On April 29, the President of the Brazilian Federal Court of Accounts (TCU), Minister Bruno Dantas, met with the President of the United Arab Emirates Accountability Authority, Humaid Obaid, at the Executive Office of the President. Accompanying Obaid were his delegation and Saleh Alswaidi, the UAE Ambassador to Brazil.

Dantas thanked Obaid for his visit and underscored the strong partnership between both countries and their Supreme Audit Institutions (SAIs) in recent years. The Minister highlighted the significant contributions of SAI UAE in various international forums and acknowledged the country's support in hosting last year’s ClimateScanner planning workshop meeting in Dubai, as well as the COP28, during which the TCU presented the tool.

“We have established a strong partnership with your team and closely followed your country's commendable international engagements and efforts in combating corruption. It is imperative that we collaborate to enhance the development of INTOSAI and amplify its influence," remarked Dantas.” 

Minister Dantas stated that the TCU's mandate as the head of the International Organization of Supreme Audit Institutions (INTOSAI) mainly aims at strengthening its global voice to increase the international relevance of SAIs. 

When mentioning the 131 years of the TCU and its history, Dantas explained to Obaid that the Court has the constitutional prerogative to, in addition to auditing federal government spending, conducting performance and asset audits and sending annual reports to Congress on the accounts of the President of the Republic. 

"I thank you and your team for the warm reception and valuable partnership. It is an honor for us to be a part of this important relationship that transcends our institutions, involving two presidents and two nations.

The TCU, with 131 years of experience, has much to teach us. I imagine you have faced many challenges, and we would like to learn from your  governance," said Obaid.

Letter of intent and MOU  

During the meeting, a letter of intent was endorsed to pave the way for the forthcoming signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), which will formalize the cooperation between both external control institutions. The document outlines that collaboration will primarily entail joint initiatives in governance, accountability, and transparency, as well as through the development and sharing of best organizational practices and training and capacity-building programs for staff from both entities.    

The letter mentions the UAE Accountability Authority's intention to "establish a collaborative partnership with the TCU, leveraging the strengths and resources of both entities to address issues of mutual interest and concern ".