Letter from the President of OLACEFS - June 2026

It is with great pleasure that I write to share some reflections on citizen participation, a topic that unites us and challenges us as Supreme Audit Institutions. Across Latin America and the Caribbean, our societies are increasingly calling for transparency, dialogue, and closer engagement with public institutions. I invite each member to reflect on the central role that citizens should play in our audit work and on the Citizen Participation Commission (CPC) as a key forum for jointly advancing this agenda.

Citizen participation goes beyond being a sound institutional practice; it is a democratic imperative. When citizens engage in overseeing the use of public resources, understand the work of Supreme Audit Institutions (SAIs), and place their trust in the institutions that safeguard the proper use of public funds, democracy is strengthened. This principle is the foundation on which the CPC was established, and it will continue to guide our work.

Established in 2009 during the XLIII Meeting of the OLACEFS Governing Board, held in Caracas, the CPC was created to promote policies and initiatives that strengthen citizen participation and social oversight within SAIs. Throughout its history, it has become a permanent body of OLACEFS and has brought together valuable experience and knowledge for the region. In this regard, I would like to express my special appreciation to SAI Peru, which chaired the Commission from 2019 to 2025 and left a meaningful legacy for the work that SAI Brazil now has the honor of carrying forward.

During this period, CPC members developed a valuable body of knowledge that is available to all members. Among the Commission's key resources are the Compendium of Good Practices in Citizen Participation, which features replicable experiences involving mechanisms such as public hearings, citizen oversight monitors, and school audits, and the Guide for Integrating Citizen Participation into OLACEFS Coordinated Audits, which provides practical guidance on involving society at every stage of the audit process. We encourage every member to consult these resources, assess where their institution stands, and take the next step, whether by implementing a new citizen engagement mechanism, involving civil society in a coordinated audit, or adopting clearer, more accessible language in their communications.

For the 2026 2028 term, the TCU has enthusiastically assumed responsibility for leading the group's work under a well-defined agenda. Our presidency will focus on two strategic priorities, and we look forward to the active engagement of all members in advancing them: strengthening SAIs' capacities to promote citizen participation in government oversight, and monitoring the implementation of the Punta Cana Declaration and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

In April of this year, we held the CPC's first meeting under the TCU's chairmanship, bringing together more than 27 representatives from the Commission's member SAIs. The meeting focused on aligning the 2026 Annual Operating Plan (AOP) and presenting the complementary initiatives planned for the coming period. We were also pleased to welcome the Valle del Cauca Departmental Comptroller's Office, Colombia, as the Commission's newest member.

In June, we held a second meeting, building on the work initiated at the first gathering and advancing the implementation of the agenda established for 2026. Discussions focused on assessing the maturity of citizen participation practices within SAIs in light of the Punta Cana Declaration, as well as on the collaborative development of a self-paced online course on the subject. We also had the pleasure of welcoming the Superior Court of Accounts of Honduras as a new member of the Commission, reaffirming the growing interest among SAIs in contributing to this regional agenda.

The inclusion of vulnerable groups and the adoption of territorial approaches are also among the priorities that will guide our work throughout this term. We recognize that genuinely democratic citizen participation cannot overlook those who have historically been excluded from decision-making processes. SAIs have both the authority and the responsibility to create spaces for listening and dialogue that reach those farthest from the centers of decision-making.

Throughout this first half of the year, we have reaffirmed that OLACEFS, through all CPC members, is committed to fostering a culture of trust and strengthening the essential role of Supreme Audit Institutions in promoting democracy and social well-being. The CPC remains a strategic forum within our organization, and we count on the engagement of every member to ensure that our initiatives deliver tangible and lasting benefits to the societies of Latin America and the Caribbean.

Finally, I would like to express my sincere gratitude to all the representatives who participated in the CPC's first meetings under our chairmanship. Through their contributions, experience, and expectations, they have helped shape the work we will carry forward together over the coming years.

With esteem and determination,