INTERNAL CONTROL RPT 2 NCEN_811-09102_34752020_0823.htm ishares83123-nceninc.htm - Generated by SEC Publisher for SEC Filing

Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm

 

To the Board of Directors of iShares, Inc. and Shareholders of iShares Core MSCI Emerging Markets ETF, iShares Currency Hedged MSCI Emerging Markets ETF, iShares Emerging Markets Equity Factor ETF, iShares ESG Aware MSCI EM ETF, iShares Frontier and Select EM ETF, iShares MSCI Agriculture Producers ETF, iShares MSCI Australia ETF, iShares MSCI Austria ETF, iShares MSCI Belgium ETF, iShares MSCI BIC ETF, iShares MSCI Brazil ETF, iShares MSCI Canada ETF, iShares MSCI Chile ETF, iShares MSCI Emerging Markets Asia ETF, iShares MSCI Emerging Markets ETF, iShares MSCI Emerging Markets ex China ETF, iShares MSCI Emerging Markets Min Vol Factor ETF, iShares MSCI Emerging Markets Small-Cap ETF, iShares MSCI Eurozone ETF, iShares MSCI France ETF, iShares MSCI Germany ETF, iShares MSCI Global Energy Producers ETF, iShares MSCI Global Gold Miners ETF, iShares MSCI Global Metals & Mining Producers ETF, iShares MSCI Global Min Vol Factor ETF, iShares MSCI Global Silver and Metals Miners ETF, iShares MSCI Hong Kong ETF, iShares MSCI Israel ETF, iShares MSCI Italy ETF, iShares MSCI Japan ETF, iShares MSCI Japan Small-Cap ETF, iShares MSCI Malaysia ETF, iShares MSCI Mexico ETF, iShares MSCI Netherlands ETF, iShares MSCI Pacific ex Japan ETF, iShares MSCI Russia ETF, iShares MSCI Singapore ETF, iShares MSCI South Africa ETF, iShares MSCI South Korea ETF, iShares MSCI Spain ETF, iShares MSCI Sweden ETF, iShares MSCI Switzerland ETF, iShares MSCI Taiwan ETF, iShares MSCI Thailand ETF, iShares MSCI Turkey ETF, iShares MSCI USA Equal Weighted ETF and iShares MSCI World ETF

 

In planning and performing our audits of the financial statements of the funds listed in Appendix A (hereafter collectively referred to as the “Funds”) as of and for the year ended August 31, 2023 (collectively referred to as the “financial statements”), in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) (PCAOB), we considered the Funds’ internal control over financial reporting, including controls over safeguarding securities, as a basis for designing our auditing procedures for the purpose of expressing our opinion on the financial statements and to comply with the requirements of Form N-CEN, but not for the purpose of expressing an opinion on the effectiveness of the Funds’ internal control over financial reporting.  Accordingly, we do not express an opinion on the effectiveness of the Funds’ internal control over financial reporting.

 

The management of the Funds is responsible for establishing and maintaining effective internal control over financial reporting.  In fulfilling this responsibility, estimates and judgments by management are required to assess the expected benefits and related costs of controls.  A company’s internal control over financial reporting is a process designed to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles.  A company’s internal control over financial reporting includes those policies and procedures that (1) pertain to the maintenance of records that, in reasonable detail, accurately and fairly reflect the transactions and dispositions of the assets of the company; (2) provide reasonable assurance that transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of financial statements in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles, and that receipts and expenditures of the company are being made only in accordance with authorizations of management and directors of the company; and (3) provide reasonable assurance regarding prevention or timely detection of unauthorized acquisition, use or disposition of a company’s assets that could have a material effect on the financial statements.

 

Because of its inherent limitations, internal control over financial reporting may not prevent or detect misstatements.  Also, projections of any evaluation of effectiveness to future periods are subject to the risk that controls may become inadequate because of changes in conditions, or that the degree of compliance with the policies or procedures may deteriorate.


 

 

A deficiency in internal control over financial reporting exists when the design or operation of a control does not allow management or employees, in the normal course of performing their assigned functions, to prevent or detect misstatements on a timely basis.  A material weakness is a deficiency, or a combination of deficiencies, in internal control over financial reporting, such that there is a reasonable possibility that a material misstatement of the company’s annual or interim financial statements will not be prevented or detected on a timely basis. 

 

Our consideration of the Funds’ internal control over financial reporting was for the limited purpose described in the first paragraph and would not necessarily disclose all deficiencies in internal control over financial reporting that might be material weaknesses under standards established by the PCAOB.  However, we noted no deficiencies in the Funds’ internal control over financial reporting and its operation, including controls over safeguarding securities, that we consider to be material weaknesses as defined above as of August 31, 2023.

 

This report is intended solely for the information and use of the Board of Directors of iShares, Inc. and the Securities and Exchange Commission and is not intended to be and should not be used by anyone other than these specified parties.

 

 

/s/PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

October 23, 2023

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Appendix A

 

 iShares, Inc.

 

iShares Core MSCI Emerging Markets ETF*

iShares Currency Hedged MSCI Emerging Markets ETF

iShares Emerging Markets Equity Factor ETF

iShares ESG Aware MSCI EM ETF

iShares Frontier and Select EM ETF

iShares MSCI Agriculture Producers ETF

iShares MSCI Australia ETF

iShares MSCI Austria ETF

iShares MSCI Belgium ETF

iShares MSCI BIC ETF

iShares MSCI Brazil ETF

iShares MSCI Canada ETF

iShares MSCI Chile ETF

iShares MSCI Emerging Markets Asia ETF

iShares MSCI Emerging Markets ETF

iShares MSCI Emerging Markets ex China ETF

iShares MSCI Emerging Markets Min Vol Factor ETF

iShares MSCI Emerging Markets Small-Cap ETF*

iShares MSCI Eurozone ETF

iShares MSCI France ETF

iShares MSCI Germany ETF

iShares MSCI Global Energy Producers ETF

iShares MSCI Global Gold Miners ETF

iShares MSCI Global Metals & Mining Producers ETF

iShares MSCI Global Min Vol Factor ETF

iShares MSCI Global Silver and Metals Miners ETF

iShares MSCI Hong Kong ETF

iShares MSCI Israel ETF

iShares MSCI Italy ETF

iShares MSCI Japan ETF

iShares MSCI Japan Small-Cap ETF

iShares MSCI Malaysia ETF

iShares MSCI Mexico ETF

iShares MSCI Netherlands ETF

iShares MSCI Pacific ex Japan ETF

iShares MSCI Russia ETF

iShares MSCI Singapore ETF

iShares MSCI South Africa ETF

iShares MSCI South Korea ETF

iShares MSCI Spain ETF

iShares MSCI Sweden ETF

iShares MSCI Switzerland ETF

iShares MSCI Taiwan ETF

iShares MSCI Thailand ETF

iShares MSCI Turkey ETF

iShares MSCI USA Equal Weighted ETF

iShares MSCI World ETF

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*Statement of assets and liabilities, including the schedule of investments, and the related consolidated statements of operations and of changes in net assets and the consolidated financial highlights.

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