The seventh meeting of the INTOSAI Working Group on the Audit of Privatisation was hosted in Argentina, Buenos Aires. It was held under the Chairmanship of Sir John Bourn, Comptroller and Auditor General of United Kingdom and was attended by representatives of 17 of the 30 Supreme Audit Institutions who are members of the Working Group, and observers.
The Group has been charged by INTOSAI to monitor the effectiveness of the comprehensive guidelines on best practice for the audit of privatizations adopted by XVI INCOSAI in 1998.
The Group recommended further explanation of the relevance of the guidelines to different types of activities, to countries at different stages of development and with different constitutions to be inserted in the introduction to the guidelines. Subject to this they commended both sets of draft guidelines to the INTOSAI membership and invited their comments on them. The Group aimed to recommend the guidelines for adoption by XVII INCOSAI (Seoul, November 2001).
This meeting was hosted by SAI-India from November 20-22, 2000 and was attended by 42 participants from 16 countries. Since the last meeting in Harare in October 1999 two more SAIs namely Israel and USA joined this Committee taking its membership to 26.
The agenda focused on IntoIT, SAI Mandates, INTOSAI IT Audit Courseware, Reference list of materials on Performance Auditing, Website, Project Communication Security and Project report on
Participants of 9th INTOSAI Standing Committee on EDP Audit
held in
New Delhi from November 20-22, 2000
The 47th meeting of the INTOSAI Governing Board was held from 23-24 May 2000 in Seoul, Korea. 50 delegates from 17 member SAIs attended the meeting and discussed a wide range of issues related to XVII INCOSAI which is scheduled in Seoul from October- 21-27, 2001. The Chairman of the Board Gral. Cr.Guillermo Ramirez (SAI Uruguay) in his opening remarks emphasized the importance, of all agenda items of the 47th meeting. He reported in particular on the progress in the preparations for the XVII INCOSAI since the 46th meeting of the INTOSAI Governing Board in May 1999 in Vienna, Austria.
XVII INCOSAI Themes: The Secretary General recalled the themes and subthemes which had been determined at the 46th meeting of the INTOSAI Governing Board and announced the SAIs which will head discussion groups which had been determined after the 46th meeting of Board.
The Provisional Programme and General Information sent by host SAI Korea is as follows:
Provisional Programme & General
Information
Date : October 22 - 27, 2001
Venue : COEX Convention Center and COEX Inter-Continental Hotel, Seoul, Korea
Participation
INTOSAI member SAls are invited to participate in the Congress as delegates. It is general policy of the host SAI to invite non-member SAIs and international organizations to attend the Congress as observers. For attendance as observers, please contact the XVII INCOSAI Secretariat.
XVII INCOSAI Secretariat
Address: 25-23 Samchung-dong,
Chongro-ku,
Seoul 110-706, Korea
Tel: ++82-2-7219-290, 660
Fax: ++82-2-7219-297, 276
E-mail: koreasai@koreasai.go.kr
Homepage: www.koreasai.go.kr
Congress Themes and Theme Officers
Themes
|
Theme I |
The Audit of International and Supranational Institutions by SAIs |
|
Theme II |
The Contribution of SAIs to Administrative and Government Reforms
|
Theme Officers
|
Theme/ |
Principal |
|
Theme I |
Norway |
|
Subtheme IIA |
Germany |
|
Subtheme IIB |
Austria |
Theme Officers
|
Theme I |
Theme II |
||
|
Chair |
Norway |
U.S.A. |
|
| Vice chair | Uruguay | Morocco | |
|
Subtheme IIA |
Subtheme IIB |
||
|
Subtheme Chair |
Tunisia, Switzerland Canada Ghana Saudi Arabia Philippines Korea |
Germany |
Austria |
| Rapporteur | New Zealand |
Trinidad and Tobago Croatia Korea |
|
| (Alternative) Technical liaison | Costa Rica Korea | ||
Provisional Calendar
|
Date |
Technical programs:& Meetings |
Special events & Accompanying |
|
Sunday |
Standing Committees/ Working Groups |
|
|
INTOSAI Development Initiative(IDI) Meeting |
||
|
Monday |
The 48th INTOSAI Governing Board Meeting |
|
|
Meeting of Theme Officers |
City tour |
|
|
Tuesday |
First General Plenary Session |
Sightseeing (for accompanying persons) |
|
Theme I Discussions |
Traditional Korean Music Concert |
|
|
Wednesday |
Theme II First Plenary Session |
|
|
Subthemes IIA and IIB Discussions |
Dinner hosted by the Mayor of Seoul |
|
|
Thursday |
One day Excursion |
|
|
Friday |
Theme I Plenary Session |
|
|
Theme II Second Plenary Session |
Cultural event (for accompanying persons) |
|
|
Saturday |
Second General Plenary Session |
|
|
The 49th INTOSAI Governing Board Meeting |
Farewell Dinner |
Registration and Hotel Reservation
Participants can make registrations online, by mail, e-mail or fax- The XVII INCOSAI Secretariat will be pleased to reserve rooms for participants if they want to stay at one of the official Congress hotels. For your registration, however, please do not forget to select the English version of the registration form and use English in filling out the form.
