Launch of the Second Phase of the Project “Enhancing the Capabilities of the Court of Audit in Combating Corruption”

As part of the project "Enhancing the Capabilities of the Court of Audit in Combating Corruption," funded by the European Union and implemented by Expertise France, the second phase of the project, dedicated to compliance and performance auditing, was officially launched.

This milestone falls within the framework of ongoing cooperation between the Lebanese Court of Audit and the French Court of Audit, aiming to strengthen the Court's capacity and enhance its auditing methodologies in line with international best practices.

To this end, a coordination meeting was held via video conference at the Court of Audit headquarters on Thursday, May 22. The meeting was attended by the President of the Court of Audit, Judge Mohamad Badran, Judges Inaam Al-Boustani and Zeinab Hammoud (heads of chambers), along with Judges Ephram El-Khoury, Katy Chalita, Rosy Bou Hadir, Sana Karoum, Head of Department Mr. Omar Dougheili, Senior Auditors Bissan Harb, Roula Mayne, and Ghandi Nasr, as well as Lead Auditor Hassan Chourba. Also present were Mr. Fabian representing Expertise France and Mr. Ahmad Assi.

From the French side, participants included Mr. Vincent Le Carron, Mission Officer at the Directorate of International Relations of the French Court of Audit; Mr. Jean-François Guyot, Senior Advisor; and Ms. Penilla, Senior Consultant.

The meeting was dedicated to preparing an audit mission on the Beirut and Mount Lebanon Water Establishment (EBML). It included a presentation on the legal framework governing the institution’s operations, the formation of the audit team, identification of potential audit focus areas, and a discussion on the expectations of the Lebanese Court of Audit regarding the mission.

This meeting marks a pivotal moment in the development of compliance and performance auditing within the Court of Audit. It also strengthens the framework of cooperation between the Lebanese and French Courts of Audit, in line with international principles and standards aimed at promoting good governance, transparency, and accountability in public financial management.