Brics leaders deepen audit, statistics ties; endorse SAI work plan

The Brics leaders on Saturday committed to deeper cooperation between their national auditors and statistics agencies, endorsing a fresh work plan for the bloc’s supreme audit institutions and calling for the modernisation of official data systems using artificial intelligence and alternative data sources.

In the New Delhi Declaration, adopted at the opening of the two-day Brics Summit, the leaders highlighted the role of Supreme Audit Institutions (SAIs) — the category that includes India’s Comptroller and Auditor General — in promoting “accountability, transparency, effectiveness, and good governance in public administration.”

The declaration acknowledged that auditors across the bloc were evolving beyond traditional financial and compliance checks towards “more outcome-oriented, data-driven, and impact-focused approaches.” It welcomed continued exchange of expertise among Brics auditors, singling out cooperation in the auditing of urban mobility systems.

Recalling the Bengaluru Declaration adopted at the Fifth Brics SAIs Heads’ Meeting, the leaders said they appreciated efforts to strengthen the “relevance, impact, and credibility” of audit bodies in improving the ease of living for citizens, and backed implementation of the Brics SAI Work Plan 2027-2028.

On the statistical front, the leaders reaffirmed the importance of strengthening statistical cooperation for policymaking in the evolving data ecosystem. They encouraged the modernisation of statistical systems and the adoption of innovative methodologies and data sources.

Notably, the declaration flagged the need to compile and periodically update information on national statistical reforms — including the use of administrative and alternative data sources, artificial intelligence and capacity-building initiatives — to support knowledge exchange among member countries.

The leaders also endorsed the continuation of the annual Brics Joint Statistical Publication and its Snapshot, describing them as instruments for “transparency, mutual learning, and cooperation.”

The commitments come as India holds the Brics chairmanship in 2026 in New Delhi. India will hand the chairmanship to China in 2027.