Mission & Mandate

The Working Group on Environmental Auditing (WGEA), under the International Organization of Supreme Audit Institutions (INTOSAI), aims to improve the use of audit mandate and audit  instruments in the field of environmental protection policies, by both members of the Working Group and non-member Supreme Audit Institutions (SAIs). Joint auditing by SAIs of cross-border environmental issues and policies, and the audit of international environmental accords, has the Working Group's special attention.

In order to carry out our mission, the WGEA:

• Assists supreme audit institutions (SAIs) in acquiring a better understanding of the specific issues involved in environmental auditing;
• Facilitates exchange of information and experience among SAIs; and
• Publishes guidelines and other informative material for their use.

The INTOSAI WGEA is a large, volunteer organization with a number of distinct bodies and players, each with associated responsibilities. These include the Chair and Secretariat, the full WGEA (the Assembly), the Steering Committee, Project Leaders and project subcommittees, and the Regional Working Groups on environmental auditing. With a view to strengthening the overall functioning of the WGEA and to clarify the key roles and responsibilities for each of bodies, a Roles and Responsibilities document was approved by the Assembly.

• Roles and Responsibilities of the INTOSAI WGEA Working Bodies document

Exchanging knowledge and tools, and sharing information on SAIs’ work on environmental auditing between the INTOSAI WGEA and other international organisations had taken place without an overall strategy. In 2010, a strategy was approved to set the overall principles of cooperation with external organisations.

• INTOSAI WGEA Principles of Cooperation with External Organisations