An international conference in Bucharest brought together auditors from 17 countries to discuss how defence spending can be scrutinised while protecting sensitive information.
The event, titled “Transparency and Accountability in Defence Spending”, was jointly organised by NATO’s International Board of Auditors for NATO (IBAN) and the Romanian Court of Accounts, and took place on 10 and 11 September, the alliance informed on Wednesday.
It was opened by Romania’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Defence, Radu-Dinel Miruță, the President of the Romanian Court of Accounts, Mirela Călugăreanu, and IBAN chair Sébastien Lepers.
Participants included representatives of Supreme Audit Institutions — the state bodies that audit public finances in each country — as well as international audit institutions and defence audit communities.
Auditing amid rising spending and secrecy constraints
Discussions focused on transparency, accountability and oversight “at a time when defence spending is increasing across the Euro-Atlantic area”, NATO said.
A recurring issue was how auditors can balance calls for openness with confidentiality requirements linked to defence and security, while keeping accountability and sound financial management in place.
“Security cannot mean the absence of transparency and accountability,” Lepers stated in opening remarks.
NATO said the meeting also covered how auditing is changing as defence programmes grow more complex, citing major investment projects, rapidly developing technologies, changing procurement models and new security requirements.
The second day was set aside for the professional audit community, with managers and auditors exchanging methods and “good practices” in financial, performance and defence-related auditing.
The conference also served as a forum for strengthening cooperation and professional networks between IBAN and Allied Supreme Audit Institutions.
