29/11/2011 President
Strasbourg, 29.11.2011 - “Accountability in the management of public funds and transparency are the pillars of good governance and parliaments play a key role in ensuring that these principles are implemented,” today said PACE President Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu in New-York, addressing a parliamentary hearing organised jointly by the Inter-Parliamentary Union and the United Nations, on “Strengthening political accountability for a more peaceful and prosperous world”.
“Nowadays, parliamentary scrutiny over public finances is even more pertinent against the background of widespread socio-political turbulence and the loss of confidence by the public in institutions and politicians,” he stressed.
“Parliaments must demonstrate a sense of leadership, political will and national unity around the public interest, notably in voting for the adoption of ‘golden rule’ principles,” M. Çavuşoğlu added, giving the examples of the Netherlands and Germany and their commitment to balanced budgets, anchored in their constitutions.
In addition, the PACE President pleaded for stronger links between parliaments and independent auditors. “External independent audits of national accounts play a highly valuable role in securing financial accountability, especially if their findings and recommendations are duly channelled to parliaments,” he said.
Finally, PACE President stressed the role of co-operation at international level in the prevention of the spreading of bad financial management practices, praising in particular the contributions of the OECD and of the IMF which provide parliaments and governments with a wealth of good practice examples and models to follow.
During his visit to New-York, Mr Çavuşoğlu held high-level bilateral meetings, in particular with the President of the 66th Session of the United Nations General Assembly Nassir Abdulaziz Al-Nasser, the Under- Secretary General of the United Nations for Political Affairs Lynn Pascoe, the Secretary General of the IPU Anders Johnsson, and the diplomatic community.