The fourth online meeting of the INTOSAI Working Group on SDGs and Key Sustainable Development Indicators (WGSDG KSDI) was held on June 6, 2023.

The meeting brought together 140 participants from 20 SAIs, as well as representatives of the African Organisation of English-speaking Supreme Audit Institutions (AFROSAI–E) and regional audit institutions of the Russian Federation.

The participants of the meeting shared their experience and national practices of auditing the SDGs and sustainable development. The topics of sustainable cities and communities, the public finance management system, the health system in the context of measures to combat COVID-19, the solid waste management program, a climate scanner - SAI Brazil initiative, the effectiveness of measures to reduce the number of objects of excessive unfinished construction, etc. were discussed.

Detailed presentations of the participants are available on the WGSDG KSDI web-page.

“The sustainable development trend remains topical to date. An important point of Sustainable Development Agenda are synergies of all stakeholders. However, in fact, it is the Government that drives sustainable development. And SAIs can help national governments to track progress in achieving sustainable development goals, identifying opportunities for improvements and nudging them towards proactive measures”

– said Dmitry Zaitsev, Head of the WGSDG KSDI Secretariat and Member of the Board of the Accounts Chamber of the Russian Federation, in his welcome address.

Key results of the Group's activities over the past period:

• The WGSDG KSDI has been expanded up to 36 participants and 7 observers. The new members are the SAIs of Algeria and Iran.

• In November 2022, the results of the Group's activities were presented at the XXIV INCOSAI in Brazil. Two documents of the Working group were presented at the information and exhibition space of the Congress: Guidance on ESG Audit – Scoping Paper and draft Practical guidance on SDG audit at the regional level. Besides a presentation with from the projects of the Group members was presented at a KSC booth, and a booklet about the activities of the Group was distributed among the participants of the Congress.
• The Working Group continued to develop cooperation with the ASOSAI Working Group on the SDGs. Thus, on May 23-24, the Secretariat of the INTOSAI Working Group on SDGs and KSDI participated in the meeting of the ASOSAI Working Group on SDGs in Azerbaijan. Possible directions of cooperation between the two groups were discussed at the meeting.
• The Secretariat has developed a draft Guidance on ESG Audit and plans to submit the document for approval by the Group at the next meeting in 2024.
• The draft Guidance on audit of the reliability of macroeconomic forecasts is continued. The knowledge base of the manual has been significantly expanded, as well as a glossary of basic terms has been prepared.
• The Secretariat prepared and submitted to the INTOSAI Knowledge Sharing Committee information on the GUID 5202 "Sustainable Development: the role of Supreme Audit Institutions" update, with a proposal to include the project in the next INTOSAI Strategic Development Plan for the period 2023-2025.
• Work on a Practical Guide for Auditing the Sustainable Development Goals at the regional level has been completed. The document was approved by the members of the Group.

Plans for the future

• Cooperation with the ASOSAI Working Group on Sustainable Development Goals. Preparation of joint courses for the U-INTOSAI platform.
• Update of the GUID 5202 “Sustainable Development: The Role of Supreme Audit Institutions”.
• Future development of Guidance on ESG audit and Guidance on audit of the reliability of macroeconomic forecasts.
• New issues WG SDG KSDI Newsletter.
• The next meeting of the Working Group is scheduled for May 2024 in a face-to-face format.