TCU and the United Nations Development Programme meet to align joint strategy

On November 14th, the Vice-President of the Brazilian Federal Court of Accounts (TCU), Minister Vital do Rêgo, met with the Under-Secretary-General and Administrator of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), Achim Steiner. The goal was to discuss the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the UNDP and the International Organization of Supreme Audit Institutions (INTOSAI), TCU chairs the organization until 2025.  

The memorandum, signed in September, outlines a joint strategy between the organizations in the realms of climate, gender equality, digital transformation, and financing for development. Through collaboration on issues of common interest, the initiative strengthens the voice of Supreme Audit Institutions (SAIs) in international forums. Cooperation is already in progress.  

During the meeting, Minister Vital do Rêgo reinforced the Court's role as chair of INTOSAI and the importance of international cooperation. “TCU aims to give INTOSAI a global voice. We work towards enhancing the organization's visibility, as it brings together 195 countries and strives to ensure that money is well spent worldwide. We not only monitor public resources, but also teach how to do it correctly”, he stated.  

The UNDP Under-Secretary-General evaluated the partnership and the role of audit institutions. “The collaboration with the Court has been increasingly important in our work. The perception our societies hold regarding auditing is crucial, especially because the activity becomes progressively relevant, for a simple reason: citizens are losing trust and faith in governments and state institutions around the world. Given this scenario, how can we combat or mitigate this loss of trust? The integrity of institutions and public finances is in the hands of auditors, such as those from the TCU, who play a key role in this process”, said Steiner.  

Climate 

The challenge of climate change is on the top agenda of audit bodies worldwide. “In Brazil, we are experiencing significant effects of climate change, with human and economic devastation. With the ClimateScanner, we are developing the tools to monitor all countries. By 2024, we aim to make this platform available to all citizens and organizations around the globe”, said the Minister. The work is divided into three axes: governance, financing, and public policies related to climate.  

The ClimateScanner is an online tool under development created for audit institutions to assess and monitor government actions to address climate change. The project is a global initiative that will collect, consolidate, and publicize data on actions related to climate change. As chair of INTOSAI, TCU is the current leader of the project.  

Digital Transformation 

Regarding digital transformation, do Rêgo emphasized the need to provide support to countries that are less developed in this matter. “As INTOSAI, we are engaged and seeking the help of the UN and the UNDP to reach small countries, which sometimes face political challenges. We need to provide them with digital information, delivering digital support to smaller SAIs at the grass roots level. We will develop and offer technical support to these nations”, stressed the Minister.  

The UNDP representative considered the progress of digital transformation in the Brazilian judicial system a noteworthy success. “We are learning a lot from the Brazilian Judiciary’s strategies in digital transition and artificial intelligence, for example. Today, you are one of the countries with the most digital records of court decisions. The ability to seek this information is phenomenal", he concluded.