Accounting standards for complex resources of international organizations

Bergmann, Andreas; Fuchs, Sandro

doi:10.1111/1758-5899.12454

Publication type:	Article in scientific journal
Type of review:	Peer review (publication)
Title:	Accounting standards for complex resources of international organizations
Authors:	Bergmann, Andreas Fuchs, Sandro
DOI:	10.1111/1758-5899.12454
Published in:	Global Policy
Volume(Issue):	8
Issue:	55
Page(s):	26
Pages to:	35
Issue Date:	2017
Publisher / Ed. Institution:	Wiley
ISSN:	1758-5899 1758-5880
Language:	English
Subjects:	Decision-Making; ISPAS; UN
Subject (DDC):	657: Accounting
Abstract:	This article will describe the implementation of International Public Sector Accounting Standards (IPSAS) in UN System Organizations and consider technically controversial issues such as revenue recognition in more detail. Based on the IPSAS financial statements of 24 UN System Organizations, the article provides an overview about current funding schemes and key issues related to conditional contributions. Results show a heterogeneous funding mix for UN System Organizations while, overall, voluntary contributions remain the most important revenue source. The main accounting implication arises from conditional voluntary contributions with specified performance obligations, requiring an entity to defer revenue and recognize a liability. Although all analysed UN System Organizations report under the same accounting principles, there exist differences in the level of information concerning conditional contributions and outstanding performance obligations. The article concludes that IPSAS bears the capacity to increase overall financial accountability and to trigger management debates about issues such as resource dependency, topics being discussed by other contributions in this special issue. Overall it is argued that IPSAS shall not be seen as a mere technical exercise, but as a management tool to ensure a flexible funding scheme to successfully achieve an entity’s long-term objectives.
URI:	https://digitalcollection.zhaw.ch/handle/11475/10297
Fulltext version:	Published version
License (according to publishing contract):	Licence according to publishing contract
Departement:	School of Management and Law
Organisational Unit:	Institute of Public Management (IVM)
Appears in collections:	Publikationen School of Management and Law

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Bergmann, A., & Fuchs, S. (2017). Accounting standards for complex resources of international organizations. Global Policy, 8(55), 26–35. https://doi.org/10.1111/1758-5899.12454

Bergmann, A. and Fuchs, S. (2017) ‘Accounting standards for complex resources of international organizations’, Global Policy, 8(55), pp. 26–35. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1111/1758-5899.12454.

A. Bergmann and S. Fuchs, “Accounting standards for complex resources of international organizations,” Global Policy, vol. 8, no. 55, pp. 26–35, 2017, doi: 10.1111/1758-5899.12454.

BERGMANN, Andreas und Sandro FUCHS, 2017. Accounting standards for complex resources of international organizations. Global Policy. 2017. Bd. 8, Nr. 55, S. 26–35. DOI 10.1111/1758-5899.12454

Bergmann, Andreas, and Sandro Fuchs. 2017. “Accounting Standards for Complex Resources of International Organizations.” Global Policy 8 (55): 26–35. https://doi.org/10.1111/1758-5899.12454.

Bergmann, Andreas, and Sandro Fuchs. “Accounting Standards for Complex Resources of International Organizations.” Global Policy, vol. 8, no. 55, 2017, pp. 26–35, https://doi.org/10.1111/1758-5899.12454.