HÀ NỘI — The decision to host the Asian Associations of Supreme Audit Institutions (ASOSAI)’s 14th Assembly showed the community’s high regard for the State Audit of Vietnam (SAV), while contributing to enhancing the reputation of Việt Nam’s external activities, including those of the National Assembly (NA), said NA Vice Chairman Phùng Quốc Hiển.

In an interview with the Vietnam News Agency ahead of the event, Hiển, who is also head of the steering committee for organising the 14th Assembly of the ASOSAI, said that one of the prioritised tasks of the SAV was to develop existing bilateral and multilateral ties as well as traditional partnerships with members of the ASOSAI and the International Organisation of Supreme Audit Institutions (INTOSAI).

During its 24 years of development, the SAV had made positive contributions to the operation of the Asia-Pacific audit sector, especially the growth of the ASOSAI community, he said.

Along with the comprehensive reform process, Việt Nam had strengthened its intensive international integration and contributed to multilateral mechanisms.

As a responsible member of regional and global co-operation mechanisms, Việt Nam has hosted many major international events, including the 132nd Assembly of the International Parliamentary Union (IPU) in 2015, the APEC Leaders’ Week in 2017, the 26th meeting of the Asia-Pacific Parliamentary Forum (APPF 26) and the World Economic Forum on ASEAN (WEF ASEAN) in 2018.

"The success of the events has shown the new role and position of Việt Nam in the world arena," said Hiển.

He said the external activities of the SAV both helped to enhance the position of Việt Nam in foreign relations, and create opportunities for the agency to learn from other countries.

Mentioning the theme of the 14th Assembly of the ASOSAI, Hiển said that the environment was among the major obstacles facing development.

Climate change and the rapid growth of economies had brought about issues related to pollution, waste and natural resources. If they were not solved, the development of countries, including Việt Nam, would face great difficulties. Therefore, choosing the theme “Environmental Auditing for Sustainable Development” was the right choice, he said.

Regarding the significance of the event being hosted in Việt Nam, the NA vice chairman said that this was an important political-diplomatic and professional co-operation event, reflecting the growth of the SAV which was much younger compared to that in other countries in the region as well as in the world.

The event was a good chance for the SAV to absorb international knowledge, standards and experiences as well as make full use of resources from the ASOSAI and its members to enhance its capacity for further development.

The SAV would become the ASOSAI chair for the 2018-24 tenure and a member of its governing board in the 2015-24 period. The hosting of the 14th Assembly would be an opportunity for the SAV to affirm its role and position, while winning trust from ASOSAI members and international organisations in its capacity to host a large international event, he said.

Hiển added that the ASOSAI 14 was also a chance for the SAV to continue reforming across all fields.

During the event, a number of important documents are expected to be issued, including effective policies, solutions and tools to deal with various issues.

As the SAV’s legal status has been stated in the Constitution, the event would help improve the role of the SAV in bettering the efficiency of public finance and asset management, thus building a transparent and strong finance sector, said Hiển.

The SAV became a member of the International Organisation of Supreme Audit Institutions (INTOSAI) in 1996, and joined the Asian Organisation of Supreme Audit Institutions (ASOSAI) in 1997.

The SAV will host the 14th Assembly of ASOSAI slated for September 19-22 in Hà Nội.

Established in 1979 with 11 members, ASOSAI now has 46 members. The ASOSAI Assembly is held every three years. — VNS