Independent Audit Advisory Committee Holds Thirty-sixth Session at Headquarters, 28-30 November

The Independent Audit Advisory Committee of the United Nations (IAAC) held its thirty-sixth session from 28 to 30 November at the United Nations Headquarters in New York.  The session was presided over by the Chair, J. Christopher Mihm.  All the other members of the IAAC, namely:  Maria Gracia M. Pulido Tan (Vice-Chair), Patricia X. Arriagada Villouta, Natalia A. Bocharova and Richard Quartei Quartey, were in attendance.

The IAAC’s thirty-sixth session was highlighted by the successful meeting of the Chairs of the United Nations system oversight committees.  Consistent with its mandate, the Committee organized and hosted the meeting, which was attended by Chairs or other high-level representatives of 19 United Nations system entities.  There was a robust exchange of information on best practices and lessons learned.  Moving forward, the participants agreed to continue to share ideas, experiences and perspectives through a variety of mechanisms.  The IAAC expressed its deep gratitude to its colleagues for their active and engaged participation and looks forward to working with each of them.  In addition, the IAAC held meetings with:

• Yukio Takasu, Under-Secretary-General for Management, on (i) a central intake mechanism for investigation cases in the Secretariat; (ii) the status of the implementation of recommendations of oversight bodies; (iii) the Global Service Delivery Model for the Secretariat; and (iv) the implementation of the anti-fraud policies for the Secretariat.

• Heidi Mendoza, Under-Secretary-General for Internal Oversight Services and senior managers regarding a wide range of matters, including:  (i) the status of vacant posts; (ii) the status of the central intake mechanism for investigation cases in the Secretariat; (iii) utilization of the peacekeeping budget; (iv) the status of the peacekeeping workplan implementation; and (v) the coordination and cooperation with the Board of Auditors and the Joint Inspection Unit.

• Pedro Guazo, Acting Deputy Controller, and the Director of the Peacekeeping Finance Division, on: (i) the peacekeeping support account budget of the Office of Internal Oversight Services for 2017-2018; and (ii) issues and trends apparent in the financial statements of the United Nations as noted by the Board of Auditors in their report for 2015.

• The Audit Operations Committee, on the operational implications for the United Nations of the issues and trends apparent in the financial statements of the Organization and reports of the Board of Auditors for 2015.

The IAAC also unanimously elected Maria Gracia Pulido Tan as Chair of the IAAC and elected J. Christopher Mihm as Vice-Chair for the following year starting 1 January 2017.

The next (thirty-seventh) session of the IAAC is scheduled for 15‑17 February 2017 at the United Nations Headquarters in New York.

For further information on the work of the IAAC, please contact the Committee’s Executive Secretary, Moses Bamuwamye, at e-mail:  bamuwamye@un.org, tel.:  +1 212 963 0788 or fax:  +1 212 963 0600.