October 29, the Brazilian Federal Court of Accounts (TCU) held a technical meeting with members of the Supervisory Committee on Emerging Issues (SCEI) of the International Organization of Supreme Audit Institutions (INTOSAI). The event took place in Cairo.

During the INTOSAI Governing Board meeting, the Report on Global Trends and Future Implications for Supreme Audit Institutions (SAIs), prepared by the SCEI, was approved. This report outlines potential risks and impacts of major changes expected to shape the world over the next 15 years. It also identifies opportunities for SAIs to enhance their capacity to contribute to sustainable public governance.

The SCEI is responsible for identifying and monitoring emerging issues that may affect the outcomes of SAIs and INTOSAI itself. The objective is to enable the continuous reassessment and adaptation of methodologies to detect and mitigate risks before issues become critical.

At the start of the SCEI meeting, the Chair of INTOSAI, Minister Bruno Dantas, invited the heads of SAIs and INTOSAI’s Chairs of Goal Committees to provide insights on topics related to the seven global trends to be considered in the upcoming research call from the Center for Advanced Studies (CASt), which is part of the SCEI structure.

The second part of the technical meeting was led by Luciano Danni, expert from the TCU’s Department of International Relations (Serint), and Leonard Renne, head of the Department of Planning, Governance and Management (Seplan). During this session, committee chairs were invited to discuss concrete measures to further analyse the implications of the trends highlighted in the SCEI report and identify products and guidance the committee could provide to SAIs.

According to Leonard Renne, “this initiative is essential for SAIs to prepare for future challenges and opportunities. These trends impact global governance, public resources, and citizen trust, making foresight an essential tool. Our role is to understand, adapt, and respond to these changes to ensure robust governance and sustainable management of public resources.”

Reflecting on the role of SAIs, Luciano Danni noted, “as these global trends continue to unfold, the role of the institutions becomes even more crucial. Foresight is not about predicting the future but preparing for it. This way, we can anticipate risks, improve governance, and secure better outcomes for our societies. Together, we have the power to transform uncertainties into opportunities, guiding our institutions towards a brighter, more sustainable future.”

About the Global Trends Report

The report provides assessments of seven key areas for SAIs: trust in institutions; economic challenges and debt; digital transformation; climate change; demographic gap; global migration; and inequalities.

The analysis reveals that global trust in governments declined to 50% in 2022, and confidence in government leaders at 41%. There are various factors that impact this issue, such as political transparency, social stability, and the spread of misinformation. SAIs play a vital role in promoting transparency and citizen engagement, as well as implementing evidence-based practices to restore trust in institutions.

Regarding climate change, the report highlights that climate-related disasters caused $1.5 trillion in economic losses between 2010 and 2019. Global warming has reached 1.2°C, with an 80% chance of exceeding 1.5°C by 2028. This situation requires SAIs to strengthen environmental audit practices and evaluate governmental actions in climate mitigation and adaptation

Another trend addresses the growth of social inequality. Currently, the wealthiest 10% of the global population hold 76% of global wealth. Furthermore, gender equality is projected to take 131 years to achieve at the current pace. The effectiveness of policies aimed at reducing inequalities plays a critical role in addressing these issues. Supreme Audit Institutions must audit inclusion policies and resource equality measures to help address the problem.

Access the full report in English on TCU’s website: Navigating Global Trends: Future Implications for Supreme Audit Institutions, which details the seven global trends. GB