Events (for all Delegates, Observers and Accompanying persons)
City Tour
Monday, Oct,. 22 13:30 -16:00 hrs
Feel like a king for one day! Join friends and colleagues for a special tour of one of the five royal palaces of the Chosun Dynasty. The Changdeokgung Palace is well-known for its Secret Garden - forbidden garden with marvelous scenery of ponds, forest and beautiful pavilions. While traveling, you will be able to enjoy different views of Seoul traversing the city.
Traditional Korean Music Concert
Tuesday, Oct. 23, 20:00 -21:00 hrs
The members of the prestigious National Center for Korean Traditional Performing Arts will present a variety of performances of traditional Korean court and folk music and dance. Relax and enjoy a rare treat for the mind and the spirit.
Dinner hosted by the Mayor of Seoul
Wednesday, Oct. 24, 19:00 -21:00 hrs
All participants of the XVII INTOSAI Congress are invited to a special dinner hosted by the Mayor of Seoul. Everyone will enjoy a wonderful evening of a full course dinner at the Grand Celadon Ballroom, Grand Inter-Continental Hotel.
One-day Excursion
Thursday, Oct. 25, 09:00 -17:00 hrs
Let's relax and spend a full day in the sun. At the Korean Folk Village, learn about the various aspects of the traditional Korean way of living. You will then move to Everland for lunch at the flower garden. In the afternoon, a visit to the Ho-Am Art Museum will perfect your one-day trip to the outskirts of Seoul.
Programs for Accompanying Persons
Sightseeing
Tuesday, Oct. 23, 09:00 -17:00 hrs
Under the crystal clear autumn sky, join for an excursion around the Hwaseong Fortress which was built in 1794 during the reign of King Jeongjo of the Chosun Dynasty. The Fortress has been added to the UNESCO World Heritage list In 1997.
After lunch, a tour of the World Ceramic Exposition 2001 in lcheon, a renowned city for its pottery will follow. There, you will be able to appreciate ceramics from various parts of the world, as well as get an opportunity to make your own pottery.
Cultural Event
Friday, Oct. 26, 14:00 -18:00 hrs
All accompanying persons are invited to the first Korean non-verbal performance "Nanta". Nanta means recklessly striking repeatedly. The show dramatizes the Korean traditional Samulnori (a traditional ensemble of four Korean percussion instruments) rhythm. Nanta is placed in a huge kitchen with four cooks preparing for a wedding reception using various kitchen utensils including pots, frying pan, dishes, etc Although the performance is constructed only by rhythm and beats, everyone is able to enjoy the performance and easily follow the plot. On the way to the show, a brief visit to Seoul Tower will take place. At Seoul Tower, everyone can enjoy-the marvelous views of colorful foliage and capture the scenic skyline of the capital.
Guest Assistance
Language Services
During the Congress, language assistance 'in the five official languages will be provided by the host SAI. If you have any questions or need information on the program, restaurants, sightseenig, or shopping, the language specialists will be pleased to help you.
Computer Assistance
Computers will be available for delegates, observers and accompanying persons so that they can use them for word-procesng, web-browsing, e-mail, etc- free of charge.
Beverages
Beverages including coffee and tea will be provided during the break in the morning and afternoon sessions everyday.
Transportation
Transportation will be provided for arrivals and departures and all the official events. Shuttle services will be available between the conference venue and official Congress hotels.
Other Information
Visa
Foreigners wishing to enter the Republic of Korea must have a valid passport. If you have valid passports and outbound tickets, you may stay in Korea up to 30 days without -visas; exceptions to this apply to citizens from Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Cambodia, China, Cuba, Georgia, Ghana, India, *Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Macedonia, Moldova, *Mongolia, Myanmar, Nepal, Nigeria, Palestine, *Philippines, Russia, Sri Lanka, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, Uzbekistan and *Vietnam.
* sDiplomatic or Official passport holders of these countries does not require a visa.
For further information, contact Korean Embassies or consulates.
Airports
A new international airport or Inchon Airport opened for commercial operation on March 29, 2001. This airport has replaced Kimpo Airport which served as the gateway to Seoul for more than 30 years. Participants will be received by the reception staff of the Congress Secretariat at Incheon Airport. Please refer to the following for 'information on the airports:
Airport code: ICN
Distance from Congress venue: 67kim or 41.6miles
Airport code: GMP
Distance from Congress venue: 26kim or 16.1miles
Weather
The weather in October is very pleasant. The average temperature is about 13.50C (56.30F), ranging from a low of 8.30C (46.90F) and a high of 19.60C (67.30F). Average rainfall in October is 48.5mm or 1.9inches.
Currency Exchange
Currency exchange service is available at the airport, banks, and most of the official Congress hotels. Korea is under the floating exchange rate system. The average exchange rate as of April 2001 is approximately 1,340 Korean Won per US$1.