The International Statement of Ethical Principles in Fundraising is aimed at providing a set of common principles to unite all fundraisers, wherever they are based.

The statement was agreed on 16 October at the International Fundraising Summit. It is hoped that the set of principles is flexible enough to accommodate political, cultural and legal differences between countries.

Lindsay Boswell, chief executive of the Institute of Fundraising, welcomed the agreement. “With the growth of new media technology and high profile international fundraising appeals, cross-border giving is on the rise and fundraisers’ activities have become increasingly visible to a worldwide audience. As such, best practice in fundraising has never been more important,” he said.

He added: “The new International Statement is a vital opportunity to raise and unify standards and is one of the most significant developments in global fundraising. Aiming to foster the growth of a worldwide fundraising community dedicated to accountability, transparency and effectiveness, it is a historic agreement.”

The five main principles of the statement are honesty, respect, integrity, compassion and transparency. It also includes principles of good practice across donations, relationships with stakeholders, communications, reporting finance and fundraising costs, payments and compensation and compliance with national law.

In the UK, the Institute of Fundraising has published a new code to regulate face-to-face fundraising, which will help charities to fundraise sensitively, and without causing a public nuisance or disturbance.

Tim Hunter, deputy director of the NSPCC and chair of the Face-to-Face Fundraising Code working party, said the views of charities, the public and other stakeholders were taken into account during the development of the code.