President of TCU Represents Brazil on the UN Panel of External Auditors

The president of the Brazilian Federal Court of Accounts (TCU), Minister Vital do Rêgo, represented Brazil at the regular session of the UN Panel of External Auditors, in New York, alongside representatives from the Supreme Audit Institutions (SAIs) of Germany, South Africa, China, Egypt, France, India, Italy, Indonesia, the United Kingdom, and Switzerland. These countries make up the collegiate body responsible for coordinating external audits activities carried out across the United Nations system.

At the meeting, held on November 24 and 25, the minister, acting as vice-chair of the Panel, highlighted the financial risks and governance challenges that currently pose the greatest concern of liquidity that challenges the United Nations system.

The session opened with presentations on the progress of the UN80 Initiative, a modernization effort announced by Secretary-General António Guterres in 2025, in preparation for the organization's 80th anniversary. The presentations were delivered by UN Under-Secretary-General Guy Ryder, responsible for the initiative's institutional restructuring component, and Under-Secretary-General Catherine Pollard, coordinator of the UN80 administrative efficiency agenda.

One of the Panel's key outputs is the annual letter addressed to the UN Secretary-General highlighting the most relevant issues identified by external auditors. In this year's edition, the following points were emphasized:

• Risks to the financial health of UN entities;

• The need for greater coordination among agencies within the system;

• The strategic role of new technologies in supporting management efficiency; and

• The need to strengthen control in the three lines of defense: management, oversight, and internal audit.

Each topic was discussed in working groups, including one led by TCU.

Prior to the regular session, between November 19 and 21, the 41st meeting of the Panel's Technical Group was held, consisting of the external audit directors of the participating SAIs. Brazil was represented by Director Maurício Wanderley Albuquerque, who coordinated part of the activities in his capacity as vice-chair. The meeting featured dozens of presentations, many of them based on the survey results conducted with all members. Brazil led three topics:

1 - The need to standardize actuarial assumptions within the various entities of the UN system;

2 Presentation of the guide for the transition of external auditors within the UN Board of Auditors; and

3- Harmonization of the interpretation of the new accounting standards adopted by the organization.