Note to Correspondents

UN Office on Internal Oversight Services to hold Symposium on Governance,

 

leadership and accountability, Friday, 10 September

 

The Office of Internal Oversight Services (OIOS) will hold a symposium entitled:  “Governance, Leadership and Accountability” at the UN Secretariat on Friday, 10 September, from 2:30 to 5:30 p.m. in Conference Room 2.  The Symposium, to commemorate the tenth anniversary of OIOS' establishment by the General Assembly in 1994 is open for all United Nations staff, delegates and accredited correspondents.  Refreshments will be served courtesy of the Permanent Mission of Switzerland to the United Nations.

"OIOS has provided effective and efficient internal oversight of the United Nations programmes and activities.  This has been possible because of OIOS' professional and dedicated staff, and the cooperation we receive from UN departments and offices", says the host of the symposium, Dileep Nair, Under-Secretary-General for Internal Oversight Services.  "I am also very fortunate to have received the full support from the Secretary-General during the years", he notes.  During the last 10 years, OIOS has identified potential financial benefits, savings and recoveries in the Organization totalling $310 million, of which $140 million was actually recovered and saved.  The OIOS issues some 1,500 recommendations annually to improve internal controls and correct underlying obstacles to organizational efficiency and effectiveness.

The symposium will be opened by a message of United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan and will hear presentations by renowned oversight experts from around the world.  These include:

-- David M. Walker, the Comptroller General of the United States since 1998 and the head of the Government Accountability Office (GAO);

-- Chew Heng Ching, Chairman of the Singapore Institute of Directors, who pursues a dual career in the private and public sectors and has played a key role in introducing corporate best practices and enhancing corporate governance standards in Singapore;

-- Jules Muis, who is currently on a sabbatical, was the first Director General of the Internal Audit Service of the European Commission (2001-2004).  Prior to this post, as Vice-President and Controller of the World Bank, Mr. Muis played a leading role in introducing modern controllership to the Bank;

-- Eva Joly, Special Advisor for the Norwegian Government on Corruption and Money Laundering, is a former investigating magistrate in France.  Her efforts to counter corruption have won her international renown, and she was named “European of the Year” in 2002 by Reader's Digest magazine.

Following their presentations, the four speakers will participate in a panel discussion moderated by Shashi Tharoor, Under-Secretary-General for Communications and Public Information.

For further information on the symposium, contact Mika Tapio, Programme Officer, OIOS, tel: 7.5480, e-mail: tapio@un.org.  Visit OIOS' new web site at http://www.un.org/Depts/oios/

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