Fiscal Transparency and Accountability

              This post is about a theme that we Brazilians have been heard a lot lately, The importance of fiscal transparency and fiscal accountability. According to many economists, we are now in Brazil witnessing the social, economic and political consequencies of a badly management of a fiscal policy, so it is important that we understand more about this theme.This post is a summary of three posts. The first was published at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fiscal_transparency                                      The second was published at  http://www.theguardian.com/global-development-professionals-network/2013/jun/12/fiscal-transparency-better-accountability-development. The third with the title above was published at http://unpan1.un.org/intradoc/groups/public/documents/un/unpan001892.pdf

            Fiscal transparency refers to the publication of information on how governments raise, spend, and manage public resources. More specifically, it means publication of high quality information on how governments raise taxes, borrow, spend, invest, and manage public assets and liabilities. Fiscal transparency includes public reporting on the past, present, and future state of public finances. Fiscal policies have critical impacts on economic, social and environmental outcomes in all countries at all levels of development. Fiscal transparency is sometimes used synonymously with budget tramsparency. However, fiscal transparency is in principle wider than budget transparency. The global financial crisis that started in 2008 prompted more widespread reflection on the effectiveness of the existing international arrangements to promote fiscal transparency and accountability. One outcome of this was the creation of the Global Initiative for Fiscal Transparency ( GIFT ) in 2011. GIFT is a multi-stakeholder action network that aims to advance and institutionalize global norms and significant, continuous improvements on fiscal transparency, engagement, and accountability in countries around the world. fiscaltransparency.net Although fiscal openness is improving in many countries, the rate is uneven and slow, and backlashes are constantly registered. At the same time, the challenge is complex and need multiple stakeholders to address it in a coordinated manner. From the OBS - 2015 Executive Report : Results from the Open Budget Survey 2015 reveal large gaps in the amount of budget information that governments are making available to the public. The survey found that around one-third of budget documents that should be available to the public are not. They were either not produced at all, produced for internal use only, or published too late to be useful. Many of the budget documents that are missing from the public domain are prepared, but remain off limits to the public. Budget transparency could be significantly advanced if governments were to take the simple step of releasing these already-prepared documents. Failing to publish information that is already being produced is a question of political will, which civil society can influence. The survey also found that even when documents are published they frequently lack sufficient detail. To disclose what governments organizations do with financial resources is not always easy, in fact, there is much resistance to fiscal transparency. There is evidence that fiscal transparency strengthens the eddiciency, equity, effectiveness, stability and sustainability of fiscal policies. This in turn enhances the likelihood that fiscal policies will have positive economic and social impact.                                                               For people interested in transparency and its impact on development, these are very interesting times. The last few years have seen a flurry of international initiatives aimed at promoting transparency in a variety of areas of government action. The  Open Government Partnership launched in 2011, already has more than 50 member governments who have undertaken to promote transparency  and openness and to allow for independent reviews of their efforts. Transparency initiatives have existed for longer in the extractive industries and foreign aid sectors. The  Global Initiative for Fiscal Transparency, has brought together key actors: governments, NGOs and inter-governments agencies, to design and promote improved global norms for transparency and citizen participation in the management of public resources. All of these efforts stem from two inter-related convictions. First, that having access to government information, including budget information, is a right of every citizen, as enshrined in the U. D. H. R. Second, that transparency and access to information will allow citizens to engage with policy processes and monitor government action, leading to improved accountability and better development outcomes. While the first comes from a belief that governments have a duty to fulfil individual human rights, the second one needs to be demonstrated in practice and backed by credible evidence. The Open Budget Index has contributed to expose the difficulties that citizens face in accessing budget information and to put pressure on governments to open up their books. As global development professionals who promote transparency, we must ask ourselves, first, how improvements in fiscal transparency and participation come about and, second, under what circumstances they lead more government responsiveness, improved accountability and better development outcomes. Research surrounding these questions shows that four main factors stand out as contributing to improvements in fiscal transparency and participation. These are: 1) Processes of political transition towards more democratic forms of political contestation and alternation. 2) Fiscal and economic crises that forces governments to put in place enhanced machanisms for fiscal discipline and independent scrutiny. 3) Widely publicised cases of corruption that gives reformers political space to introduce reforms that improve public access to fiscal information. 4) External influences that promote global norms and empower domestic reformers and civil society actors.

