Cooperation between IBAN and the Supreme Audit Institution of Benin: International cooperation in action, in pursuit of transparency and good governance

IBAN, an active member of the INTOSAI community

As this meeting with members of the Benin Chamber of Accounts shows, IBAN is a committed stakeholder in the international community of supreme audit institutions that come together under the auspices of the International Organization of Supreme Audit Institutions (INTOSAI). INTOSAI plays an essential role in supporting sound public finance management, transparency, and the integrity of the auditing process, and IBAN actively contributes to that mission. Cooperation between the institutions under INTOSAI’s umbrella is crucial to fostering the spread of best practice, sharing knowledge, and strengthening audit capabilities in regions all around the world.

The talks with the Beninese representatives are a concrete example of how IBAN draws on expertise acquired at NATO – an international organization faced with wide-ranging multilateral challenges that has a complex mode of operation – to help supreme audit institutions operating in similar contexts to improve their auditing practices.

Sharing expertise for the benefit of Benin and of Africa

IBAN Chair Radek Visinger, former IBAN member Franz Wascotte, and auditors André Tabbal and Nelly Dondjeu presented a range of NATO-specific external auditing practices. The discussions were especially insightful for the Benin Chamber of Accounts delegation, giving them food for thought and new perspectives that they could put to use in their efforts to respond to the growing demand for auditing services for the international organizations operating in Africa.

This cooperation goes well beyond merely sharing know-how; it is part of an overarching process of capacity building on governance and transparency on the African continent. In this respect, the supreme audit institutions play a critical role in assessing the effectiveness and integrity of international organizations’ programmes, which is a real challenge, in particular for the countries of Africa.

Ongoing commitment to transparency throughout the world

The visit by members of the Benin Chamber of Accounts is one in a series of initiatives designed to build international cooperation on external auditing. IBAN, as an active INTOSAI member, continues to promote a culture of transparency and good governance in international institutions in the interests of ever more rigorous and responsible management of public money and financial resources.

The talks between IBAN and the Benin Chamber of Accounts and, more broadly, between IBAN and the supreme audit institutions make it clear that closer cooperation is the best way of addressing the challenges ahead for public financial management around the world. Partnerships of this kind are a means of building an international network of experts and enhancing the impact of external audits, for the benefit of citizens across the globe.

The cooperation activities between IBAN and the Benin Chamber of Accounts are an inspiring example of the true potential of strengthening cooperation in the INTOSAI framework. By sharing its know-how and best practice, IBAN is actively working to achieve more transparent, more responsible global governance, for the good of our citizens and the future of our societies.