President of Germany’s Supreme Audit Institution addresses Permanent Council at the end of his term as OSCE External Auditor

VIENNA, 7 July 2016 – Addressing the Permanent Council of the OSCE today in Vienna, the President of the German Supreme Audit Institution (Bundesrechnungshof) Kay Scheller, concluded his three-year term as the OSCE External Auditor, during which the OSCE received unqualified  ("clean") audit opinions.

“It has been a highly rewarding task. We have worked closely with our counterparts in order to help improve systems and procedures and enhance the achievement of the organization’s objectives,” Scheller said taking stock of his audit mandate at the OSCE between 2013 and 2016. In his address to the representatives of the 57 OSCE participating States Scheller underlined the value of external audit: “It is not an end in itself, but an opportunity to continuously improve the use of public funds.”

The external audit of the OSCE´s yearly financial statements, as well as its accounting systems and procedures and their financial impact by a Supreme Audit Institution from an OSCE participating State provides independent opinion and oversight.

With regard to his latest report on the OSCE’s financial statements for the year 2015 Scheller highlighted the positive outcome of the auditing: “We discussed the audit findings with the stakeholders and reviewed our recommendations with the Secretariat. The Secretariat has taken up all recommendations and is in the process of implementing them.”

“I wish to express my sincere thanks to the OSCE Secretary General Lamberto Zannier and all the staff of the OSCE Secretariat for their co-operative and responsive approach, their professionalism and kind assistance at all times and for the facilities made available to my audit team,” Scheller concluded his address.

The role of OSCE External Auditor has been taken over by the Spanish Tribunal de Cuentas presided by Ramón Álvarez de Miranda.  The Spanish Court of Audit was represented in the Permanent Council today by the Technical Director of the Tribunal’s Presidency José Luis Cea Claver.

The Permanent Council adopted in today’s session two decisions thereby accepting the Financial Reports and Financial Statements concerning the OSCE  for the years 2014 and 2015.