The first in-person training for the group that will compose the UN Board of Auditors began on March 11. The group is composed of officers from the Brazilian Federal Court of Accounts (TCU), the Brazilian Office of the Comptroller General (CGU), and state and municipal courts of accounts. Members of the Office of the Comptroller General of Chile, whose position will be assumed by Brazil in July, are taking part in the activities at the Serzedello Corrêa Capacity Development Institute (ISC), in Brasília (DF). 

The President of TCU and Chair of INTOSAI, Minister Bruno Dantas, opened the meeting by welcoming the participants. He recalled Brazil's trajectory in pursuing the candidacy for the seat on the Board of Auditors. He pointed out that the election by acclamation at the UN General Assembly last November is a clear recognition of the Court of Accounts' growth and maturity in its operations.  

"Brazil is globally known for having great diplomats and we want to show them we have great auditors too. To this end, we decided to put together a very diverse team, including auditors from the TCU, as well as colleagues from state and municipal courts of accounts and the CGU. We want to build this kind of collaboration and knowledge exchange within the country's control system," he said. 

The president emphasized that Brazil will have the opportunity to enhance the efficiency of the UN's work. "We believe in diplomacy and the power of dialog among nations. We will carry out high-quality financial and performance audits, and we will have the chance to show we can help the organization improve its performance," said Dantas.   

When thanking the Chilean auditors for sharing their experience and knowledge with the Brazilian team, the Minister emphasized the technical quality of the Chilean teams. "Succeeding Chile is a huge challenge. The Chileans are known within the UN system for their professionalism and the quality of their work. We will have the task of keeping up with this standard and having synergy with our colleagues from France and China, who remain on the Board," he noted. 

Chile Shares Its Experience at the UN Board 

Still during the morning, the Director and Deputy Director of the UN Audit Office of the Chilean Office of the Comptroller General, Marta Morales and Pablo Dequero, and the head of the back office in Chile, Arturo Eliseo, presented an overview of their work with the United Nations. Throughout the morning, they explained the role of the Board of Auditors, the list of bodies audited by Chile, which will also be a part of the Brazilian portfolio, the type of reports that the board issues, the work processes followed, and operational aspects involved in carrying out the activities. 

"We are very happy that Brazil has reached this position and thus can continue to represent Latin America on the UN Board of Auditors," said Marta Morales. "There will be challenges, but I am sure that the Brazilian Federal Court of Accounts has all that it takes to do the job. This is a unique opportunity to contribute to improving the accountability of the UN system," said Pablo Dequero.  

Chile's term on the UN Board of Auditors ends on June 30. Starting in July, Brazil will be responsible for auditing United Nations bodies and peacekeeping missions, such as the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), the United Nations Joint Staff Pension Fund (UNJSPF), the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN Women) and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC).