Supreme audit institutions play a vital role in helping countries achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by ensuring access to reliable information and strengthening accountability, Auditor General and President of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of the Maldives, Hussain Niyazy, has said.
Niyazy made the remarks during the closing ceremony of the Symposium of Supreme Audit Institutions (SAIs) of Small Island Developing States (SIDS) and the opening of the IDI Global Summit, organised by the International Organization of Supreme Audit Institutions (INTOSAI).
He said the role of supreme audit institutions in supporting the development and progress of small island developing states extends well beyond traditional financial audits. Niyazy noted that technical assistance provided through INTOSAI has significantly strengthened the capacity of audit institutions, while programmes implemented by the INTOSAI Development Initiative (IDI) have substantially enhanced their capabilities. He added that the IDI Global Summit would further improve the work of supreme audit institutions.
"During the symposium held over the past few days, heads of supreme audit institutions from 11 countries took part. A total of 46 international participants and 55 participants from the Maldives attended the symposium of supreme audit institutions of small island developing states," Niyazy said.
Niyazy, who inaugurated the symposium, said discussions focused on supporting the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals, strengthening public financial management and expanding the role of audit in environmental and climate-related matters. He said these efforts would directly contribute to improving the resilience of small island developing states, strengthening economic stability and enhancing public welfare.
"The symposium has opened the way for meaningful discussions on issues that are critical to the future of island nations," Niyazy said.
He also highlighted the challenges facing small island developing states, including climate change, natural disasters, limited resources and increasing pressure on development.
Small island states' supreme audit institutions symposium concludes in Ukulhas
The SIDS Supreme Audit Institutions Symposium was held in Ukulhas, Alif Alif Atoll from 3 to 5 August. It was jointly organised by the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN DESA) and the Auditor General’s Office of the Maldives.
The ceremony saw the launch of the Auditor General’s Office Strategic Plan. Following the unveiling of the plan, President Dr Mohamed Muizzu addressed the participants.
The SIDS-SAI Symposium brought together supreme audit institutions from Small Island Developing States to discuss the role of audit offices in assessing progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and in auditing initiatives related to climate change and sustainable development.
In addition, the IDI Global Summit will, over the following two days, focus on ways to further strengthen the audit institutions of small island developing states through collaboration and support from larger supreme audit institutions, with discussions centred on future capacity-building and institutional development.