The Global Accounting Alliance (GAA) board met in Mexico City last month. Key announcements were as follows: 
 

• The GAA has successfully increased member benefits and value added services through overseas support mechanisms. It has also promoted the international portability of qualifications while always ensuring public interest is retained 
   
  
• The GAA’s focus for 2008 and beyond is on leadership on issues of convergence in particular in the capital markets; relationships with the global firms; relationships with regulators; and liabilty reform in respect of sharing information on what has been achieved in Australia 
   
  
• The GAA will present a leadership paper in mid 2008 with views of key personnel within the major regulator bodies  
   
  
• Excluding the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, in principle an agreement has been reached that local tax and company law will no longer be required for GAA members, unless they are a principal in a public practice firm or need to for registration purposes, in order to seek membership of each others' Institutes. Formal approval from boards and councils is being reached  
   
  
• Each member’s Chartered Accountants education program will now be recognised equally  
   
  
• Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales reported back on the European common content program being developed for accounting education.

• The Institute: GAA
• The GAA: Website