The President of the Brazilian Federal Court of Accounts (TCU), Minister Bruno Dantas, was received on July 24 by the Secretary-General of the United Nations (UN), António Guterres, at the UN headquarters in New York. During the meeting, they discussed Brazil's recent commencement on the UN Board of Auditors and the international role of Supreme Audit Institutions (SAIs).

In a private encounter, Dantas  briefed Guterres on the advancements of ClimateScanner, a global assessment  for auditing government climate policies. This methodology, developed by the TCU alongside 17 other SAIs through the International Organization of Supreme Audit Institutions (INTOSAI), has already been adopted by 127 countries. Auditors from these nations are currently either receiving training or are scheduled to be trained on how to effectively utilize this tool.

Guterres expressed his admiration for the project's progress and emphasized the importance of verifying data related to climate change initiatives to ensure the information provided to society by governments is accurate. He emphasized the importance of verifying the accuracy of the information that countries provide about their advancements towards achieving the Paris Agreement goals (a global treaty adopted in 2015 during COP21).

"I am convinced that ClimateScanner has the potential to make a significant impact on climate dialogue globally," remarked the Secretary-General.

Recognition

Minister Bruno Dantas highlighted the importance of a formal UN resolution recognizing the role of SAIs in global climate change policies and their relevance to the international community.

“In my capacity as Chair of INTOSAI, backed by our General Secretariat in Austria and following a request made by President José Tavares of the Portuguese Court of Auditors during the Global Call, I would like to highlight that this resolution is of critical importance, and your support would be greatly appreciated.”

Dantas stated that the presence of the TCU in the UN Board of Auditors represents a unique opportunity to enhance the exchange of experiences and best practices between INTOSAI and the Board members, thereby enhancing our collective capacity for cooperation. He also emphasized the shared commitment of audit institutions to accelerate progress towards the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

The results of ClimateScanner will be presented at COP29, scheduled for November in Azerbaijan.