Q2 2020

The Spring 2020 Edition of the International Organization of Supreme Audit Institutions (INTOSAI) Journal is dedicated to a very promising, yet quite challenging, topic: the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. While the world has seen a number of development agendas, none have been fully comprehensive, proactive and inclusive. The novel coronavirus outbreak has, once again, reminded us…

The emergence of the COVID-19 Pandemic has, globally, put us on a tumultuous path. The pandemic has affected public health, the global economy, our governments, the citizens we serve, INTOSAI, our SAIs and our employees. As science continues closing in on this virus infecting millions around the world and affecting us all…

The President of the Accountability State Authority (ASA) headed a delegation participating in December 2019 events hosted by the United Arab Emirates State Audit Institution…

The Audit Office of the Republic of Cyprus hosted a seminar on the European Union’s new General Data Protection Regulation. The seminar focused on…

The General Comptroller of Accounts (CGC) of the Republic of Guatemala formed a strategic alliance with the Presidency’s Secretariat of Planning and Programming, who is responsible implementing the National Development Plan and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in the country. Under the leadership of Dr. Edwin Humberto Salazar Jerez, Comptroller General, the CGC…

The Auditor General of the National Audit Office (NAO) of Finland, Tytti Yli-Viikari, accompanied by Jenni Leppälahti, visited the NAO of Malta January 31, 2020, to discuss enhanced cooperation between the two institutions. Dialogue included an open exchange of experiences and knowledge on several mutually interesting public sector auditing topics, including…

Communication remains a significant tool for any successful organization, and the Turkish Court of Accounts (TCA), Turkey’s Supreme Audit Institution (SAI), is well aware that good communication channels with stakeholders can help achieve organizational strategic goals and contribute to an effective, transparent and accountable…

The National Audit Office (NAO) of the Kingdom of Bahrain organized a seminar on the importance of internal audit. The two-day seminar, attended by more than 150 employees from 55 government agencies, focused on international standards, important developments and latest practices. The event also highlighted…

For the first time, the Office of the Comptroller General of the Republic of Peru, Peru’s Supreme Audit Institution (SAI), will carry out Anticorruption Mega Operation Control (AMOC) in prioritized areas as part of the SAI’s territorial approach in preventing, investigating, detecting and addressing acts of corruption and functional misconduct. This new anti-corruption strategy, implemented in March 2020, consists of…

Public administrations worldwide are increasingly challenged by society and stakeholders to demonstrate and improve value for sustainable development. Supreme Audit Institutions (SAIs) serve as important pillars of national socio-economic systems and play pivotal roles in enhancing public sector performance, which means meeting the highest…

A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between the Supreme Audit Institutions (SAIs) of Myanmar and Norway includes cooperation to enhance work in performance and compliance audits. In January 2020, SAI Myanmar established a 14-member unit specializing in performance audits, and as part of the MoU…

The Audit Office of Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH), the nation’s Supreme Audit Institution (SAI), recently published a performance audit report assessing national preparedness to respond to Agenda 2030 commitments. The report represents SAI efforts to…

Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 11 calls for the world to “make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable,” with SDG Target 11.1 specifically aiming to ensure access to adequate, safe and affordable housing for all by 2030—a topical goal for Latvia. In December 2019, Latvia’s Supreme Audit Institution…

At the Supreme Audit Office (SAO) of the Czech Republic in Prague, 68 programmers, data analysts and auditors from 21 countries gathered for the historic March 2020 International Hackathon of Supreme Audit Institutions (SAIs)—an event promoting international SAI cooperation, which is a priority for…

The National Assembly of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam officially approved a new State Audit Law in November 2019 aimed to enhance State Audit Office of Vietnam (SAV) effectiveness, efficiency and capacity.
Specifically, the new law…

The INTOSAI Journal continually seeks to bring visibility to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). In honor of International Women’s Day, we wanted to give a special nod to SDG 5, an ambitious goal that seeks to achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls…

2020 is a big year for gender equality. Governments, civil society and the private sector are preparing for a series of high-level events celebrating the 25th anniversary of the Beijing Platform for Action, where governments worldwide pledged to advance equality, development and peace for all women everywhere. Many commitments have been incorporated into the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)…

Sustainable development—development that meets present needs without compromising the ability to meet future needs—can be divided into three integrated dimensions: economic, environmental and social. These aspects must be balanced if we are to achieve the United Nations (UN) “future we want.” How is such balance achievable and what does it look like conceptually? This article discusses…

At the September 2015 United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Summit, Heads of State, including the Slovak Republic, adopted the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, which included 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)—global goals establishing objectives across economic, environmental and social dimensions to be achieved by 2030. All 17 SDGs are…

The International Organization of Supreme Audit Institutions (INTOSAI) Secretary General hosted two high-level meetings in February aimed at guiding the future of the INTOSAI community…

In September 2019, the 72nd International Organization of Supreme Audit Institutions (INTOSAI) Governing Board re-established the INTOSAI Task Force on Strategic Planning (TFSP). The TFSP is designed to ensure INTOSAI Strategic Plan 2023-2028 continuity and sound monitoring of the plan’s implementation, and INTOSAI leaders representing 21 SAIs gathered for the inaugural meeting to provide…

As cross-border cooperation projects evolve, Supreme Audit Institutions (SAIs) often extend beyond national boundaries in performing audit work and forge cooperative partnerships to meet specific audit needs. At the same time, joint opportunities provide platforms to enhance hands-on experience, cultivate collaboration, and enrich professional competencies in real-time and space. For the Baltic State SAIs…

The Organization of Latin American and Caribbean Supreme Audit Institutions (OLACEFS) and the International Organization of Supreme Audit Institutions Development Initiative (IDI) launched a cooperative audit on Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) implementation. Costa Rica’s Supreme Audit Institution (SAI) will be the lead coordinator. At the beginning of March…

On March 12, 2020, the Chair of the Centro American and Caribbean Organization of Supreme Audit Institutions (OCCEFS), Dr. Edwin Salazar Jerez, Head of Guatemala’s Supreme Audit Institution (SAI), awarded Nelson Shack Yalta, Peru’s Comptroller General…

Supreme Audit Institutions (SAIs), key partners for the German Development Cooperation (GDC), strengthen Public Financial Management (PFM) system performance and are key actors in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). In its “Marshall Plan with Africa,” the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) has recognized the prominent roles SAIs…

Regional audit sections of Italy’s Corte dei conti, the nation’s Supreme Audit Institution (SAI), carry out various tasks, including analyzing local authority accounts to verify data accuracy and accounting system sustainability. The Apulia Region…