On April 21, the First Online INTOSAI International Scientific and Practical Conference under the auspices of the INTOSAI Chair has been started. The event was attended by more than 500 SAI representatives from different countries all over the world.

During the next two days of the Conference the most significant and essential topics for the INTOSAI community will be covered in the brainstorm and round table discussions format.

Aleksei Kudrin, the Chair of the INTOSAI, welcomed the participants with an opening speech and expressed gratitude that during the most complicated moments of the pandemic the INTOSAI community supported the SAIs performance that, among other things, highlighted its value to the society.

“Nowadays it is necessary to build governance processes on the basis of the risk-oriented, strategic and flexible approach. INTOSAI will help the SAIs to maintain its relevance within the new circumstances and to bring even more benefits to the people,”

— emphasized Aleksei Kudrin.

Aleksei Kudrin also declared that on April 13, ahead of the Conference, a Memorandum of Understanding was signed between the INTOSAI and the OECD – a comprehensive document that implies cooperation on the widest range of issues and is up to form the basis to developing all-round partnership between INTOSAI and the other key international organizations. The new agreement is up to allow organizations to become more effective in improving public sector transparency and accountability.

Opening remarks were also addressed by Margrit Kraker, President of the Austrian Court of Audit, INTOSAI Secretary General, and Angel Gurria, Secretary-General of the OECD.

A Plenary Session “Public sector auditing and evolution of governance practices during and post emergency” was held on the first day of the Conference. The main topics of the discussion were dedicated to the necessary adaptation of government institutions, policies and practice; the long-term development of the public sector monitoring and the SDGs implementation in terms of the crisis.

Anatoly Chubais, Special Representative of the President of the Russian Federation for Relations with International Organizations to Achieve Sustainable Development Goals, took the moderator role.

“Healthcare system support and forehanded respond to the crisis within the pandemic remain crucial. The COVID-19 has brought significant changes to the government ability to deliver services and maintain the high level of transparency and accountability. The SAIs play an essential role in the crisis response, as well as government control is vital for the pandemic mitigation. Current drama makes us prepared for the possible future emergencies and SAIs should adapt to the new reality and introduce new principles and practices into their performance and not to forget about an independent civil society that need to be involved in this work,”

— noted Anatoly Chubais.

Speakers of the Plenary Session were presented as follows:

• Joseph D'Cruz, Senior Adviser of Strategy and Planning of the United Nations Development Programme;
• Edward Olowo-Okere, Director of the World Bank’s Governance Global Practice;
• Claire Schouten, Senior Program Officer, International Advocacy of the International Budget Partnership.

The second part of the meeting was dedicated to the INTOSAI expert community Open Discussions on healthcare and social care audit, public procurement and inclusiveness. All the results were summarized and discussed within the Final Session of the Conference.

On April 22, during the second-day Plenary Session experts will debate under the topic Online Education: New Normal or Temporary Solution? The Programme of the Conference and the whole information is available via the following link.