The Dominion Bond Rating Service has published a report that examines compliance with its code of conduct.

The rating agency says that its code reflects DBRS’s adherence to the International Organization of Securities Commissions’ Code of Conduct Fundamentals for Credit Rating Agencies. DBRS explains that its code is substantially similar to the IOSCO Code except in certain limited respects, where provisions of the IOSCO Code have been modified to adapt to its particular business. DBRS says it believes that the modified provisions still achieve the objectives of the IOSCO Code and the principles that underlie it.

This Report on Compliance with the Code provides an overview of how DBRS has continued to comply with its code. It highlights any significant changes in related policies, procedures, and internal controls since the code’s publication. It also highlights any significant deviations from the code.

DBRS recently completed its annual review of compliance as required by the U.S. Securities Exchange Commission Its chief compliance officer undertook an assessment on a firm-wide basis of the range of DBRS’s regulatory and compliance policies that underpin the code. The firm says it believes that, at present, its regulatory compliance policies and procedures sufficiently address the risks related to its regulated activities.

In addition, the report updates the quality and integrity of DBRS’s rating process, as well as its responsibilities to the investing public and issuers, including transparency and timeliness of ratings disclosure and the treatment of confidential information.

“Since its inception, DBRS has established and implemented policies, procedures, and internal controls to ensure the objectivity and integrity of its ratings. The publication of this report reflects DBRS’s continued commitment in keeping market participants and other interested parties informed of the consistent application of DBRS’s core rating methodologies and governance practices, and to ensure the ratings process is not compromised by conflicts of interest, misuses of confidential information, and other undue influences,” it says.