[Title] SAI20 Communique 2023 (Supreme Audit Institutions 20 Communique 2023)
1. We, the Heads of Supreme Audit Institutions (SAIs) of Argentina, Australia, Brazil, China, India, Indonesia, Republic of Korea, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa and Turkiye, the Group of 20 (G20) member SAIs, thank SAI Indonesia for establishing the SAI 20 engagement group and SAI India for taking it forward during the Indian Presidency. The SAI 20 engagement group promotes collaboration among SAIs in G20 countries and other stakeholders to contribute towards strengthening oversight, developing insight, and providing strategic foresight to foster accountability in governance as well as to strengthen the SAIs' role as strategic partners of G20 governments while responding to global challenges.
2. Building on SAI20 2022, we the delegates of the second SAI20 Summit, gathered in Goa, India from 12-14 June 2023 to collaborate and strengthen SAIs' role and responsibilities in promoting efficiency, accountability, effectiveness and transparency in delivery of public services. We also acknowledged the various maturity levels and mandates of each respective SAI of member countries for ensuring the SAI community's unity and integrity.
3. Under the theme for India's presidency of G20 – One Earth, One Family, One Future, we acknowledged the global importance of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and resolved to work towards their implementation by focusing on the chosen priority areas of Blue Economy and Responsible Artificial Intelligence (AI) under India's chairmanship of SAI20.
4. Acknowledging the significance of the two priority areas in our shared global future, we recognized solutions as well as the challenges they pose; and the role SAIs must play in ensuring efficiency, accountability and transparency in the effective maturing and widespread adoption of the Blue Economy and Artificial Intelligence respectively.
5. We appreciated that Blue economy, in its varied contextual interpretations, refers to an economic system that acts as a driver for economic advancement and encompasses a spectrum of policy and operational dimensions aimed at conserving marine and freshwater environments while promoting their sustainable use and supporting livelihoods.
6. We agreed that the world and the G20 countries face increasing national and global challenges of marine pollution, climate change impacts, inadequate regulatory framework for protection of the oceans, limited access to finance for protective actions, illegal fishing, insufficient research into the blue economy, and inadequate infrastructure and technology for monitoring. SAIs can assist governments by assessing implementation of relevant policies that promote sustainable development and protection of oceans and coastal communities.
7. To address challenges and threats to the Blue Economy, we agreed that SAIs will continue, where it is within the SAIs mandates, to:
a. Support the need for a comprehensive policy for promoting inclusive and sustainable growth in Blue Economy.
b. Support the need for social and gender inclusive investment towards safety and livelihood of coastal communities.
c. Support research, collection and collation of accounting data, sustainable utilization data and social data from sources such as non-governmental and civil society organizations, as well as statistics agencies on Blue Economy that aid evidence-based policy making.
8. We, the SAI20 members also recognized the need for SAIs to:
a. Focus on the need for inclusive capacity building and collaboration with other international SAI forums to support audits of Blue Economy and its programs.
b. Promote co-operation and knowledge-sharing among SAIs, and other stakeholders to initiate a robust framework for audit of the Blue Economy, while considering different national circumstances and mandate.
c. Formulate widely applicable and actionable audit products including international auditing guidelines and comprehensive tool kits for audit of the Blue Economy, enabling the assessment of effectiveness of policies and programs promoting Blue Economy.
d. Promote appropriate training and knowledge sharing initiatives together with UN initiatives among the SAIs.
9. Identifying with the priority area – Responsible AI of SAI20 under Indian G20 Presidency, we acknowledged that AI systems hold vast potential to unlock economic value and help mitigate social challenges. AI can positively impact the delivery of all 17 goals and 169 targets recognized in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. We also acknowledge that rapid adoption of AI systems presents risks which need to be managed.
10. We acknowledged the ethical and privacy concerns in adoption of AI which make it imperative to protect individuals, governments and other stakeholders against any adverse effects from the use of information in AI, without unduly restricting the development and peaceful and positive use of AI.
11. We recognized that in discharge of their functions to provide insights to government on the implementation of policies and programs related to AI, SAIs examine the accountable use of AI so that ethical values and principles, which form a key component of Responsible AI, are upheld while realizing the full potential benefits of using AI.
12. Recognizing the benefits as well as challenges posed by AI, we reaffirmed the need for Responsible AI and agreed for SAIs, where it is within the SAIs mandate, to:
a. Support monitoring by governments to enhance Economy in terms of reduced cost, Efficiency in terms of productivity gains and Effectiveness in terms of achievement of intended objectives of AI-aided government programs.
b. Support optimal governance in use of AI thereby ensuring Transparency, Security, Accountability, Reproducibility and Sustainability, under the existing legal and regulatory framework.
c. Support fairness in use of AI, in order to minimize all bias viz. Gender, Race, Representation, etc. through optimal Regulatory, Inclusivity and Safety Standards, suited to the respective national environment.
13. We, the SAI20 members also acknowledged that SAIs address the need to:
a. Derive assurance through sound risk management framework for public entities to identify and mitigate risks associated with implementation of AI in public services.
b. Take measures for suitable integration of AI in audit processes and tasks for improved audit efficiency and effectiveness.
c. Invest in capacity development on AI within SAIs through targeted training in tools, technologies, and knowhow, with the twin objectives of auditing AI systems as well as use of AI in the audit process.
14. Acknowledging the complexities and interconnected nature of both Blue Economy and Responsible AI and concerned by the challenges these areas pose, we emphasize the pressing need for SAIs to invest in targeted professional development and encourage mutual exchange of subject matter experts across SAIs.
15. Recognizing the importance of the SAI20 forum, we, the SAIs of G20, in accordance with our mandates, agreed to cooperate and collaborate in knowledge sharing endeavors involving exchange of innovative ideas and best practices, thus equipping SAIs to face the challenges of auditing the frontier spheres of Blue Economy and Responsible Artificial Intelligence.
16. Our cooperation under the SAI20 forum shall help SAIs meet these challenges and thereby build public trust through tools, support and advice. SAIs can work more collaboratively to ensure that important messages from various international SAI platforms are heard beyond the auditing community and can have impact on decision makers.
17. We thank the Comptroller and Auditor General of India for convening the second SAI20 Summit under Indian G20 presidency and reaffirm our commitment to facilitate accountability and transparency as well as to strategically partner with our governments and other stakeholders in optimizing responsible use of Blue Economy and Artificial Intelligence.
18. We look forward to supporting the President of the Federal Court of Accounts – Brazil as the Chair of SAI20 in 2024.