LocationsPacific SAIs Advance Public Accountability with UNDP Vaka Pasifika Support at PASAI Congress
September 16, 2025
The Congress, themed “Audit impact for improved accountability and transparency,” convened over 40 guests from 20 Pacific Island Countries and Territories (PICTs), alongside global audit leaders.
Noumea, New Caledonia - UNDP Pacific, through its Vaka Pasifika initiative, joined Supreme Audit Institutions (SAIs) and regional partners at the 26th PASAI Congress in New Caledonia, reaffirming its commitment to strengthening public accountability across the Pacific through citizen-facing audit innovations and strategic capacity-building.
The Congress, themed “Audit impact for improved accountability and transparency,” convened over 40 guests from 20 Pacific Island Countries and Territories (PICTs), alongside global audit leaders. It provided a platform for SAIs to share progress, challenges, and innovations in public finance oversight.
Reflecting UNDP’s support for regionally owned digital tools, Vaka Pasifika Project Activity Manager Monisha Singh emphasized the deeper purpose behind the shift.
“We’re supporting SAIs to make audit findings understandable and accessible, so Pacific communities can see how public funds are used and why it matters.”
UNDP’s tailored support to SAIs included:
• Developing Citizen Audit Guides for Tuvalu
• Strengthening performance audit methodologies in Tuvalu
• Audit recommendation tracking tool
• PFM trainings and refreshers for the SAIs
These efforts reflect Vaka Pasifika’s commitment to learning by doing, working side-by-side with SAIs to build sustainable, locally owned systems that amplify public voice and improve financial governance.
The Vaka Pasifika initiative, funded by the European Union, is set to accelerate its support for SAIs across the Pacific in the year ahead.
The European Union has reaffirmed its commitment to public accountability, pursued through strong regional institutions that safeguard public resources and foster trust in governance. Through its support for initiatives like Vaka Pasifika, the EU continues to champion inclusive, locally grounded approaches that elevate Pacific voices and strengthen institutional transparency.
Exciting new developments are on the horizon: Kiribati will be supported to finalize its financial audit methodologies; technical manuals will be transformed into dynamic, easy-to-use videos that make complex information accessible at a glance; and a new series of Citizen Audit Guides will be rolled out to empower communities with a clearer understanding of how public resources are managed.
Even more transformative is the launch of the revamped Audit Recommendation Tracking Tool, currently being developed by the SDG AI Lab in Istanbul. This cutting-edge digital tool will enable SAIs to track recommendations with precision and generate clear, timely reports for citizens, civil society organizations, and parliaments, strengthening accountability and trust in public finance.
With these innovations, Vaka Pasifika is not only building the technical capacity of SAIs, but also driving transparency, citizen engagement, and inclusive governance across the Pacific.
For more information contact:
Sofaia Koroitanoa, Vaka Pasifika Communications Specialist, UNDP Pacific Office in Fiji, sofaia.koroitanoa@undp.org
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