Mark Smolenaars has been sworn in by the King as Secretary-General of the Netherlands Court of Audit. Mr Smolenaars made a solemn vow to the crown at Noordeinde Palace, The Hague, on 13 May.
The Secretary-General is the link between the Court of Audit’s Board and its staff. He represents the organisation and the Board in talks with senior civil servants at the ministries. In his capacity as the highest official at the Court of Audit, Mark is responsible for programming relevant audits, enhancing the Court’s added value for parliament and government and safeguarding the wellbeing of some 300 members of staff.
Mark has held an array of positions at the Court since 2000, including as audit director as from 2017 and as deputy Secretary-General since 2021.
The Court of Audit is headed by the 3 members of its Board, Pieter Duisenberg (President), Barbara Joziasse and Ewout Irrgang. Mr Smolenaars succeeds Cornelis van der Werf, who left the Court on 15 November 2015. He has been acting Secretary-General since 15 October 2015. Mr Smolenaars will be formally inaugurated into the Court of Audit at an extraordinary meeting of the Board on Tuesday, 19 May, the day before Accountability Day.