A ceremony held last Tuesday (16/5) marked the official launch of Brazil's candidacy for a seat on the board responsible for external auditing of UN funds, programs and actions

The candidacy of the President of the Brazilian Federal Court of Accounts (TCU), Minister Bruno Dantas, to the United Nations Board of Auditors was launched on Tuesday evening (16/5) in a ceremony held at the Itamaraty Palace in Brasilia. Ambassadors, legislators, authorities, and representatives of Brazilian institutions attended the ceremony.  

At the opening of the event, the Minister for Foreign Affairs of Brazil, Ambassador Mauro Vieira, pointed out that throughout its history “the TCU has consolidated itself as one of the main pillars of Brazilian democracy, through its performance in favor of transparency, effectiveness, and legality in the public management of the country.” For Vieira, the Court plays such a role because of the independence provided for in the Federal Constitution. "This performance also reflects the technical capacity and professionalism of the body, characteristics recognized not only nationally but also internationally by its peers in other countries," he added.

When speaking of the role of the TCU in the global community, particularly as the chair of the International Organization of Supreme Audit Institutions (INTOSAI), Minister Bruno Dantas stressed that the candidacy to the Board of Auditors is important for strengthening cooperation between Brazil and the UN. “We are certain that the Court's experience and competence, gained over 130 years of independent exercise work of external controlaudit, will enable us to make a valuable contribution to the work of the United Nations,” he said.  

Dantas recalled that the Brazilian Court of Accounts is internationally recognized for the quality of its work. “Our objective, as part of the Board of Auditors, is to issue very high-quality, useful, and easy-to-understand reports that can contribute and add value to the UN General Assembly, the Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions, UN Member States, and other stakeholders.”  

In support of Brazil's candidacy for the seat, the Attorney General of Brazil, Jorge Messias, stated that the initiative is strategic and demonstrates the importance that the State attaches to the United Nations and multilateralism. “The Federal Court of Accounts already has a long international presence. This candidacy, therefore, is an additional and natural step in a consistent trajectory of international engagement,” he said.  

The Chief of Staff of the Presidency President of Brazil, Rui Costa, the Comptroller General of Brazil, Vinícius Carvalho, and the chairperson of the Committee on Foreign Affairs and National Defense of the Federal Senate, Senator Renan Calheiros, also attended the event. 

The UN Board of Auditors  

Established in 1946, it is responsible for external auditing of funds, programs, and actions of the organization. It also makes recommendations for audited bodies to improve their governance and resource management.  

The Board is composed of the heads of supreme audit institutions (SAIs) of three countries, elected by the UN General Assembly for six-year terms. The group currently includes the Auditor General of the People's Republic of China, Hou Kai (term 2020-2026), the Comptroller General of Chile, Jorge Bermúdez (term 2018-2024), and the First President of the Court des Comptes of France, Pierre Moscovici (term 2022-2028).  

The TCU's candidacy seeks to fill the seat currently occupied by the Comptroller General of Chile, whose mandate ends in June 2024.