On 9–10 June 2025, a workshop entitled “Initiative for a New Collaborative Performance Audit” was held in Pristina, bringing together representatives of the Albanian Supreme Audit Institution (ALSAI), the National Audit Office of Kosovo, and the State Audit Office of North Macedonia, with the support of UN Women.

The activity was organized as part of the regional program “Transformative Financing for Gender Equality in the Western Balkans,” supported by the Government of Sweden through the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida) and implemented by UN Women in Kosovo, Albania, North Macedonia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Serbia.

The Albanian Supreme Audit Institution was represented by Mr Aulent Guri, Director of the Performance Audit Department and auditors Ms. Eva Kushta and Ms. Arjeta Çoku.

The main objective of this workshop was for the audit teams from the respective Supreme Audit Institutions (SAIs) to discuss the initiative for a new collaborative performance audit and agree on the approach aligned with “Women Leaders – Women in Politics, Parliament, and Leadership Positions in Central Government.”

In addition, UN Women and the audit teams discussed the next steps and the support required from the Supreme Audit Institutions to further integrate a gender perspective into auditing practices.

Throughout the workshop, participants exchanged views and experiences regarding the initiative for the new collaborative performance audit, focusing on the theme of Women Leaders – Women in Politics, Parliament, and Leadership Positions in Central Government.

Representatives of the Supreme Audit Institutions (SAIs) discussed and shared their practices and experiences in conducting audits related to gender equality, creating the necessary conditions for auditing issues concerning women’s representation in politics and assessing the impact of such audits on the topic under consideration.

At the conclusion of the activity, participants also developed a schedule for the upcoming meetings, with the aim of finalizing the focus of the collaborative audit, examining the relevant issues in their respective countries, and reaching agreement among the participating institutions on the audit topic to be undertaken.

Cooperation among peer Supreme Audit Institutions enables an in-depth analysis of existing policies, the identification of gaps in the implementation of gender quotas, and an assessment of the impact of gender equality strategies. Through the exchange of good practices and the harmonization of audit methodologies, greater transparency can be ensured and effective measures can be proposed to increase women’s participation in decision-making processes.