Audit Committee established at the Ministry of Defense: an important step towards improving the effectiveness of internal audit

The Ministry of Defense of Ukraine is celebrating a historic event - for the first time since the department's inception, a new coordinating advisory body for the Internal Audit Department, namely the Audit Committee, has been established. This was reported by the press service of the Ministry of Defense.

According to representatives of the Ministry, the purpose of the new committee is to consult and discuss issues related to internal audit, as well as to prepare recommendations to improve the work in this area within the Ministry of Defense. In particular, the committee is expected to strengthen the internal audit function and contribute to the development of its functionality.

"The establishment of the audit committee is an opportunity to engage recognized foreign partners in the field of internal audit. The Ministry of Defense has invited specialists with the appropriate expertise, reputation, authority, skills and experience to join the committee. The body will serve as a "fuse" against political interference. This step demonstrates our readiness to implement the highest international standards," emphasized Deputy Defense Minister Yuriy Dzhyhyr.

The Audit Committee consists of certified internal auditors from NATO member states and Ukraine who have extensive experience in the field of internal audit. Among them are Francois Gauthier, Head of External Oversight at NATO Headquarters in Brussels, Joseph Ignagnoli, Oversight Program Analyst/Evaluator at the U.S. Department of Defense Office of the Inspector General, and other highly qualified experts.

This initiative is not the only step towards modernizing and improving the efficiency of the Ministry of Defense. A new structural unit, the Logistics Planning Department, has recently been opened to develop long-term procurement plans for military needs, including food, technical equipment and other material resources.

The establishment of the Audit Committee and other new units demonstrates the MoD's intention to improve internal processes and to adhere to the highest standards of quality and transparency in its operations.