by Dr. Sutthi Suntharanurak, Director of International Affairs Office, State Audit Office of the Kingdom of Thailand
On September 6-8, 2021, the State Audit Office of the Kingdom of Thailand hosted the 15th Asian Organization of Supreme Audit Institutions (ASOSAI) Assembly. Highlights include:
The assembly was the first to be held virtually, reflecting ASOSAI’s resilience in responding to emerging challenges. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, SAI Thailand, together with SAI Vietnam (ASOSAI Chair) and SAI China (ASOSAI Secretariat), decided to hold the event virtually using Zoom and Slido.
The Hanoi Declaration 2018 was successfully implemented. At the 14th ASOSAI Assembly, hosted by SAI Vietnam, members approved the Hanoi Declaration, which focused on Environmental Auditing for Sustainable Development. This declaration guided the activities of ASOSAI working groups, committees, and members from 2018-2021.
SAI Thailand became the new Chair of ASOSAI. Mr. Tran Sy Thanh, Auditor General of Vietnam and Chairman of ASOSAI, virtually handed over the ASOSAI flag to General Chanathap Indamra, President of the State Audit Commission and new Chairman of ASOSAI for 2021-2024.
ASOSAI members approved the Bangkok Declaration 2021. The declaration focuses on preparing the ASOSAI community for “the next normal” in public sector auditing and is based on a review of five key international declarations: Lima 1977, Beijing 2013, Hanoi 2018, Abu Dhabi 2019, and Moscow 2019. The Bangkok Declaration closely aligns with the ASOSAI Strategic Plan 2022-2027.
SAI Thailand circulated a draft of the declaration to ASOSAI members in July 2021 for feedback and incorporated recommendations into the final version. The declaration consists of four chapters: 1) promoting good governance; 2) encouraging achievement of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs); 3) leveraging advanced technologies; and 4) responding to disasters and the pandemic.
SAI India was selected to host the 16th ASOSAI Assembly. At the 56th ASOSAI Governing Board Meeting, held on September 6, members elected SAI India as host of the next ASOSAI Assembly and ASOSAI Chair for 2024-2027.
ASOSAI members elected new members of the Governing Board and Audit Committee, and approved new working groups. The Governing Board now consists of SAIs from Malaysia, Pakistan, the Philippines, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Korea, and Turkey, and the Audit Committee comprises the SAIs of Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan. ASOSAI members approved the establishment of working groups on SDGs and on Crisis Management.
ASOSAI conducted many successful activities over the past three years, despite the pandemic.
- SAI China reported on implementation of the ASOSAI Strategic Plan 2016-2021, ASOSAI grant support, and Working Group on Environmental Auditing activities.
- SAI India shared improvements to the ASOSAI Journal.
- SAI Japan presented on the activities of the ASOSAI Capacity Development Committee.
- SAI UAE discussed the success of the 12th ASOSAI Research Project, on “Audit on Implementation of SDGs: Leveraging Digital or Big Data to Achieve the SDGs.”
The 8th ASOSAI Symposium, whose theme was “ASOSAI and the Next Normal: Resilience amidst Challenges,” was successfully held on September 8. The symposium’s goal was to share the knowledge, experiences, and visions of ASOSAI members related to coping with the pandemic and preparing SAIs for the post-pandemic era. The 38 papers submitted for the symposium and PowerPoint presentations can be found at www.asosaithailand.org.
For questions about the 15th ASOSAI Assembly, please contact Dr. Sutthi Suntharanurak at sutthisun@gmail.com.
