NEW DELHI: When CAG Shashi Kant Sharma was elected in New York with a thumping majority as a member of the UN Board of Auditors on Friday evening it was an unusual strategic alliance that worked in his favour.

China and Pakistan teamed up with India to defeat US-backed the Philippines, and ensure that the Comptroller and Auditor General of India occupies the prestigious post for the next six years. India will replace China as a member of the board, and along with two other members, will audit New York-based UN headquarters, UN peacekeeping operations, UN Development Programme (UNDP), UNICEF , UN High Commissioner for Refugees, and almost all other key UN bodies.

“The UN election and other international positions are testament to the standing that CAG enjoys internationally, as well as to the credibility and impartiality of our audits,” Sharma told TOI in his first response after the election. In fact, it is also the first time that Sharma spoke to the media since he took over in May.

When his attention was drawn to criticism from some quarters about CAG audits, Sharma said, “We would continue to carry out our constitutional responsibilities according to the rules. CAG has a very strong tradition, and continues to have a crucial role in the interest of good governance. I don’t intend to explain anything further.”

The CAG is expected to set up permanent presence in the New York to discharge its new UN responsibility. In Friday’s election, out of the 186 votes cast, India bagged 124 votes against 62 for the Philippines. The General Assembly appoints three members to the Board of Auditors, who have joint responsibility for all the audits. The present members are the CAGs of Britain and Tanzania and Liu Jiayi , auditor-general of the National Audit Office of the People’s Republic of China.

Sharma said that CAG has several other significant roles internationally, and is also looking at providing training and capability building for several other countries. He is the chairperson of the Asian Organization of Supreme Audit Institutions (ASOSAI) and also heads a key committee of the International Organization of Supreme Audit Institutions ( INTOSAI ), which look at knowledge sharing and knowledge services committee.

The Indian CAG is presently external auditor of the World Food Programme , World Intellectual Property Organization, International Atomic Energy Agency, UN World Tourism Organization and the International Organization for Migration. In recent past, CAG has also been the external auditor of UN Agencies such as the World Health Organization , Food and Agricultural Organization, International Maritime Organization , Organization for Prohibition of Chemical Weapons etc.