Vietnamese Auditor General Tran Sy Thanh (middle) at an online talks with his Cambodian counterpart (Photo: VNA) After 12 years, major targets of the partnership have been completed, including the promotion of traditional relations and enhancement of professional capacity of the three countries, helping raising the position of State Audits of the three countries in the region and creating a suitable playground for them to learn experience to join larger multilateral forums.
Long-term cooperation programmes
On June 1, 2009, the State audit agencies of Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia signed a memorandum of understand on the outcomes of talks among leaders of the three agencies in Hanoi. They agreed to strengthen the implementation of contents of the signed bilateral deals, while increasing the organisation of trainings, conferences, surveys, and experience exchange in building standards, procedures and method of auditing, and conducting joint programmes and projects.
They concurred to organise rotated talks to improve the efficiency of their cooperation activities, and propose the government of each side to consider their adding collaboration contents to inter-governmental cooperation programmes.
Since their partnership was set up, the three sides have maintained annual conferences in a rotation format to share their knowledge and experience in matters of common interest.
As of 2014, five conferences had been held to discuss different topics. This is an useful forum for all parties to enhance their professional capacity and reinforce their cooperation and friendship for common development.
In order to further lift up the coordination efficiencies among the three agencies, at the sixth tripartite conference held in Vientiane, Laos, from November 11-12, 2014, they agreed to hold the conference every two years instead of annually. Alongside, they also reached consensus of the changes in the organisation form of the event, dividing the event into two separate meetings, one on issues of shared concern in line with the conference’s theme, and the other gathering top leaders of the three agencies to reach agreements of discussed issues and evaluate outcomes of their cooperation in previous year and sketch out future cooperation orientations.
The conferences have focused on topical issues of shared concern, including the strengthening of management efficiency, the enhancing of collaboration between State Audit and parliament, and the elevating of quality of audit reports and auditing activities, and the sharing of experience in applying the International Standards of Supreme Audit Institutions (ISSAI).
Particularly, recently, the eighth conference of the State audit agencies of Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia focused on the implementation of sustainable development goals of the supreme audit institutions (SAI). After years of effective collaboration, the ties among the three agencies have become tight with high level of mutual understanding and support at international forums.
Meanwhile, leaders of the three agencies have regularly held their talks to bolster their cooperation.
State Audit of Vietnam’s role
In November 2018, the eighth tripartite meeting among three State audits of Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia was held in Phnom Penh, Cambodia with the theme of “Audit of preparedness for the implementation of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)”.
At the event, Vietnam shared experience in associating the design of auditing plan with the evaluation of the implementation and outcomes of SDGs.
At the same time, Vietnam also highlighted its experience in applying the guidelines on the audit of SDGs of the INTOSAI Development Initiative (IDI) in the auditing of Vietnam’s implementation of the goals.
As an independent audit agency, the SAV has accompanied with the Government of Vietnam in realising SDGs, while making indirect contributions in the completing of a number of goals, including reducing the multidimensional poverty rate, improving the quality of living conditions of ethnic minority communities, and increasing health insurance coverage.
Contributions by the SAV helped Vietnam sustain high GDP growth in the 2018-2020 period, while ensuring the stability and sustainability of the national finance, and raising the role of Vietnam in the region and the world./.
VNA
