On February 6–8, 2023, Republic of India hosted the Sixth Meeting of the Heads of Supreme Audit Institutions (SAIs) of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) member countries in Lucknow.

Representatives from the SAIs of China, India, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan discussed the problem of emerging technologies integration in audit, with a particular focus on artificial intelligence (AI) and cybersecurity.

Through the event participants shared their SAIs’ experience in implementing various software and hardware systems for data processing and analysis to promote good governance and provide the necessary oversight. The heads of delegations noted the importance of nurturing ecosystems for innovation development and implementation in SAIs routine, underscoring the task of ensuring the quality of the aggregated data.

 The delegation of the Accounts Chamber of the Russian Federation led by Timur Makhmutov, Director of the Department for International and Regional Cooperation, presented IT-initiatives used by SAI Russia to promote transparency in the public sector, provided the results of the audit of state information systems, digital products and projects aimed at improving the professional competencies of local and international audit communities.

As a result of the meeting, the Protocol of the Sixth Meeting of Heads of SAIs of the SCO Member States, a joint statement and Action plan for 2023–2024 were adopted. Parties endorsed their commitment to use the educational centers of the SAIs of the SCO member countries, including the University for the INTOSAI community, to develop professional competencies of the inspectors’ staff in implementing advanced technologies in public auditing. The Action plan includes the organization of a seminar by the Accounts Chamber of the Russian Federation on the use of digital educational platforms via videoconference. The Accounts Chamber of the Republic of Tajikistan was approved as the host of the next meeting in 2024.