The Integrated Reporting Committee (IRC) of South Africa has released its latest technical paper Achieving Balance in the Integrated Report. The Paper discusses the role of the governing body, the meaning of balanced reporting, challenges and weaknesses, and lists some key considerations in achieving a balanced integrated report. Please click for access to the report on the IRC website.

The United Nation's Sustainable Stock Exchanges (SSE) initiative has launched a new searchable database of stock exchanges’ sustainability activities. to provide easier access to sustainability information on over 90 stock exchanges worldwide. The new database interface allows users to filter the SSE’s Fact Sheets for particular activities, and gives users a quick view of what markets provide particular sustainability instruments such as mandatory ESG disclosure or a sustainability themed bond segment. Please click for more information on the SSE website.

In addition, the SSE notes the following developments:

• Saudi Arabia’s stock exchange, Tadawul, has announced its voluntary commitment to promoting sustainable and transparent capital markets in becoming an SSE partner stock exchange (press release).
• The Nigerian Stock Exchange has published sustainability disclosure guidelines for the Nigerian market (press release).
• The National Stock Exchange of Costa Rica has created sustainable voluntary guidance to help issuers in preparing and disclosing information about ESG criteria (press release).

The Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) has announced a draft standard on tax and payments to governments for public comment. The draft standard is expected to make a pioneering stride in tax transparency by combining management approach disclosures on tax strategy, with country-by-country reporting of an organisation’s business activities and taxes paid. Please click for more information on the GRI website.

Mr Kawanishi became Director of International Activities at the ASBJ in 2013. From 2013-2016 he was Visiting Fellow at the IASB. In 2016 he became a full-time Board member of the ASBJ.

Mr Kawanishi follows Ms Liesel Knorr, former President of the German standard-setter ASCG, who was elected IFASS Chair in 2016 and who will hand over responsibilities to her successor in March 2019.

The ASCG and the ASBJ have issued press releases announcing the upcoming change in IFASS chairmanship.

The AAOIFI exposure drafts are the following (links to the press releases on the AAOIFI website):

• Exposure Draft F2/2018 of the Financial Accounting Standard - Ijarah
• Exposure Draft F3/2018 of the Financial Accounting Standard No Wa’ad, Khiyar and Tahawwut
• Exposure Draft G2/2018 of the AAOIFI Governance Standard: Sukuk Governance
• Exposure Draft G3/2018 of the AAOIFI Governance Standard for Islamic Financial Institutions

The three new IFSB standards are:

• IFSB-20: Key Elements in the Supervisory Review Process of Takāful / Retakāful Undertakings [Islamic Insurance Segment];
• IFSB-21: Core Principles for Islamic Finance Regulation [Islamic Capital Market Segment]; and
• IFSB-22: Revised Standard on Disclosures to Promote Transparency and Market Discipline for Institutions Offering Islamic Financial Services (IIFS) [Banking Segment].

More information is available in the press release on the IFSB website.

In addition, the IFSB has published Frequently Asked Questions for its four standards on capital adequacy, liquidity risk management, Sharīʻah Governance and Solvency Requirements in Takāful. More information is available here.