Audit bodies' role imp in ensuring nations keep their pledges

President Pranab Mukherjee today said audit bodies like the CAG have an "important role to play" in ensuring that nations meet their commitments on environment treaties.
Mukherjee was speaking to the participants of the Commonwealth Auditors General Conference organised here. The delegates called on him at the Rashtrapati Bhavan.
In his speech, the President said he was happy to know the delegates are engaging in "fruitful" deliberations on two very relevant contemporary themes -- leveraging technology and environment audit- chosen for the conference.
At the global and the national level, he said, technology and environment have become the key drivers for formulating strategies to address a host of issues.

"Environment not only affects our wellbeing, its degradation threatens the very existence of several small island nations. Given the importance of technology and environment in today's world, the supreme audit institutions will have to remain in the forefront in these fields.
"They have an important role to play in ensuring that the nations meet their commitments on environment treaties and leverage technology to provide high quality services to the citizens," Mukherjee said.

He added technology has enabled faster communication, easy access to knowledge and information and facilitated efficient delivery of public services to citizens.
"Environment degradation and climate change along with their debilitating impact on our wellbeing and (that) of future generations are global concerns. Such concerns have led to positive action in the nature of the Paris Agreement and other global treaties," he added.

In India, he said, the office of the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) has been established by the Constitution and government audit plays an important role in the scheme of parliamentary financial control.