July 21, 2025

In the framework of the United Nations High-Level Political Forum, the INTOSAI Development Initiative (IDI), in cooperation with the INTOSAI Committee on Professional Standards (KSC), organized an event on July 21, 2025, titled “Developing the Competencies and Capacities of Supreme Audit Institutions to Deliver Audit Value in the Implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals.” This event brought together high-level representatives from SAIs, INTOSAI bodies, UN organizations, international organizations, civil society, and others.

The event had two goals:

1. Presentation of the joint IDI-KSC initiative “SAI SDG Auditor Initiative,” which aims to develop auditor-level competencies within SAIs to provide independent, external oversight of the implementation of Agenda 2030 through high-quality, high-impact audits.

2. Discussion on developing long-term competencies for auditing the Sustainable Development Goals and sustainability in general.

The leadership of INTOSAI (SAI Brazil) and the INTOSAI General Secretariat (SAI Austria) emphasized the critical role SAIs play in fostering transparency and accountability within the framework of the 2030 Agenda. During the engaging discussions, the initiative “SAIs and the Audit of Sustainable Development Goals” was presented in detail, aiming to empower public auditors in auditing the SDGs. A panel discussion featuring representatives from various SAIs, as well as the World Health Organization (WHO) and UN Women, shared concrete experiences regarding SDG audits—focusing on Goal 3 (health and well-being) and Goal 5 (gender equality)—and highlighted the challenges faced by Small Island Developing States (SIDS), as well as the importance of partnerships for inclusive audits that uphold the “Leave No One Behind” principle. Concluding the plenary discussions moderated by the IDI, the collective commitment to building the professional capacity of SAIs for a more sustainable future was reaffirmed.