CAG Girish Chandra Murmu elected as Vice-Chair of UN Panel of Auditors

New Delhi, Nov 22 (PTI) Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) Girish Chandra Murmu has been elected as the Vice-Chair of the UN Panel of Auditors for the next year.

This recognition underscores India’s commitment to the highest standards of external audit and its active participation in shaping the global audit landscape, the CAG said in a statement.

Murmu participated in the sixty-third session of the Panel of External Auditors, held at the United Nations Headquarters in New York on November 20-21, 2023.

The Panel of external auditors comprising heads of 12 Supreme Audit Institutions (SAIs) globally, oversees the external audit of the UN Secretariat, funds and programmes, and specialised agencies.

The independent body, including representatives from Canada, Chile, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Philippines, Russia, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom, conducts financial, performance and compliance audits of UN entities.

CAG said the annual meeting served as a unique platform for collaborative discussions on various issues, including follow-up actions on the Secretary-General’s response to the Panel Letter, and addressing critical concerns related to financial and management, climate change, and digital matters.

In the meeting, Murmu led the discussion on critical financial and management issues affecting UN organisations, it added.

In a separate meeting, Murmu along with panel members met UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, exchanging views in the areas of risk management, the challenging financial environment, and the imperative for well-structured funding strategies.

The panel members emphasised the pivotal role of the UN system in guiding and managing climate finance issues, alongside expressing concerns about digital transformation.

“During the meeting, Comptroller and Auditor General of India Girish Chandra Murmu was elected as the Vice-Chair of the UN Panel of Auditors for the forthcoming year,” India’s apex auditor added.

On the sidelines of the panel meeting, the CAG of India also held a bilateral meeting with Pierre Moscovici, the First President of Cour des comptes (Supreme Audit Institution of France) to discuss the strengthening of bilateral relations between the two SAIs.