On May 23–24, 2023, the annual meeting of the Working Group of the Asian Organization of Supreme Audit Institutions (ASOSAI) on SDGs was held in person in Baku (the Republic of Azerbaijan) under the leadership of SAI Kuwait.

The event was attended by representatives of the SAIs of Azerbaijan, China, India, Kazakhstan, Kuwait, Nepal, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Thailand, Turkey and Vietnam.

Addressing with a welcoming speech to the participants of the meeting, the head of the Chamber of Accounts of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Mr. Vugar Gulmammadov noted the importance of complex interaction between state institutions for innovative, balanced economic development and successful implementation of social projects. As an example of the effective interagency cooperation, the activities of the National Coordinating Council for Sustainable Development of Azerbaijan, established in 2016, were presented. The Council’s mission is to monitor progress in the SDGs implementation and provide timely reporting to policymakers in the field of sustainable development.

Mr. Vahid Novruzov, Chairman of the Chamber of Auditors of the Republic of Azerbaijan, drew attention to the special role of Supreme Audit Institutions in ensuring transparency and accountability for the SDGs implementation. One of the priorities for SAIs is to set up a system for assessing the risks of achieving the SDGs, to introduce a risk-based approach into the practice of SAIs. In this context, the analysis of the international audit community experience in the field of the implementation of the SDGs assessing is of particular importance.

Delegates shared their national experience on SDGs auditing and discussed the development of a professional dialogue. Representatives of the SAIs of Azerbaijan, China, India, Kazakhstan, Nepal, Russia, Thailand, Turkey and Vietnam highlighted various aspects of the SDGs audit.

Mr. Anton Kosyanenko, Head of the Department for Audit of Economic Development of the Accounts Chamber of the Russian Federation, presented the main projects and interim results of the activities of SAI Russia on the SDG audit. Particular attention was paid to the methodology for auditing the achievement of SDG indicators in the Russian regions, including an analysis of the monitoring system for SDGs indicators and their dynamics, as well as budget financing of sustainable development activities.

During the meeting, participants discussed the results of the WG activities in 2022, the schedule for the implementation of the Work Plan projects as well as new products and areas of cooperation development.

The proposals of SAI Russia to expand cooperation with the INTOSAI Working Group on SDGs and Key Indicators of Sustainable Development (WGSDG KSDI), as well as the use of the Digital University for the INTOSAI Community (U-INTOSAI) in order to enhance the professional potential of the Group members were supported by the Group members.