role within IFAC • Key achievements • Working groups • Edinburgh Group Today The Edinburgh Group – Championing diversity and inclusiveness across the accountancy profession

3. Who are we? The Edinburgh Group is an association of 17 accountancy bodies from across the world representing over 900,000 professional accountants from Africa, North America, Asia, Australia, Europe and Latin America. Formed in 2000, the mission of the Edinburgh Group is to ensure that the development of the international accountancy professional meets the needs of its diverse stakeholders, reflecting progress in the global economy and society at large. To do this, the Edinburgh Group champions the interest of SMEs/SMPs, professional accountants in businesses and developing nations particularly within IFAC (International Federation of Accountants) The Edinburgh Group – Championing diversity and inclusiveness across the accountancy profession

4. VISION • With emphasis on issues relevant to SMPs/SMEs, professional accountants in business, and professional accountancy development, the Edinburgh Group: • Provides a forum to exchange views between parties interested in the international advancement of the accounting profession. • 2005 – The EG obtained the first ever IFAC International Forum to address SMP/SME and Developing Nations issues which was held in Prague. • Ensures that sectors of the profession are represented in IFAC in a proportionate, balanced manner and that the diverse character of the profession is reflected in its work. • Develops policy on key issues of interest to the Group and promotes their consideration and implementation by IFAC. • Explores collaboration between the members of the Group in the interest of their constituents. • Collaborates and engages with influential organisations, outside of IFAC’s membership, to promote key issues. The Edinburgh Group – Championing diversity and inclusiveness across the accountancy profession

5. Founding Members First meeting in May 2000 in Edinburgh, Scotland. The Founding members of the Edinburgh Group were: • ACCA • CGA (Canada) • CNDCEC (Italy) • ECSAFA (Eastern Central Southern African Federation) • IAA (Regional Organisation for the Americas) • ICAI (India) • ICPAI (Ireland) • ICPAI (Israel) • TURMOB (Turkey) The Edinburgh Group – Championing diversity and inclusiveness across the accountancy profession

6. CONSTITUTION In January 2004, the Group adopted a formal Constitution which incorporated the vision and the objectives of the Group The EG Called for the accountancy profession to be properly represented in terms of SMPs and to focus on the SME sector The Edinburgh Group – Championing diversity and inclusiveness across the accountancy profession

7. GROUP MEMBERS The Group is today much larger than the one that formed in May 2000. The current members are: ACCA IAA ANAN (Nigeria) IAI (Indonesia) CECCAR (Romania) IBR/IRE (Belgium) CNDCEC (Italy) ICAI (India) CPA Australia NBA (Netherlands) CPA (Ireland) OECT (Tunisia) CPA (Israel) SAIPA (South Africa ) EFAA SOEL (Greece) TURMOB (Turkey) • Current Chair is CPA Ireland and Secretary is ACCA The Edinburgh Group – Championing diversity and inclusiveness across the accountancy profession

8. ROLE WITHIN IFAC According to Bob Bunting, former president of IFAC, the Edinburgh Group played acrucial leadership role in promoting the interest of SMP/SME and proved to be a very authoritative and reliable “thought leadership partner” of IFAC The Edinburgh Group – Championing diversity and inclusiveness across the accountancy profession

9. Key achievements • 2004 - The EG prompted IFAC to upgrade the then existing SMP Task Force to an SMP Committee and to launch an International SMP/SME Forum which is held annually on a continent rotation basis. • In the course of 2009, the Edinburgh Group submitted a project known as the Global SMP/SME Congress (GSC) to IFAC. The GSC was intended to be an Independent international representative body of small and medium-sized practice constituencies of IFAC Member Bodies. While the GSC was not formally adopted by IFAC, the Edinburgh Group obtained a full review of IFAC SMP/SME activities which resulted in a number of recommendations • Ongoing - the EG will monitor the implementation of SMP task force recommendations The Edinburgh Group – Championing diversity and inclusiveness across the accountancy profession

10. EDINBURGH GROUP TODAY • 17 years after its formation, the Edinburgh Group is as dynamic as ever. • We want to work with, and support IFAC • A very ambitious programme for a Group which has so far proved that being small can well equate with targeting high The Edinburgh Group – Championing diversity and inclusiveness across the accountancy profession

11. EDINBURGH GROUP TODAY The Edinburgh Group works with various key stakeholders, including: • IFAC • IFRS Foundation • International Integrated Reporting Council (IIRC) • IAASB • PAIB Committee • SMP Committee The Edinburgh Group – Championing diversity and inclusiveness across the accountancy profession

12. EDINBURGH GROUP TODAY Exchange of Trainees Project • In 2012, the EG launched an Exchange of Trainees Programme in which SMPs can participate in a trainee exchange service. The EG recognised the limited opportunities for SMP employees to spend a period of time working abroad. Research • In 2013, the EG published its first research report on ‘Growing the Global Economy through SMEs’. The Edinburgh Group - Championing Diversity and inclusiveness across the accountancy profession