The Court of Accounts Delegation Attends the SAI20 Summit in Johannesburg, South Africa
The Court of Accounts, led by Zineb El Adaoui, participated in the proceedings of the SAI20 Summit for Supreme Audit Institutions of G20 countries, which took place on June 24 and 25 in Johannesburg, South Africa. This participation was made at the invitation of the Auditor-General of South Africa, the current president of the summit, and the Court had previously contributed to the preparatory technical meetings held in February and March.
For the third consecutive time, the Court attended this summit, which serves as an international platform for discussion and sharing experiences among heads of audit institutions on ways to enhance financial oversight mechanisms in the public sector. The current session was marked by the full flag of Morocco being flown, including the map of the Kingdom with its territorial integrity, during the official sessions, a gesture that garnered particular attention given the significance of the event and its location.
This move reflects developments in positions within South Africa itself, as the opposition party “Umkhonto weSizwe,” led by former President Jacob Zuma, officially announced its support for the Moroccan autonomy initiative. This stance stands in contrast to the position of the ruling party, the African National Congress, known for its alliance with Algeria. Observers believe this shift may pave the way for a change in South Africa’s stance on the Moroccan Sahara issue.
The 2025 summit focused on two main topics: financing infrastructure for development and qualifying skills for future requirements. During her address in the general session, El Adaoui emphasized the need to reform international development financing, taking into account the sustainability of national debts, the impact of climate change, and the requirements for justice and representation of southern countries.
She addressed the challenges of managing infrastructure projects, especially in low-income countries, due to weak governance and lack of capacity. She also highlighted the efforts of the Court of Accounts in keeping pace with the major national projects overseen by the Kingdom, particularly initiatives related to human development and public-private partnerships and developing human capital.
El Adaoui noted that these orientations are integrated into the strategic plan for 2022-2026 of the Court, which aims to create a tangible impact on governance and the quality of public management, focusing on improving the responsiveness of national policies to economic and social transformations and the labor market.
El Adaoui underscored the importance of the summit as a space for sharing experiences and coordinating efforts among the G20 and international oversight organizations to enhance collective responses to global challenges.
On the sidelines of the summit, El Adaoui held a series of bilateral meetings with heads of audit and accounting institutions from Saudi Arabia, Brazil, Russia, Egypt, and Turkey. These discussions focused on ways to enhance bilateral cooperation, share expertise, and expand coordination, in light of the international responsibilities that the Court bears within several global specialized bodies.
