G20 SAIs agree to cooperate to meet challenges of auditing blue economy, AI

Supreme Audit Institutions (SAIs) of G20 nations on Wednesday pledged to cooperate and collaborate to deal with the challenges of auditing frontier spheres of blue economy and artificial intelligence (AI).

The communique, issued at the end of the three-day meeting of the Supreme Audit Institutions-20 (SAI20) Engagement Group, set up under India's G20 Presidency, also underlined the need for optimal governance in the use of AIs to ensure transparency and accountability under the existing legal and regulatory framework.

The meeting of the SAI20, which was attended by SAIs of G20 countries, guest SAIs, invited SAIs, international organisations, engagement groups and other invitees was inaugurated by Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) Girish Chandra Murmu on Monday.

"...we, the SAIs of G20, in accordance with our mandates, agreed to cooperate and collaborate in knowledge sharing endeavours involving an 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," said the communique.

The SAIs, it was agreed, need to work more collaboratively to ensure that important messages from various international SAI platforms are heard beyond the auditing community.

The audit institutions also pledged to invest in the professional development of auditors with regard to the blue economy and AIs and encourage mutual exchange of subject experts across SAIs.

Pressing for responsible use of AI, the communique said that it has vast potential to unlock economic value and help mitigate social challenges.

"AI can positively impact the delivery of all 17 goals and 169 targets recognised in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. We also acknowledge that rapid adoption of AI systems presents risks, which need to be managed," it added.

The focus of public auditors, it said, should be on inclusive capacity building and collaboration with other international SAI forums to support audits of the blue economy and its programmes.

It also called for promoting cooperation 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 mandates.

Blue economy 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.