text: addition, weobserved weaknesses infileaccesscontrols thatgaveuserswrite accesstoapplications thatwerenotreauired fortheirworkortoanapplication fortheexclusive useofanother section. Ourauditwasrendered moredifficult because existing back-ups atcalendar year-end arenotmaintained longenough. 52.Werecommended thattheinventory filemaintenance programme bemodified immediately soastopreclude unauthorized changes intheopening balance. In addition, werecommended thatmeasures should betakensothataccessisstrictly limited toauthorized usersandthatback-ups atcalendar year-end should be maintained foralongerperiod. TheAdministration informed usthattheprogramme weakness wasintheprocess ofcorrection andthatcertain programmes withmultiple accesstosomefileswouldbeincluded intheprogramming workload. Reporting period 53.InthecourseofouraUdit, wesUbmitted anumberofspecific audit obs~rvations relating tocut-off procedures atcalendar year-end anddiscussed them withtheofficials concerned. Theseyear-end procedures, arising twicewithin a twelve-month period, havebecomenecessary because theGreeting CardOperation uses afiscalyear,whichisitsnatural business year,forreporting purposes, while UNICEFfollows thecalendar year-end inaccordance withtheUnitedNations Financial Regulations andRules. Inthisconnection, theAdministration proposed twoalternatives, onebeingtheadoption ofacommonreporting period andtheother theestablishment oftheGreeting CardOperation asaseparate fundwithin UNICEF. 54.Werecommended that,inresolving thisissue,theAdministration shouldalso consider athirdalternative, whichistherecent recommendation oftheAdvisory Committee onAdministrative andBudgetary Questions thatUNICEFconsider establishing itsownfinancial rulesandregulations. TheAdministration informed usthatthisthirdalternative wouldbethoroughly considered inresolving the issue. Comments onmatters dealtwithinthereportfortheyear1983 55.Ourfollow-up onmatters raisedintheBoard's reportfor19831/disclosed thattheyhaveeither beendealtwithtooursatisfaction orarecovered againin thisreport. Wehaveprovided recommendations againintheareasofbudgetary control, theuseofconsultants andexpendable andnon-expendable property. 1/Official Records oftheGeneral Assembly, Thirty-ninth Session, Supplement No.5 B(A/39/5/Add.2), partone,sect.11. -13-IAcknowledgement 56.TheBoardofAuditors wishestoexpressitsappreciation fortheco-operationandassistance extended bytheExecutive Director, hisofficers andmembers of theirstaff. (Signed) R.T.NELSON Auditor General ofGhana (Signed) A.DEFOY SeniorPresident oftheCourtofAccounts ofBelgium (Signed) Francisco S.TANTUICO, Jr.Chairman, Commission onAudit, ThePhilippines -14-IV, Fun gen rec cir fin per sta wer the autIll.AUDITOPINION Wehaveexamined thefollowing appended financial statements, numbered Ito IV,properly identified, andrelevant schedules oftheUnitedNations Children's Fundforthefinancial period ended31December 1984. Ourexamination included a general reviewoftheaccounting procedures andsuchtestsoftheaccounting records andothersupporting evidence asweconsidered necessary inthe circumstances. Asaresultofourexamination, weareoftheopinion thatthe financial statements present fairlythefinancial position asattheendofthe period andtheresults ofitsoperations fortheperiodthenended. Thefinancial statements wereprepared inaccordance withthestatedaccounting principles, which wereapplied onabasisconsistent withthatofthepreceding financial period and thetransactions wereinaccordance withtheFinancial Regulations andLegislative authority. (Signed) R.T.NELSON Auditor General ofGhana (Signed) A.DEFOY SeniorPresident ofthecourt ofAccounts ofBelgium (Signed) Francisco S.TANTUICO, Jr. Chairman, Commission onAudit -15-I I -IV.OBSERVATIONS OFTHEEXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OFUNICEF ONTHE COMMENTS ANDRECOMMENDATIONS OFTHEBOARDOFAUDITORS Introduction
analysis: The text appears to be a report on the audit of the financial statements of the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) for the financial period ended December 31, 1984. The report discusses various weaknesses in the organization's financial management, including inadequate access controls and lack of maintenance of back-ups at calendar year-end. The report also mentions the organization's use of a fiscal year and the need for a common reporting period. Given the focus on financial management and internal controls, it is likely that the report is related to the organization's financial operations.