The verification clause represents an attempt to accommodate the requirements of the Commission and the UN, while at the same time respecting each party's fundamental principles of financial management and control. The verification clause has been signed in 1994 and annexed to the FAFA.
The following clauses have to be included as an integral provision in all conventions, contracts and financial agreement between the UN and the Commission:
a) Financial transactions and financial statements shall be subject to the internal and external auditing procedures laid down in the Financial Regulations, Rules and directives of the United Nations.
A copy of the audited financial statements shall be submitted to the European Commission by the United Nations.
b) The United Nations shall keep financial and accounting documents concerning the activities financed by the European Communities and, make available to the competent bodies of the European Communities, upon request, all relevant financial information, including statements of accounts concerning the programme/project, where they are executed by the United Nations or by subcontracting.
c) In conformity with its Financial Regulation, the European Communities may undertake, including on the spot, checks related to the operations financed by the European Communities.”
The objective of the verification mission is not to audit the UN agency, but to acquire an understanding of, and to report on, the adequacy of the system of accountability, in terms of accounting system, procedures, reporting, and audit mechanism in place.
This will enable the Commission to report to its own institutions on the proper use of EU funds. As to facilitate the process, Parties have agreed on Common Terms of Reference for Verification Missions (“ToRs”) which set the objectives, scope and methodology of the verification mission in practice.
According to the ToRs the verification has a twofold scope:
Verification visits should be coordinated by a specific unit within the UN Organisation and should be carried out in a collaborative manner.
Subject to considerations of confidentiality of each individual UN agency, original documents shall be shown to the mission to facilitate the check process. For the most part, copies of such documents will not be taken by the mission. However, requests forcopies of such documents will be considered by the UN on a case-by-case basis and will be determined by the organization’s management in consultation with, as necessary, its External Auditors.
During the visit, Commission representatives will principally work with the senior staff responsible for the systems under review. Verifiers may also ask to discuss some issues with the internal audit services or with the organisation’s external auditors.
There would then be opening meeting with the UN entity, where details concerning the verification process to happen should be pinned down. There would be also a debriefing meeting, where the verification team should present the findings and obtain clarifications as relevant.
The verification team will draw up a verification report draft that will be made available to the UN agency’s management for comments prior to final issuance.
The verification will result in a report of factual findings, including a conclusion and, where appropriate, recommendations. As this verification is not an audit, no audit report including audit opinions will be issued.
