Gathered at the XXIII International Congress of Supreme Audit Institutions (Incosai), the member countries of the International Organization of Supreme Audit Institutions (Intosai) elected Brazil to the Vice-Presidency of the entity from 2019 to 2022. Elected unanimously, the country was also chosen to host the next congress, which will be held in 2022, in a place yet to be defined.

“Regarding TCU, the participants' perception was the best possible. We had several positive highlights, most importantly the election for the vice presidency of Intosai, the main entity that brings together the Supreme Audit Institutions (EFS). Our mandate began at the end of the congress and runs until 2022, when we should take over the presidency”, said Ricardo Becker, head of the Department of International Relations (Serint) of the Federal Court of Accounts – Brazil (TCU).

The presidency is currently held by Russia, where the event was held last September, in the capital, Moscow. The Intosai Congress is held every three years and brings together its affiliated external control bodies to discuss common problems and possible solutions.

Another positive highlight of the event was the approval of the activity report of the Intosai Professional Standards Committee (PSC), which is chaired by the TCU. The work was developed in a joint effort by several countries.

Moscow Declaration

During the congress, the participants also approved a series of proposals for the challenges faced by the public external control institutions. The Moscow Declaration was the product of a global diagnosis of the current external control environment to define guidelines for action.

In summary, the document reinforces the need for SAIs to align with the progress of public oversight and technological advances in order to remain relevant; to respond to society's demands for effective and efficient management of public resources; and add value by providing independent external control to meet nationally agreed targets, including those linked to the 2030 Agenda and its Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

“Some factors are in the context of the Moscow Declaration, the main ones being: the rapid and constant changes that are influencing government audit activity around the world, the challenges and opportunities of the digital revolution, which also imposes a new environment for SAIs, and the importance of SAIs to continue acting independently so that they can fulfill their mission of contributing to good accountability, governance, transparency and good management of public resources”, explains the TCU secretary.