Internal Audit and Investigations

Safeguarding FAO's integrity and strengthening its accountability

The mission of the Office of the Inspector General (OIG) is to provide oversight of FAO's programmes and operations. It carries out this mission through internal audit and investigation, in accordance with its Charter.

With FAO's primary mandate to ensure humanity's freedom from hunger, it is crucial that all resources allocated to meet this goal, both human and financial, are used efficiently and effectively and not diverted from their intended purpose.

Through its internal audit work, OIG contributes to improving FAO’s risk management, internal control processes and resource management, helping the Organization accomplish its objectives in an accountable manner.

Through its investigation activities, OIG helps FAO maintain its commitment to upholding high ethical standards and fostering a culture of integrity.

Charter of the Office of the Inspector General
03/2020

This document is a blueprint for OIG's mandate and clarifying the Inspector General's reporting lines. It grants OIG the authority to fulfil its tasks.

Strategy of the Office of the Inspector General
07/2021

The OIG Strategy 2021–2025 defines its mandate for assurance, investigations, and advisory services, supporting FAO’s governance and accountability.

Annual Report of the Inspector General 2023
04/2024

OIG issued 17 assurance, 4 advisory, 28 investigation reports, and 24 memorandums. By year-end, 19 audits and 130 investigations were ongoing.

Summaries of audit reports issued in 2023
05/2024

This document was presented in the 199th Finance Committee session in Rome and contains the summaries of six County Office audits and ten thematic audits.

Audit of the FAO Representation in Lesotho
07/2024

This audit identified seven observations in project implementation and monitoring, procurement, HR management and inventory management.

Audit of the FAO Accountability Framework
06/2024

This audit identified 11 risks in the areas of ownership, definition, assessment of effectiveness and oversight of accountability.

Audit of Procurement and Input Distribution in the FAO Ukraine Emergency Operations
06/2024

Eight risks were identified during this audit in the areas of procurement planning, procurement methods and reconciliation of input distribution.