HONG KONG, Nov. 13, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- RICS (Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors) has recently joined related property and professional services organisations from around the world at the United Nations to establish the first-ever International Ethics Standards Coalition (IESC) with an aim to develop and implement industry-wide ethics standards for the profession.
Hong Kong, as a well-developed international city with high ethical standards, will contribute significantly to the setup and development of the coalition. Promotion of professional standards among local members has been a key objective of RICS over the years. The International Ethics Standards (IES) represents another major step taken by RICS after the previous establishment of the International Property Measurements Standards (IPMS) and the International Construction Measurements Standards (ICMS).
Fundamental ethics principles and codes of conduct to be aligned into the new international standards will cover areas of trustworthiness, integrity and respect. The ultimate goal is that professionals will undertake their work in an ethically consistent way, regardless of where in the world they are located and the nature of their work. The Coalition is hopeful that the new International Ethics Standard will be ready in early 2016. Following that, is it expected that the member bodies of the Coalition will implement the standards through their own training and guidance to professionals.
Peter Bolton King, RICS Global Residential Director, commented, "Many professions already have their own robust ethics standards and codes. However, whilst the principles set out in these codes often overlap; they are not understood on a consistent basis by members of the public, clients and consumers of professional services. This can lead to confusion, and could also adversely impact the legitimacy of professionals in an increasingly global and interconnected marketplace. Establishing a common, internationally-applied standard for ethics will enhance transparency, consistency and trust in the services being offered by professionals wherever they operate."
The ethics principles set out in the standard will be drafted and published for public consultation by an independent group of experts, which will be appointed by the Coalition early next year. The expert group will represent both the diverse nature of professional practice as well as the international scope of the project.
About RICS & RICS Asia
RICS is the world's leading qualification when it comes to professional standards in land, property and construction.
In a world where more and more people, governments, banks and commercial organisations demand greater certainty of professional standards and ethics, attaining RICS status is the recognised mark of property professionalism.
Over 118,000 property professionals working in the major established and emerging economies of the world have already recognised the importance of securing RICS status by becoming members.
RICS is an independent professional body originally established in the UK by Royal Charter. Since 1868, RICS has been committed to setting and upholding the highest standards of excellence and integrity -- providing impartial, authoritative advice on key issues affecting businesses and society. RICS is a regulator of both its individual members and firms enabling it to maintain the highest standards and providing the basis for unparalleled client confidence in the sector.
The RICS Asia supports a network of over 20,000 individual professionals across the Asia Pacific region with an objective to help develop the property and construction markets in these countries, by introducing professional standards, best practice and international experience. It promotes RICS and its members as the natural advisors on all property matters. It also ensures that services and career development opportunities are provided to members.
The RICS Asia region covers national associations and local groups locating in Brunei, Japan, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, The People's Republic of China and the Hong Kong SAR. It also has members working across the region such as Bangladesh, Bhutan, Burma/Myanmar, Cambodia, Indonesia, Kiribati, Laos PDR, Macao SAR, Mongolia, Nepal, North Korea, South Korea, Taiwan, The Maldives, The Philippines, Timor East and Vietnam. For more information, please visit: www.ricsasia.org.
