Rarotonga, Cook Islands: More than 80 people from countries across the Pacific and as far afield as Brazil and Norway attended the 25th Congress of the Pacific Association of Supreme Audit Institutions (PASAI), attracting the presence of the Right Honourable Helen Clark and the Cook Islands Prime Minister, the Honourable Mark Brown.

Representatives of 26 PASAI member offices, supporting development partners and dignitaries from local and overseas ministries attended the five-day meeting hosted by the Cook Islands Audit Office from 20 to 24 May 2024.

Ms Clark, in her role as the INTOSAI-Donor Cooperation Goodwill Ambassador for SAI Independence, made a keynote address on ‘Influencing SAI independence’ and later joined a panel discussion where she elaborated on the corrosive effects of corruption and the importance of upholding the role of government audit offices (often referred to as ‘SAIs’) in public financial management systems.

The Controller and Auditor-General of New Zealand, John Ryan, in his capacity as the Secretary-General of PASAI, spoke of the increased public awareness, both domestically and internationally, that Ms Clark’s participation in the Congress gathering gave to the role of SAIs and the importance of their independence.

“We couldn’t ask for a better advocate of SAIs than Helen Clark, who reminded us that although we strive to act independently, we should never feel alone in holding governments to account,” Mr Ryan added.

The Cook Islands Ministry of Culture arranged the opening ceremony of Day 1 of the Congress, which was held at the National Auditorium.

Starting on 19 May and finishing on the afternoon of 20 May, the 38th meeting of PASAI’s Governing Board bookended Day 1 of the Congress. At its meeting, the Board agreed on recommendations for the approval of Congress.

Representatives from all PASAI member offices, including those absent, unanimously adopted a new 10-year strategy after Board representatives from each of PASAI’s sub-regions voiced their support of it. The strategy was developed over the last 18 months and will take effect from 1 July 2024.

Among the other recommendations of the Governing Board that were adopted by the Congress was the admission of the South Australian Audit Office as a new PASAI member.

The theme of the Congress was, “Strengthening performance: making a difference in the lives of Pacific people.”

Auditors general, public auditors and others in similar roles from Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific Island sub-regions of Melanesia, Micronesia and Polynesia, as well as PASAI Secretariat staff and other stakeholders with an interest in national integrity and public financial management systems discussed a range of issues over the course of the week.

Through a series of panel discussions, Congress attendees reflected on matters related to utilising technology, corruption prevention, office professionalisation and strengthening respect for the role and work of SAIs.

Representatives from many SAIs also conveyed a strong interest in joining the INTOSAI Chair Brazil-led ClimateScanner Initiative, a global assessment of government actions related to climate change, the results of which will be ready for COP29, the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Azerbaijan this November.

PASAI released a detailed communiqué after the event and made videos of the opening day available on its YouTube channel.

PASAI acknowledges the support of the New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (MFAT) and the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT), and looks forward to the next Congress in 2025.

Photos and video taken by Jessica Du, Vice President and Editor of the International Journal of Government Auditing, during the 25th PASAI Congress:

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Contact information:

Esther Lameko-Poutoa, Chief Executive PASAI, Auckland, New Zealand
E: secretariat@pasai.org P: +64 9 304 1275

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