Mr. Englman is the first Israeli State Comptroller holding this position. Englman: " I would like to extend my deepest gratitude to nearly 50 states for trusting me to lead this esteemed organization, especially in this difficult time, after the severe terrorist attack Israel has experienced on October 7th, and with our hostages still in Gaza - I see great importance in the European acknowledgment of the State Comptroller's Office of Israel. I expect the States of Europe to stand with Israel and act to bring the Israeli hostages home".
An important accomplishment at times of great pressure to exclude it:
Yesterday (Monday, 27.5.24), The State Comptroller and Ombudsman of Israel, Mr. Matanyahu Englman, entered his position as the president of the European Organization of Supreme Audit Institutions - EUROSAI.
This is a significant event, in light of the current status of Israel in the international arena. The State Comptroller of Israel is the only Senior public figure in Israel, serving as the head of an international organization.
Eurosai aims to promote professional cooperation between State Audit Institutions (SAIs) in Europe, to encourage knowledge-sharing and advance the exploration of state audit, theoretically and practically.
The main Congress of EUROSAI is held every three years, with the participation of its members, and the Congress officially marks the beginning of service of the entering president. Due to the war in Israel the Congress is held on-line.
The congress opened with the welcoming speech of the President of Israel, Mr. Isaac Herzog who raised the issue of the current war emphasized the importance of the effort to bring the Israeli hostages home. He said: "The role of public audit system, the art of checks and balances is primary to this faith as critical self correcting mechanism they enable trust... good governance will safeguard the democratic freedoms of our societies". Other welcoming speeches were made by the Secretary General of the OECD, Mr. Matthias Cormann and the president of the International Organization of Supreme Audit Institutions, Mr. Bruno Dantas.
The outgoing president of EUROSAI, President of the Supreme audit office of the Czech Republic, Mr. Miloslav Kala, passed the EUROSAI Crystal to Mr. Englman. The congress is expected to approve in the closing session the "Jerusalem Declaration", outlining the future principles of the organization for the future years.
Mr. Englman expressed his gratitude to EUROSAI members for electing him:" I am profoundly grateful for the trust you have placed in me to lead this esteemed organization, which stands at the forefront of promoting transparency, accountability and integrity within the public sector. Upholding the values of good governance, including the prevention of corruption, is paramount in our mission. We are committed to ensuring efficiency and effectiveness in our operations, striving to maximize usefulness and value for the benefit of the citizens of our states. Together, we will work tirelessly to uphold these principles and serve the public with dedication and diligence.
Looking towards the future, I am deeply committed to steering EUROSAI towards a new era of global impact and auditing excellence. I envision EUROSAI as a driving force for innovation and excellence in public audit.
To achieve this vision, we will establish and oversee a robust peer review process: This mechanism will enable us to continuously evaluate and enhance our auditing methodologies, ensuring that we remain at the forefront of global best practices;
In addition, we will coordinate parallel audits. By working in tandem, we can pool our collective expertise to tackle complex cross-border issues, maximizing the impact of our audits and safeguarding the public interest;
We will also focus on allocating budgetary resources to support outstanding audits;
Furthermore, we shall enhance our interfaces with esteemed international bodies such as the OECD, UN, and World Bank, reinforcing our role as a leading voice in the global audit community".