OSCE Mission to Skopje hosts regional meeting on parliaments and public audit institutions

SKOPJE, 12 December 2008 - Sharing best practices and experiences on the oversight of government spending through co-operation between parliaments and audit institutions is the aim of a regional meeting that starts in Skopje today.

The event, organized by the OSCE's Spillover Monitor Mission to Skopje and the Mission in Kosovo, brings together parliament and audit officials from the region to discuss the role of public audit institutions, competences of the parliament in the oversight and control of the state budget, and the relation between parliaments and the audit institutions.

"Parliaments are the cornerstones of democracy and the rule of law in society and I strongly believe that any intervention of international organizations in the field of democratization and human rights must take into account the parliamentary institutions," said Ambassador Natalya Drozd, Acting Head of OSCE Mission to Skopje.

Deputy Speaker of Parliament Svetlana Jakimovska added: "Raising the level of communication and co-operation between the State Audit Office and public audit institutions is crucial for the implementation of measures and recommendations set in their audit reports, which are an important tool for parliaments in exercising their oversight function."

The OSCE Mission to Skopje has been assisting the parliamentary structures through different projects, including supporting a regional initiative for training of parliamentary staff on EU integration, promoting the Parliament's transparency by assisting the parliamentary TV channel, conducting a comprehensive assessment of the law-making process together with the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights, and working with women MPs on gender issues and politics.