The Forum of Supreme Audit Institutions (SAIs) with jurisdictional functions held its 7th meeting on October 16-17, 2023, in Bangkok, under the theme “The Contribution of SAIs to Combating Fraud and Corruption”.
Over the two-day meeting, heads and representatives of member SAIs of the Forum engaged in discussions and exchanges during three key panels:
- Panel 1: The Role of SAIs with Jurisdictional functions in combating fraud and corruption;
- Panel 2: The imperative of international collaboration and information;
- Panel 3: SAI Initiatives for Corruption Prevention and Public Awareness
The discussions highlighted the strong commitment of SAIs across all continents to exercise rigorous jurisdictional functions to strengthen transparency, accountability and governance in the public sector. In this regard, the jurisdictional model, its legal culture, and its practices make it a major actor in the fight against malpractice. Furthermore, jurisdictional and audit competencies are not antagonistic but perfectly complementary.
Given the complexity of offenses and their international dimensions, which hinder investigative powers, the need to enhance information exchange was underscored. Communication remains a key factor that all stakeholders, public and private, must prioritize.
The Forum meeting also provided an opportunity for its leadership to present a report to members on significant progress achieved in key areas namely:
- Advocacy and visibility efforts : The global dissemination in June 2023 of the advocacy document to major governance organizations (IMF, World Bank, EU, etc.) was enthusiastically received, reflecting positive recognition of initiatives aimed at improving understanding of the importance and benefits of SAIs with jurisdictional powers;
- Publication Initiatives : Collaborative efforts with the INTOSAI Journal aim to spotlight SAIs with jurisdictional powers in 2024 and further promoting of best practices, perspectives, and advancements within the SAI community. This highlights the Forum's commitment to knowledge sharing and the promotion of jurisdictional functions of SAIs.
The meeting also served as a platform to discuss the Forum’s institutional evolution within INTOSAI and potential future pathways. Active discussions examined the possibility of formally integrating the Forum into the INTOSAI community as a dedicated working group.
As an alternative avenue for its evolution, Mr. Bruno Dantas, President of Brazil’s Federal Court of Accounts and INTOSAI, alongside Ms. Zineb El Adaoui, First President of Morocco’s Court of Accounts, presented an initiative to elevate the Forum to a related organization within INTOSAI. This status could provide a prestigious, permanent, and inclusive framework for cooperation among Forum members, equipping them with the means and capabilities necessary to implement projects in standardization, knowledge sharing, best practices, and capacity building.
