ASOSAI Governing Board holds 55th meeting online

Hanoi (VNA) - The Governing Board of the Asian Organisation of Supreme Audit Institutions (ASOSAI) convened a teleconferenced 55th meeting on July 27 under the chair of the State Audit Office of Vietnam, which holds the ASOSAI chairmanship for 2018 – 2021.

The teleconference involved 12 members of the ASOSAI Governing Board – Vietnam, China, Japan, the Republic of Korea, India, Bangladesh, Kuwait, Indonesia, Malaysia, Nepal, Russia, and Thailand, along with Kazakhstan and Turkey – two members of the Audit Committee, and the Development Initiative of the International Organisation of Supreme Audit Institutions (INTOSAI).

The decision to organise this meeting online instead of in the face-to-face format in Bangladesh showed the flexible and proactive response by ASOSAI in general and its member supreme audit institutions in particular, to the COVID-19 pandemic, which is still developing complicatedly around the world.

The application of information technology to meetings, workshops and training courses aimed to ensure that ASOSAI activities this year will still take place as planned and in an effective manner. The move is also in line with the inevitable trend shared by international organisations amid the Fourth Industrial Revolution.

In his opening address, General Auditor of the State Audit Office of Vietnam Ho Duc Phoc said the meeting demonstrates the efforts of supreme audit institutions, especially the National Audit Office of China – Secretary-General of ASOSAI, to thoroughly prepare for the meeting amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

The ASOSAI Governing Board discussed capacity-building activities in the organisation, its cooperation with regional organisations, its targets and priorities for 2022 – 2027, the work plan of the ASOSAI Working Group on Environmental Auditing for 2020 – 2022, a report on the 12th ASOSAI Research Project, a report from the special committee considering the establishment of an ASOSAI working group on the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals, and the organisation’s role in assisting members to cope with COVID-19.

Participants also reviewed the difficulties and challenges from emerging issues, shared outcomes and solutions ASOSAI members have successfully carried out in their home countries, and discussed the issues proposed by the Governing Board members like rescheduling the selection of host to the 16th ASOSAI Assembly and extending the term of the ASOSAI Secretary-General for 2021 – 2024.

During the meeting, reporting on the cooperative environmental audit in Southeast Asia for 2020 – 2021, the State Audit Office of Vietnam proposed the theme of auditing the management of water resources in the Mekong River basin in association with the realisation of the Sustainable Development Goals.

The upcoming audit, chaired by the State Audit Office of Vietnam, is set to involve several supreme audit institution members in Southeast Asia.

With the abovementioned theme, the audit is hoped to feature analyses, assessments and sustainable solutions to improve the living environment in the countries located in the Mekong River basin.

Chairing the implementation of this audit will demonstrate the sense of responsibility of and efforts by the State Audit Office of Vietnam as ASOSAI Chair towards the promotion of the implementation of the Hanoi Declaration issued at the 14th ASOSAI Assembly in 2018, thereby promoting environmental protection in the region.

The State Audit Office of Vietnam assumed the ASOSAI chairmanship for 2018 – 2021 at the 14th ASOSAI Assembly, held in Hanoi from September 19 to 22 under the theme “Environmental Audit for Sustainable Development”.

ASOSAI is one of the regional groups of the International Organisation of Supreme Audit Institutions (INTOSAI). Established in 1979 with 11 members, it now has a membership of 46, including charter members, members and associate members.

The ASOSAI Assembly, which is held every three years, is the venue for all heads of ASOSAI member supreme audit agencies to discuss and decide on major issues, necessary documents, regimes and policies to achieve the association’s objectives and further its development. It also serves as a forum for sharing experience in the field of state audits./.