Regional Round-up

ASOSAI WGEA

For the 8th Meeting of the INTOSAI WGEA

April 2003, Beijing, China

Since the 7th meeting of the INTOSAI WGEA in October 2001, ASOSAI WGEA has worked in the light of the Work Plan 2002-2004, and participated actively in INTOSAI WGEA events and organized several researches on environmental auditing within ASOSAI.

I.  Within the framework of INTOSAI

In March 2002, the National Audit Office of China (CNAO), chair of ASOSAI WGEA, was admitted as a member of the Steering Committee of the INTOSAI WGEA, and participated in the first Steering Committee meeting in London in April 2002, and the second Steering Committee in San Jose, Costa Rica, in January 2003. At these meetings, the representatives from CNAO reported on the implementation of the work plan of ASOSAI WGEA, discussed issues on the INTOSAI WGEA Work Plan 2002-2004, environmental audit training, water resources audit and solid wastes audit. At these meetings, CNAO took the assignment of providing audit cases on water resources and solid wastes audit. To fulfill the assignments, the CNAO carried out an audit on the management of medical wastes and collected some audit cases from other local audit institutions. After that, the CNAO forwarded those audit cases to the SAIs of the Netherlands and Norway for drafting of the INTOSAI WGEA papers on water and waste management, and provided some suggestions on papers amendment.

In August 2002, two auditors from CNAO joining the INTOSAI delegation representing the secretariat of ASOSAI WGEA attended the Earth Summit on sustainable development in Johannesburg. On a formal forum of the Summit, CNAO representatives made a presentation introducing ASOSAI WGEA and the National Audit Office of China. They also attended a workshop on environment and sustainable development audit organized by AFROSAI WGEA in Nelspruit.

At the end of September, invited by the Supreme Chamber of Control of Poland, chair of the EUROSAI WGEA, three auditors of the secretariat of ASOSAI WGEA participated in the Second European Environmental Auditing Seminar held in Golawice, Poland. Where they were able to exchanged ideas and experiences on environmental protection and environmental auditing with European colleagues. It is widely recognized that such cross-regional exchanges will contribute to the further development of ASOSAI WGEA.

From November 2 to 6, participants from the SAIs of China, Pakistan, India and Jordan, etc. attended the workshop on curriculum design organized by the INTOSAI WGEA and IDI. On the workshop, the contents of environmental auditing training courses were discussed. The ASOSAI WGEA is now working closely with IDI in preparing for a pilot training program to be held later this year.

The CNAO has been actively preparing for the 8th meeting of the INTOSAI WGEA since it decided to host the meeting in Beijing. The secretariat has been maintaining frequent contacts with Chair of the INTOSAI WGEA, discussed most details of the meeting during the second Steering Committee meeting, and reached agreement on logistic matters, laying a good foundation for the meeting.

II.  Within the framework of ASOSAI

The secretariat of ASOSAI WGEA took up the responsibility of maintaining the website of ASOSAI WGEA, after the site was launched in 2001. In order to keep all member SAIs informed of the latest development in ASOSAI WGEA and exemplify the development on environmental auditing of ASOSAI, the secretariat updates such columns as “News” and “Forum” on the website on regular basis.

For the purpose of promoting the research on environmental auditing and collecting information on environmental protection and audit in Asian countries, the secretariat has written to all ASOSAI members, putting forward five research topics on environmental audit and inviting new ideas in this regard. Up to now, 24 SAIs have replied and identified that the topics of “technical standards of environmental auditing” and “ways to minimize audit risk in environmental auditing” they concern most. The secretariat will collect and compile the research results, and disseminate them via the Internet and other means among all ASOSAI members.

We are very pleased to see the expansion of the ASOSAI WGEA. After seeking the opinion of the SAI of Thailand, the president of ASOSAI, India, the secretariat of ASOSAI, and other related member SAIs in April 2002, the secretariat of ASOSAI WGEA approved the application of the SAI of Bangladesh to become a member of this working group. At present, there are 21 members in the working group (see attached member list).

As requested by the INTOSAI WGEA, the secretariat drafted the ASOSAI WGEA Work Plan 2003-2004 in the light of the Work Plan of the INTOSAI WGEA. The work plan (draft) includes three parts: “Working Objectives”, “Working Focus” and “Acitvities”. In the part of Activities, we have planed to promote the communications and dissemination of environmental auditing information and experiences, enhance the cooperation on environmental auditing among SAIs and strengthen research work of the working group. We will submit the work plan to the Governing Board of ASOSAI and INTOSAI WGEA after consulting other working group members.

In the future, under the INTOSAI WGEA Work Plan 2002-2004 and the ASOSAI WGEA Work Plan 2003-2004, ASOSAI WGEA will continue to fulfill conscientiously on its responsibilities, to promote the understanding of environmental audit issues of common concern among all ASOSAI members. We will work hard to promote exchanges of information and experiences, and strengthen the relationship with INTOSAI WGEA. And we hope we will be able to receive support from INTOSAI WGEA and other regional WGEAs to further our development in the field of environmental auditing.