Multilateral Audit on the Arctic States’ national authorities’ work with the Arctic Council

Report ID: 262

The SAIs of  Denmark, Norway, the Russian Federation, Sweden, and the United States of America collaborated on a multilateral audit of national participation in the Arctic Council - an intergovernmental forum to promote cooperation on Arctic issues.

The multilateral audit, coordinated by SAI Norway and SAI Russia, was carried out in accordance with a strategic plan signed by the participating SAIs in October 2012 and was aimed to inform Arctic governance and enhance the usefulness of the Council in understanding and managing Arctic issues.

In addition to the national reports, the SAIs issued a memorandum  highlighting the results of a cooperative audit. The audits conducted by the five SAIs where they are similar in scope, and does not necessarily represent the views or conclusions of each SAI.

Key findings include the following:

• Changes in the Arctic have elevated the importance of international cooperation in the Arctic
• The Arctic Council has contributed to enhanced cooperation, governance and Scientific knowledge
• The Council faces key challenges related to its organizational structure, establishing priorities, funding its work, and ensuring the effective implementation of voluntary recommendations adopted by member states
• Indigenous groups make important contributions to the council, but face Challenges participating

Source: https://oaarchive.arctic-council.org/handle/11374/1527

The results of inspection of utilization effectiveness of state funds allocated for consequences elimination of emergencies

Report ID: 394

The tendency towards the increase of number of emergencies and events, which injure people, damage territories and yield losses to economies, has predetermined the urgency of the issue of providing anthropogenic and ecological safety for societies and territories. Underestimation of harmful factors, as well ass absence of timely compulsory measures is the reason for disastrous consequences, which could have been avoided. This means that health and lives of millions of humans depend on the way functioning of the state general system for prevention and response to disasters and catastrophes is ensured.

During the XIX INTOSAI Congress in Mexico City, the heads of the SAIs of Ukraine and Kazakhstan signed an agreement in order to continue bilateral collaboration that comprised an activity plan for 2008 – 2009. The plan stipulated that both SAIs shall conduct parallel inspections of planning, disbursement and utilization effectiveness of state budget funds, allocated for consequences elimination of emergencies, including anthropogenic disasters.

Among other, the results of inspection showed the inadequacy of communications, warning and information systems of authorized agencies in the area of prevention and consequences elimination of disasters and catastrophes, civil defense, being and important strategic objects of people protection.

Source: https://rp.gov.ua/upload-files/IntCooperation/IntAudits/RI_2008-2009.pdf

Report on the Parallel Audit of the Performance of the Structural Funds programmes of the EU in the areas of employment and/or environment

Report ID: 416

In this report the Working Group submitted to the Contact Committee its key findings, good practices and recommendations on the Performance of the Structural Funds Programmes of the European Union in the Areas of Employment and/or Environment depending on Country Reports prepared as results of the parallel audits conducted by the participating SAIs. The findings of the audit are related to six key areas: 1) Planning of Measures and Selection of Projects; 2) Goal oriented application procedures; 3) Award procedures; 4) Monitoring and Reporting; 5) Evaluation; 6) Participation of the Monitoring Committees in the evaluation of earlier Structural Funds measures and in the planning of new Structural Funds measures.

https://www.eca.europa.eu/sites/cc/Lists/CCDocuments/1959901/1959901_EN.PDF