Global Fund Appoints Norbert Hauser as Interim Inspector General
05 December 2012
Deutsch: Der Globale Fonds ernennt Norbert Hauser zum Übergangsgeneralinspektor [ download in Deutsch ]
GENEVA – The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria today named an Interim Inspector General: Norbert Hauser, a highly-respected lawyer and international auditor who recently retired after a distinguished 35-year career in government and financial supervision.
Mr. Hauser, with extensive experience supervising financial and legal matters, served until 2011 as Vice President of Germany’s Supreme Audit Institution. His reputation for independence, integrity and honesty is unsurpassed.
Mr. Hauser’s long career in public service includes significant experience as a lawyer, an auditor, a mayor, a Member of Germany’s Parliament, and as a chairman of international bodies and task forces and parliamentary and council committees.
In addition, he has served in numerous supervisory roles, such as External Auditor of the International Atomic Energy Agency and as Chairman of the Panel of External Auditors of the United Nations.
“We could not wish for a better person than Norbert Hauser to fill this interim role,” said Simon Bland, Chair of the Global Fund Board. “We are delighted that he is able to provide this support to the Global Fund at the current time.”
Mr. Hauser has agreed to serve as interim Inspector General for a period of up to nine months while the Global Fund Board conducts a thorough search for its new Inspector General. Mr. Hauser will not be a candidate for the permanent position. Rather, he will maintain consistency in the work of the Office of the Inspector General, with a focus on providing seamless leadership and strategic guidance to staff of the Office of the Inspector General during his interim tenure.
“Having an independent, transparent, professionally operating and well-resourced Office of the Inspector General is just as important to the Global Fund Board today as it ever was,” said Dr. Mphu Ramatlapeng, Vice Chair of the Global Fund Board. “Our commitment to the highest standards of transparency and accountability is consistent and unshakable.”
In 2011, Mr. Hauser served as a member of the independent High-Level Panel that reviewed Global Fund operations and made recommendations for major reform in the work of the Global Fund as a whole. These recommendations included best-practice observations on how to increase the professionalism and focus of the Office of the Inspector General. The vast majority of the recommendations were endorsed by the Board in September 2011 and have since been implemented.
Mr. Hauser began his career as a lawyer and prosecutor in Germany. His work in law and politics led him to multiple positions in government, including more than 20 years as a Member of the Council of the City of Bonn, and 15 years as District Mayor of the Borough of Bonn-Bad Godesberg.
As a member of the Public Accounts and Auditing Committee of the German Parliament, and as a member of a Bundestag Committee of Inquiry, Mr. Hauser attained a high degree of knowledge about investigation and ethics issues, handling sensitive matters related to irregular funding of political parties, fraud and corruption.
During his nine years of service as Vice President of Germany’s Supreme Audit Institution, the Bundesrechnungshof, Mr. Hauser had oversight tasks at a senior level that enhanced his detailed knowledge of financial, compliance and performance audits, both internal and external.
The international experience and competency that he gained were recognized when he was selected as Chairman of the Panel of External Auditors of the United Nations and as External Auditor of the International Atomic Energy Agency, among other positions.
In the past year, he has also acted as a consultant on peer reviews conducted by the supreme audit institutions of Chile, Ecuador, El Salvador, and Peru.