As delivered by Ambassador Ian Kelly
to the Permanent Council, Vienna
July 4, 2013
Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
The United States would like to thank the Accounting Chamber of Ukraine for its dedication in its role as External Auditor over the past several years. We welcome Mr. Vasil Nevidomiy back to the Permanent Council and appreciate the professional audit of the activities of the OSCE and the financial statements for 2012.
We are pleased that the External Auditor, after extensive review of OSCE accounting systems and procedures and in-depth analysis has issued an unqualified opinion of financial statements for the period ended December 31, 2012. We remain confident that external audits are an important component of ensuring financial and management quality, and that they contribute to improved effectiveness and efficiency for the OSCE.
We support the OSCE’s steady progress toward adopting International Public Sector Accounting Standards (IPSAS), as formally approved by participating States in 2012. IPSAS adoption will align the OSCE’s accounting practices with internationally recognized standards and best practices for international organizations, and we are proud that the OSCE has been able to make significant progress within existing resources.
The United States encourages the OSCE to address all the recommendations that have been made in the External Auditor’s report, and we stand ready to assist in instances where action by participating States is required.
Mr. Nevidomiy, the United States appreciates all that you and the Accounting Chamber of Ukraine have done for the OSCE in your capacity of External Auditor. Ukraine’s willingness to take on this role for the past four years is commendable. We also want to thank Germany and Spain in advance for their enthusiasm and readiness to act as OSCE External Auditors from 2013 and beyond.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
