UN names Philippines’ COA as ILO external auditor

MANILA, Philippines - The United Nations has appointed the Philippines’ Commission on Audit (COA) as external auditor of its International Labor Organization (ILO). 

Its four-year term will begin on April 1, 2016 based on the appointment and unanimous recommendation of the selection panel during the ongoing 323rd session being held in Geneva, Switzerland, from March 12 to 27. 

COA announced yesterday that the Philippines was selected over other short-listed candidates like France and the United Kingdom.

The selection panel – a tripartite body composed of Ghana, China, the United States of America and Greece representing governments; South Africa and Japan representing the employers group; and Belgium and Denmark representing workers group – considered the high level of professionalism and technical qualities of candidates as well as non-technical aspects such as diversity in audit base and approach to client relations. 

“This appointment is an affirmation not only of COA’s audit expertise but also its integrity and independence. We assure the ILO of our promise to deliver quality external audit to the highest professional standards and to work together with the ILO in its pursuit of its mandate,” COA officer-in-charge Commissioner Heidi Mendoza said.

Consul Arnel Talisayon, representing the Philippine Permanent Mission to the United Nations and other International Organizations in Geneva, appreciated “the objective, holistic and systematic procedure of evaluating the proposal of each of the candidates which reflects on the high-level integrity and professionalism of the ILO.”