WGPD at a Glance

The Working Group on Public Debt (formerly Public Debt Committee) was authorized to be established by the International Organization of Supreme Audit Institutions (INTOSAI) Governing Board at its 35th meeting in October 1991.

Since then, three INTOSAI Strategic Plans have been endorsed by the INTOSAI Congresses (INCOSAI), and the community of SAIs have confirmed the validity and relevance of the Working Group’s mandate and contribution, as expressed in the “Beijing Declaration on Promotion of Good Governance by Supreme Audit Institutions” (2013: Chapter III “Safeguarding Long-Term Sustainability of Finance Policies”). This is also evident in the existence, periodic revision, and ongoing work on International Standards of Supreme Audit Institutions (ISSAIs) and other INTOSAI Professional Pronouncements related to audit of public debt, as well as in the implementation during the last decade, in a joint collaboration with the IDI, of two trans-regional programs to enhance SAIs’ capabilities on the subject matter.

The Working Group on Public Debt’s mandate falls within the structure of the INTOSAI Knowledge Sharing and Knowledge Services Committee (KSC) (Goal 3), whose objective is to “encourage SAI cooperation, collaboration and continuous improvement through knowledge sharing, including providing benchmarks, conducting best practices studies and performing research on issues of mutual interest and concern”.

For 25 years, the WG flourished into a relevant group, with SAI Mexico as its lead, under the INTOSAI Knowledge Sharing Committee. Commission on Audit as the SAI of the Philippines assumed Chairmanship in 2017, marking a new leadership for the WG with 39 SAI members.