Snapshot from Rio de Janeiro

Key Facts:

• About 700 delegates representing over 200 Supreme Audit Institutions (SAIs), associate members, partner organizations, and global experts attended. 
• Congress Themes: (1) The Role of Supreme Audit Institutions in Emergency Situations, and; (2) Global Voice, Global Outcome, Far-Reaching Impact. 
• The Federal Court of Accounts – Brazil (Tribunal de Contas da União— TCU) assumes the Governing Board Chairmanship.
• The Rio Declaration is adopted, which establishes key Congress outcomes and outlines how the Federal Court of Accounts of Brazil will guide INTOSAI through 2025. 

Awards Presented:

• Jörg Kandutsch Award for meritorious services in government auditing accepted by Comptroller General of the United States Gene L. Dodaro on behalf of the U.S. Government Accountability Office (SAI USA). 

• The Kimi Makwetu Award for excellence in capacity building awarded to the INTOSAI Development Initiative (IDI), and accepted by IDI Executive Director Einar Gørrissen, and Mr Karl Eirik Schjøtt-Pedersen, Auditor General of the Office of the Auditor General of Norway (OAGN)

• Elmer B. Staats Award for best article published by the INTOSAI Journal—two articles earned the award:
  • “Auditing Gender Equality: An Opportunity For SAIs To Make A Difference And Lead By Example”, by Jane Fuller and Marie-Hélène Bérubé of the Canadian Audit and Accountability Foundation. 
  • “More Effective Audit Work: Insights from Behavioral Economics,” by Loren Yager from the Center of Audit Excellence at the US GAO.

• SAI Young Leader Award for the young leader demonstrating the highest level of innovation, impact, quality, inclusiveness, personal growth and community values presented to three exceptional individuals:
  • Innovative SAI Young Leaders Award to Erick Alvarado Munoz of the Contraloria General de la Repùblica (SAI Costa Rica). 
  • Collaborative SAI Young Leaders Award to Nicaria Stewart of the Auditor General’s Department, Jamaica (SAI Jamaica). 
  • Transformative SAI Young Leaders Award to Emine Ersöz of the Turkish Court of Accounts (SAI Turkey). 

Key Decisions and Endorsements

• The INTOSAI Strategic Plan 2023–2028 was adopted.
• The INTOSAI Performance and Accountability Report was adopted.
• The Rio Declaration was adopted.
• The Terms of Reference of the Task Force on INTOSAI Communication co-led by the INTOSAI General Secretariat and the SAI of Brazil were adopted.
• 12 Professional Pronouncements from INTOSAI’s Goal Committees 1-3 were endorsed by the Congress to be included in the INTOSAI Framework of Professional Pronouncements (IFPP). These ISSAIs and guide pronouncements ranged from Financial Audit Principles, Auditor Competency, Audit of Public Debt, and Auditing Disaster Management.