Key actors from the UK and the Overseas Territories (OTs) met to identify and develop good practice with the aim of enhancing oversight of public finance.

The Oversight of Public Finances Forum 2019 ran from 5-7 March 2019 and was attended by parliamentarians; clerks; and Heads of Internal and External Audit from Anguilla, Bermuda, Cayman Islands, Falkland Islands, Gibraltar, Montserrat, Pitcairn Islands, St Helena, Turks & Caicos Islands, the UK, and Virgin Islands (UK).

This is the second Forum bringing together these key actors to explore the issue of public financial oversight under the banner of the UK Overseas Territories Project. The project is an initiative delivered in partnership by the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association UK (CPA UK), UK National Audit Office (NAO) and the Government Internal Audit Agency (GIAA) along with participating OTs.

The Project was launched in 2017 where OTs identified areas where support would be welcome, and activities were tailored to address those areas. These included clerk attachments from the UK devolved legislatures and Crown Dependencies to PACs in the OTs; multilateral training for External Auditors; secondments to the GIAA; and workshops for parliamentarians and officials in the OTs, Westminster, Scotland and Wales.

The Oversight of Public Finances Forum 2019 explored progress in OTs to date, addressed some of the common challenges faced by PACs, Internal and External Audit agencies and explored future activities in the next phase of the project to ensure long-lasting impact.