Other countries are running out of patience waiting for the US regulator to decide on whether to approve a roadmap for moving to International Financial Reporting Standards. The US needs to commit by 2011, according to Sir David Tweedie, chairman of the International Accounting Standards Board. Speaking at the American Accounting Association's annual meeting, Tweedie described how he and Bob Herz, chairman of the US Financial Accounting Standards Board, had worked closely over the years on converging IFRS with US GAAP, and how the US had been involved in the outset in creating IFRS. But after a change of administration in Washington, Securities and Exchange Commissioner Mary Schapiro has not yet approved the proposed roadmap. 'This is a very interesting moment for us, a once-in-a-lifetime moment. Where is the USA? That is a question I am asked all around the world,' he said. He added: 'If you're going to have global standards, we need the US, but it can't go on indefinitely. We've been converging for seven years. We have a timetable to finish in 2011. 'There were people on the SEC who wanted to stop the project. My view is we must keep going. But to be blunt, if the US turns down IFRS, or doesn't even put a date certain - it doesn't matter when it is to be, 2017, who cares? If they don't commit, I think it will be impossible to continue this after 2011.'