       Fiscal transparency, reflecting a system of windows on public policy making and policy implementation, is not an end in itself, but is a means contributing to effective and comprehensive accountability that aims at securing full answerability from governments and their officials. Governments depend on authority needed to provide services, to regulate the economy and to finance both types of activities. Markets are dependent on security utility, but both governments and markets depend for their smooth functioning, on a large variety of information. The importance of information on the activities of the government to facilitate the twin roles of individual decision-makers, or economic agents, to ascertain what the government is doing and to evaluate how the resources are being utilized. Similarly, there has been recognition, from the Pre-Christian times, that "unaccountability means lawlessness." The growing recognition of the importance of strengthening the civic society to perform its designated role has been an important factor in shaping the debate on fiscal transparency. The strengthening of the civil society requires greater transparency in governmental actions, and greater trust on government agencies, accompanied by an effective framework of accountability. The demand for a strengthened civil society comes in the context if a profound paradox in the working of the governments. On the one hand, there is a view that governments have grown enormously in size and in the range of tasks undertaken, and their performance has yet to match expectations. Notwithstanding this prevailing sense of disappointment, there is also a greater demand for  more services. A related issue is how this paradox may be addressed through greater fiscal transparency and improved accountability. The concept of fiscal accountability reflects the concerns of those interested in the sustainability and quality of public finances, in that services delivery and observance of economy and efficiency are integral parts of this form. However, where the machinery for full transparency and accountability exists, the institutions charged with these responsibilities,  have not been very effective. Their underachievement is, in part due to the laws enacted a long time ago and to poor adjust to the changing tasks. A combined result is growing apathy towards government at a time when its role is also expanding. One of the underlying objectives of improved transparency and accountability is to reduce the extent of corruption. The effective functioning of an independent audit system reinforces the trust that the public has on governments. While this is a majoe achievement, in several cases, the audit can not follows the full trail of government expenditures. Transfers to local governments, NGOs and the books of contractors that perform tasks for and on behalf of governments , are beyond the scope of a normal audit.

Oslo Freedom Forum

      Tomorrow will begin in Oslo the eighth Oslo Freedom Forum. I am happy to see that this event has grown each year. I have been reading about it, since 2011 and I hope not only this event can grow more, but other events defending human rights around the world can grow as well, and the human rights defenders can get respect and acknowledgement for their courageous and social work. This post is a summary of four articles. The first was published at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oslo_Freedom_Forum. The second was published at  https://oslofreedomforum.com/events/2016-oslo-freedom-forum. The third was published at               https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/V%C3%A1clav_Havel_Prize_for_Creative_Dissent. The fourth was publishe at http://www.voanews.com/content/three-share-rights-group-creative-dissent-award/3317138.html

        Oslo Freedom Forum ( O.F.F ) is a series of global conferences run by the New York-based non-profit Human Rights Foundation. The Freedom Forum was founded in 2009 and has taken place annually ever since in Oslo, Norway. One of the key objectives of the conference is to bring together notable people, including former heads of state, winners of the Nobel Prize, prisoners of conscience, as well as of other public figures in order to nerwork and exchange ideas about human rights and exposing dictatorship. The main O.F.F. conference is held annually in Oslo, while satellite events have been held in San Francisco and on college campuses in the U.S. According to Wired Magazine, "If the global human rights movement were to create its own unified representative body, it would look something like this." They also later wrote, "The power of the event, whose sponsors include Sergey Brin's and Peter Thiel's charitable foundations, lies in the seamless mix of grassroots activists, many of whom have risked their lives to speak out, and the top-level policymakers and influencers who can act what they learn." The O.F.F.  was founded by human rights activist Thor Halvorssen. The inaugural O.F.F., titled "The Nobility of the Human Spirit and the Power of Freedom," featured more than 30 speakers with an emphasis on the importance of literature in advancing the cause of freedom. The 2010 O.F.F. organized around the theme, "From Tragedy to Triumph," featured participants from more than 40 countries and six continents. The event focused on the progress of civil liberties over the past century, while highlighting the innovation of modern advocates activists. The 2011 O.F.F. took place under the theme, "Spark of Change," and featured speakers who gave presentations from an analysis of some of the world's dictatorship, to a look at the impact that a single individual can have on the world. In 2012 the title was, "Out of Darkness, Into Light," the O.F.F.  explored numerous topics, including modern-day slavery, how some I.T. and arms companies support dictatorships, the drug war's impact in human rights, a focus on the democracy movement in Russia, perspectives in fighting poverty through individual rights, global censorship, and the Arab uprisings. This year also begun the Václav Havel Prizes for Creative Dissent were awarded in a special ceremony during the forum. The 2013 O.F.F. was themed, "Challenging Power," and centered on a range of topics, such as the art of dissent, asymmetric activism, new tools for rights advocates, the power of media, women under Islamic law, and the threat of authoritarian regimes with façade capitalism. The 2014 O.F.F. included Egyptian satirist Bassem Youssef, Cuban Blogger Yoani Sanchez, American actor Jeffrey Wright, Ukranian pro-democracy activist Yulia Marushevska, iconist Turkish protestor Erdem Gunduz. The New York Times called the O.F.F. the place where "the world's dissidents have their say." The 2015 O.F.F. brought speakers included Charlie Hebdo columnist Zineb El Rhazouni, North Korean Ji Seong-ho, Afghan entrepreneur Saad Mohseni, and Twitter vice president Colin Crowell. The O.F.F. has been praised for bringing together some of the world's most influential activists. In a six minute video BBC said that O.F.F. is where pro-democracy activists share ideas and learn about agitating for positive change. Vice News has described the event as a bit like Comic-Con, only the heroes are real. Wired Magazine has suggested that, if the global human rights movement were to create its own unified representative body, it would look something like this, and the power of the event lies in the seamless mix of grassroots activists, many of whom have risks their lives to speak out, and the good policymakers who can act in what they learn. The New York Times focused on how O.F.F. 's community draws strength from one another, and that it showcased how the conference goes beyond networking, by providing attendees with broader exposure and connecting them woth prominent financiers and technologists. The Economist described it as on its way to becoming a human rights equivalent of the Davos Economic Forum and that the forum provides an intimate space for dissidents and human rights defenders from around the world to meet each other, to talk to internet entrepreneurs, academics, politicians and to draw inspiration.

