Only once in our lifetime, the 11th Congress of the International Organization of Supreme Audit Institutions or INTOSAI, a major cosmic event for all state auditors all over the world, was held in Manila from 18 to 29 April 1983.

“Mutual Experience Benefits All” was the rationale behind INTOSAI.

It is an organization of the highest audit bodies of countries that are members of the United Nations or any of its specialized agencies.

These audit institutions come under different names in different countries. In the Philippines, we have the Commission on Audit (CoA). In the United States, they have the National Accounting Office (CAO). In other countries, they have the Board of Audit, Court of Audit and the like. Regardless of their organizational setup, they are commonly known as Supreme Audit Institutions (SAI).

The idea of the First International Congress was conceived during the International Congress of Administrative Sciences in Berne, Switzerland, in 1949, when members of various Courts of Audit got together after the Second World War. The objective of the initiators was: (a) to get to know, study and compare the various audit institutions and the methods of control they adopted; (b) to inquire into the guiding principles of governing their creation, the scope of their structure; and (c) to adopt these development methods both in the organization of the administration and the state itself.

Dr. Emilio Fernandez Camus of the Court of Audit of Cuba convened the First International Congress in Havana, Cuba in 1953, with 54 countries participating, to discuss and pass recommendations for promoting the exchange of ideas and experiences in the sphere of public financial control.

INTOSAI XI, therefore, which took place in Manila 30 years after in 1983, was a gathering of heads of supreme audit institutions of various countries of the world who brought with them their ideas and experiences to exchange through discussions with their counterparts from other countries.

That was a significant and memorable event that occurred at a time the nation, being a developing country in Asia, needed it. See how it happened and appreciate its results.

By all accounts, INTOSAI XI was a tremendous success. Canadian delegate Edward Rowe was speaking for the majority of his colleagues when he said: I was most impressed by the careful organization of the entire conference, and the results, as evidenced in reports and resolutions that were certainly a reflection of careful planning and execution.”

INTOSAI XI produced a treasure, a book of 658 pages, devoted to the proceedings of that congress’ 23 workshop sessions. This was the first time that a congress set aside so many days for small group discussions, and the results were gratifying. This was the only INTOSAI Congress where nearly all of the 234 delegates had a chance to fully contribute to the discussions — and their names and what they said were recorded on these pages.

Nearly one-third of the book was devoted to photographs of the 10-day gathering and bust shots of each delegate and observer with his full name and title.

This made the book not only a valuable source for audit work but also a souvenir photo album that delved into all those who attended the 10 days of discussions and friendships. The bust photos proved useful for audit staff visiting their counterparts in other countries, and for relationships restricted to correspondence the photos made it possible for names to be, at last, properly matched to the faces.

INTOSAI XI marked the organization’s 30th year, a period for a new beginning.

For indeed, the innovations introduced had made discussions more far-ranging and profound, truly a real exchange of ideas and experiences in the audit area. These made every delegate look to the years ahead with the greatest of confidence.