The Council of Europe, in cooperation with the Tunisian Contrôle Général des Finances (CGF), organised a two day seminar on 17–18 September 2025 in Tunis dedicated to enhancing the role of public audit in preventing and detecting corruption.

The seminar brought together 30 CGF officials for an intensive programme combining expert presentations, practical exercises, and peer exchange. Discussions focused on international standards and good practices in financial, performance, and compliance audits, with a particular focus on identifying corruption risks, detecting red flag indicators, and producing audit reports that lead to actionable recommendations. Participants deepened their understanding of risk assessment as a tool to guide audit planning and execution, explored investigative techniques that enable targeted and high impact audits, and refined their skills in drafting clear, evidence based reports to support follow up and enforcement.

The training recognised public auditing as cornerstone of good governance, safeguarding public resources, promoting transparency, and ensuring institutional accountability. By systematically reviewing the use of public funds and the performance of public bodies, audits help detect irregularities, deter corrupt practices, and reinforce citizens’ trust in public institutions. In reflecting on the challenges of conducting anti corruption oriented audits, participants cited limited time and resources, insufficient cooperation from audited entities, and potential security concerns. They also acknowledged the value of Tunisia’s comprehensive regulatory framework, which provides legal certainty for audit work, while noting that institutional and procedural mechanisms for implementing these norms could be further strengthened.

The Contrôle Général des Finances, under the Ministry of Finance, is a Tunisian central public audit and inspection authority. It conducts compliance, financial, and performance audits of public services, state funded entities, and projects financed by external donors. The CGF also evaluates public programmes to assess efficiency and impact, working in coordination with other national oversight bodies to ensure follow up on audit recommendations.

This activity was organised within the framework of the joint EU–Council of Europe project on Improving Economic Governance for Anti Corruption in Tunisia (AGELA, French acronym), co funded by the European Union and the Council of Europe. The project aims to strengthen transparency, accountability, and good governance in Tunisia.