The XXIV International Congress of Supreme Audit Institutions (INCOSAI) officially started on Wednesday morning (9/11) in Rio de Janeiro. The meeting assembles supreme audit institutions from all over the world to deliberate on strategic issues and discuss relevant topics to society from the perspective of external control.  The current edition has gathered 147 countries and 30 partner institutions.

Brazil is the only country to host the Congress for two times. The first occasion was in 1959, also in Rio de Janeiro, as pointed out by the President of the Brazilian Federal Court of Accounts (TCU), minister Bruno Dantas, at the congress’ opening. “Exactly 63 years ago, here in Rio de Janeiro, the capital of the country at the time, the TCU was hosting 32 countries for the third INCOSAI. Six decades have passed and the world has gone through important transformations, our mission, however, remains the same: to search for security, cooperation, and development for our countries”, he stated. 

Dantas also mentioned the differences found in the work of audit institutions in between the six decades that separate the first and second Congress editions in Brazil. He gave special attention to the changes caused by digital transformation in the world and the challenges imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic.

“The loss of more than six million lives to COVID-19 is irreparable and, in addition to the excruciating pain, it has also posed some inevitable lessons for all of us. The ability of institutions and nations to respond to the virus was put to the test.   If, on the one hand, the emergency required fast responses to the pandemic, on the other hand it also demanded assurance that public resources were being allocated with efficiency and within the law”.

Minister Bruno Dantas

The TCU president regretted that relevant indicators have decreased in many parts of the world, showing more impacts in regions such as Latin America. According to him, “supreme audit institutions must be prepared to contribute preventively to improving government actions when responding to emergencies, not only when related to health issues, but also when resulted from natural disasters, wars, and cyberattacks to digital government services. The discussion addresses Theme I of the Congress: “the Role of Supreme Audit Institutions in Emergency Situations”.

As he officially took on the INTOSAI presidency, Dantas also mentioned the complexity of the international scenario and the challenges of leading the Organization for the next years. The impact INTOSAI’s work has to the international community is the second theme of the congress.

“I can assure you that our goal as president is to always act towards facilitating and supporting the projects approved within the INTOSAI framework, establishing a closer dialogue both internally, with members, as well as externally, with other multilateral organs and civil society organizations”.

Minister Bruno Dantas

 Head table at the opening ceremony 

In addition to minister Bruno Dantas, the Secretary-General of INTOSAI, Margit Kraker, the president of the Federal Senate, Rodrigo Pacheco, the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Carlos Alberto Franco França, and the mayor of Rio de Janeiro, Eduardo Paes, were also present at the head table for the XXIV INCOSAI opening ceremony.

Margit Kraker highlighted the importance of cooperation between countries and the challenges for INTOSAI. “Enhancing cooperation between supreme audit institutions is not only fundamental to establish stronger ties between our countries, but also crucial to the future of INTOSAI”, she said. She also mentioned that the current scenario of uncertainties and crises in the healthcare, environment, and economic sectors demands an efficient external control that is effectively capable of helping governments. 

Launching of the anticorruption practical guide

During the opening ceremony, the Practical Guide to Enhancing Collaboration between Supreme Audit Institutions and Anti-Corruption Bodies was launched. The material was developed by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), under the leadership of the Supreme Audit Institution of the United Arab Emirates (SAI UAE).

The president of SAI UAE and head of the INTOSAI specialist team, Harib Alamimi, presented the guide and commented on the successful experience of the pilot project in Latin America. “The publication has been tested and is ready to positively impact institutions all over the world”, he said.

The guide will be available for download at the INTOSAI website. For more information click   here.   

Opening session and first plenary session

 In the morning, the XXIV INCOSAI agenda ended with the opening session and first plenary session. Motions were approved and SAI Kenya was elected the vice-president of the Congress.

The first plenary session also comprised the presentation and approval of: 2017-2022 reports of the INTOSAI General Secretariat; the report for the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG); the results of the preparation for the next 2023-2028 INTOSAI strategic planning; the report of the INTOSAI International Journal; and other documents related to the work of the Organization.