Hanoi (VNA) - The theme “Environmental Auditing for SustainableDevelopment" is one of the important contents of the agenda of the ongoing 14th Assembly of the Asian Organisation ofSupreme Audit Institutions (ASOSAI) in Hanoi as it clarifies the role ofenvironmental auditing in supporting governments to achieve sustainabledevelopment goals (SDGs).

It shows messages, commitments, efforts and practical contributions of theASOSAI community to pursuing sustainable development goals of the UN andaddressing global environmental challenges.

According to State Auditor General of Vietnam HoDuc Phoc, in the process of sustainable development, countries faceenvironmental challenges such as climate change, emission and waste water.

Vietnam,as a developing country, encounters the situation of imported scraps and backwardtechnology, he said.

Thetheme provides a holistic view of currentenvironmental issues, while considering links between these issues and SDGs ofthe UN, Phoc said.

Archana Shirsat, a representative from the INTOSAI DevelopmentInitiative (IDI), said that the UN Development Programme until2030 mentions integration in three aspects, and one of which is the environment.

Therefore, the environment is a very important topic, and apriority in the context of integration in each country.

♉[Infographics: State Audit Office of Vietnam’s role in ASOSAI]

During ASOSAI 14, member supreme audit institutions (SAIs), including the StateAudit of Vietnam (SAV), will share challenges, experience and solutions toeffectively implement the environmental auditing function towards protecting theglobal environment and promoting sustainable development.

Participants are also sharing their knowledge and experience in how to improve therole and position of SAIs in environmental auditing, environmental protectionand sustainable development in each country and on global scale.

Deputy AuditorGeneral of Thailand Sirin Phankasem said Thailand has been carryingout a lot of environmental and water auditing activities, and it has extensiveexperience in environmental auditing training.

The country can assist Vietnam in training audit personnel as well as implementingactivities of ASOSAI in the 2018-2021 term as Vietnam holds the chairmanship.

In an interview granted to Vietnam News Agency on thesidelines of the event, Auditor-General of China’s National Audit OfficeHu Zejun also highlighted the significance of ASOSAI 14’s theme.

She said the Chinese Government pays special attention to protecting ecologicalenvironment, considering the prevention of environment pollution as one of themost important tasks that the country need to do.

China’s audit agency always promotes its efforts to build an auditingenvironment towards promoting sustainable economic development.

The country also applies Big Data technology, which is very useful in the work,she noted.

The audit agencies of Vietnam and China have cooperated across spheres andshared information in the field, she noted.-VNA