World Public Sector Report 2025 | Public Institutions

Supreme audit institutions and the Sustainable Development Goals

The World Public Sector Report 2025 focuses on the role of supreme audit institutions (SAIs) in the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The main objectives of the Report are to: (i) provide a global picture of SAIs’ contribution to SDG implementation, follow-up and review in general and in specific SDG areas; and (ii) to examine how the positioning of SAIs in national accountability systems has evolved since 2016 due to the work of SAIs on SDGs. The report aims to present a comprehensive analysis of SAIs’ work related to the SDGs since 2016; analyze the impact of the prioritization of SDG audits on SAIs’ strategies, audit plans and methods of work; identify emerging trends and innovative approaches in this regard; and reflect on how SAIs’ contribution may have influenced SDG implementation. The report synthesizes audit findings and recommendations in various SDG areas and presents examples of audit impact in terms of improving and advancing SDG implementation, with special focus on Least Developing Countries (LDCs) and Small Island Developing States (SIDS) when relevant. The report also examines the challenges and opportunities for SAIs associated with their work on SDGs. This approach aims to inform national and intergovernmental reflections on how to accelerate SDG implementation from now to 2030.