Representatives of the Supreme Audit Institutions associated in EUROSAI and AFROSAI met in Lisbon. Participants of the seminar organized on 21-22 November exchanged experience related to the audit of the preparedness to the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals set out in the UN 2030 Agenda. NIK reported that Poland was well prepared to the execution of the said goals. The international audit on the preparedness to the implementation of SDGs in individual countries is the largest audit conducted by SAIs cooperating within INTOSAI, to date. The seminar in Lisbon was also organised to celebrate the establishment anniversary of the Portuguese Court of Auditors.
Principle of sustainable development is one of the main rules of law in Poland, resulting from Article 5 of the Polish Constitution. The Polish government implements SDGs by means of the Strategy for Responsible Development. Governments of 193 states that ratified the UN resolution, execute the global goals in their countries. SAIs contribute to the implementation of SDGs in line with ISSAI 5130 Sustainable Development: The Role of Supreme Audit Institutions. They identify issues and good practices, compliant to ISSAI 12, thus supporting the improvement of citizens’ life quality.
Marzena Rajczewska – Director of the Strategy Department at NIK, Marian Banaś – President of NIK, Eva Lindstrom – Member of the ECA, Antonio Martins – Vice-President of the Portuguese SAI, Edmond Shoko – AFROSAI-E, Walton Alencar Rodrigues – Member of the Brazilian SAI, Julio Correa Pinheiro – Member of the Brazilian SAI.
The 1st EUROSAI-AFROSAI joint seminar took place on 21-22 November in Lisbon. Almost 160 representatives of European, African and Portuguese speaking SAIs met in the capital of Portugal to share experience related to the audit concerning the preparedness to the implementation of Sustainable Development Goals in their countries. President of NIK, Marian Banaś, and Director of the Strategy Department, Marzena Rajczewska, represented both the Supreme Audit Office of Poland, as well as the European Organisation of Supreme Audit Institutions EUROSAI.
Last year INTOSAI members checked how their countries were prepared to the implementation of the UN 2030 Agenda. The document, adopted in 2015 by 193 states, including Poland, tackles 17 challenges, among others, to eliminate hunger and poverty worldwide, to improve quality of healthcare, to provide gender equality, access to quality education, decent work, access to energy, as well as to protect the environment.
Review of the SDGs’ implementation is among the priorities of the INTOSAI Strategic Plan 2017-2022.
Results of the national audit conducted in Poland in 2018 were positive. Our country is well and effectively prepared to the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals.
Results of the audit on Poland's preparedness to the implementation of SDGs
NIK delegation discussed the activities of the Polish government aimed to prepare for the implementation of SDGs in Poland. According to NIK, the Polish state has made significant progress in the execution of the 2030 Agenda, though some areas require intensified actions. Ministries established a system based on cooperation of state institutions with local governments, non-governmental organisations, associations, academic circles and entrepreneurs, as it is of great importance to include as many people as possible in the implementation of the 2030 Agenda, and to raise social awareness on its execution in Poland. Hence, NIK clearly recommended to spread the knowledge on the goals in various communities and social groups, and to publish information related to the 2030 Agenda on websites of ministries and public offices, too. It is also essential to ensure compliance of national indicators with the indicators specified by the UN, so as to measure and assess progress of individual countries (including Poland) more efficiently.
The seminar in Lisbon was also organised to celebrate a double anniversary of the Portuguese SAI: the SAI of Portugal was established 630 years ago, and the Court of Auditors in its present form – 170 years ago.
