Insights into the WSIS Forum 2023

• The WSIS Forum 2023 was held at the International Conference Centre Geneva (CICG), located in the heart of Geneva.
• The theme of the WSIS Forum 2023 was 'WSIS Action Lines for building back better and accelerating the accomplishment of the SDGs'.

Understanding the World Summit on the Information Society Forum 2023:

• The World Summit on the Information Society Forum is an annual global multi-stakeholder platform that aims to promote sustainable development.
• The summit is jointly organized by ITU, UNESCO, UNDP , and UNCTAD, in close collaboration with all WSIS Action Line co-/facilitators and other UN entities.
• The forum provides an opportunity for stakeholders to exchange information and discuss the evolving landscape of the Information and Knowledge Societies.

Introduction to the AuditOnline Software Programme

• The Ministry of Panchayati Raj (MoPR) and the National Informatics Centre (NIC) were recognized at the WSIS Forum 2023 for their innovative AuditOnline software tool.
• AuditOnline was awarded the WSIS Prizes Award 2023 for the Action Line category ICT Applications: e-Government, based on its popularity and effectiveness.
• AuditOnline is an open-source application developed as a part of the Panchayat Enterprise Suite (PES) under the e-panchayat Mission Mode Project (MMP), initiated by the Ministry of Panchayati Raj (MoPR).
• The software facilitates the financial audit of accounts at all three levels of Panchayats - District, Block, and Village Panchayats, as well as Urban Local Bodies (ULB) and line departments by auditors.
• It also maintains past audit records of the auditee, including the list of auditors and audit team involved in the audit, thereby facilitating both online and offline audits of accounts.
• The AuditOnline software plays a crucial role in promoting transparency and accountability in the public financial management system.