Chairs of High-level advisory group announced

The International Accounting Standards Board (IASB) and the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) announced that Hans Hoogervorst, Chairman of theNetherlands Authority for the Financial Markets (AFM), the Dutch securities regulator and Harvey Goldschmid, former Commissioner of the United States Securities and ExchangeCommission (US SEC) have agreed to co-chair the high-level advisory group formed to consider financial reporting issues arising from the global economic crisis.

Mr. Hoogervorst also serves as Vice-Chairman of the Technical Committee of the International Organization of Securities Commissions (IOSCO) and is a former Minister of Finance in the Netherlands.

Mr. Goldschmid is the Dwight Professor of Law at Columbia University, United States. He served as an SEC Commissioner between 2002 and 2005.The advisory group will comprise of investors, regulators, preparers, auditors and other users of financial statements and will help to ensure that financial reporting issues arising from the crisis are considered in an internationally co-ordinated manner. Further details on the composition of the advisory group and scheduling of meetings will be announced shortly.

It is expected that the work of the advisory group will be completed within a four to six month period.

Recommendations from the advisory group will be jointly considered by the two boards. Any decisions to act upon the recommendations will be subject to appropriate and robust due process. In the interest of transparency, the advisory group will meet in public session with Web casting facilities available to all interested parties.