             The 2016 O.F.F will happen with the theme of, "The Catalysts." A single spark can start a raging fire, which is why this year, The O.F.F. is dedicated to catalysts: women and men who have realized that while individuals can not change the world on their own, the world can not change without individuals. That even if you are the first person to stand up, you will not find yourself alone for long. The O.F.F. of this year will bring together the world's most passionate human rights advocates for an unforgettable three-day summit dedicated to promoting human rights around the globe.

            Vaclav Havel Prize for Creative Dissent is an award established in 2012 by the New Yoik-based Human Rights Foundation.( HRF ) According to HRF President Thor Halvorssen, the prize recognizes individuals "who engage in creative dissent, exhibiting courage and creativity to challenge injustice and live in truth." Named in honor of Czech dissident playwright and politician Vaclav Havel, who had died the previous December, the award was founded with the help of his widow, Dagmar, Google co-founder Sergeu Brin and Paypal co-founder Peter Thiel, provided part of the prizes's funding. The winners of 2015 were the Sudanese nonviolent resistance movement Girifna, The Indonesian stand-up comedian Sakdiyah Maruf and the Cuban graffiti artist and activist El Sexto.

             The New York-based Human Rights Foundation has awarded its 2016 Vaclav Havel Prize for Creative Dissent to an Iranian cartoonist, a Russian performance artist and an Uzbek photojournalist. "The prize celebrates those who, with bravery and ingenuity, unmask the lie of dictatorship by living the truth," the Foundation said in a release. The committee described Atena Farghadani as a prisoner of conscience of the Iranian regime. She was sentenced to 12 years in prison for a cartoon she posted on social media depicting parlamentarians with animal heads to criticize a draft law restricting contraception and criminalizing voluntary sterilization. The second laureate, Peter Pavlenski, is a Russian artist best known for a series of performance in which he used self-mutilation to protest the government's political crackdown. He is facing up to three years in jail for setting fire to the main entrance to the headquarters of the security service. The third laureate is Umida Akhmedova, a Uzbekistan photojournalist and the country's first female documentary filmmaker. She has been accused of slander and "damaging the country's image" for publishing a series of photos about life in rural parts of Uzbekistan. "Despite the government's attempts to manufacture a polished, happy image of the country, she exposes the societies," said John Egenaes, secretary of Amnesty International Norway. The three laureates will be honored at a ceremony during the Oslo Freedom Forum this month. They will also share a $43,000 prize.

World Press Freedom Day 2016 Part II

               This week we have the second part on Press Freedom Day. This very important human right is essential to the truth, democracy, justice, and development. We all have the duty to defend those who work to bring us the truth about what is happening, mainly those who try to bring us about dangerous issues related to justice. This post is a summary of four articles. The first was published at https://cpj.org/blog/2016/02/amid-rising-violence-in-brazil-convictions-in-jour.php#more. The second was published at https://knightcenter.utexas.edu/blog/00-16553-cpjs-list-deadliest-countries-journalists-2015-includes-brazil-mexico-colombia. The third was published at in May 2015 https://cpj.org/2015/05/brazilian-blogger-found-decapitated-in-minas-gerai.php. The fourth was published at http://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-32822331

             Justice delayed is justice denied, goes the legal maxim, and that has all too often been the case in Latin America. But the perseverance of lawyers and prosecutors in Brazil has resulted in a number of recent convictions in cases many thought had been buried or forgotten. The murders of José Ornelas de Lemos, director of the daily Hora H were arrested in november. Last year, judges in MG state convicted Alessandro Neves for the murders of a journalist and a photographer who worked together covering cases in which police were suspected of involvement in murders in the town of Coronel Fabriciano. And the killer of political journalist Décio Sá was sentenced to 25 years in prison in Maranhão. The resolution of those and other cases long after they happened is good news for a region with a bleak record on impunity. Brazil ranks eleventh on CPJ's impunity index which tracks countries where jornalists are murdered and their killers go free. While other Latin America nations have made little progress in fighting impunity, the convictions in Brazil are cause for optimism, legal experts, human rights officials, and journalism advocates say. "The special rapporteur's office has noted advances in several cases involving the assassination of journalists that had gone unpunished in Brazil during recent years," The perseverance of police and public prosecutors reflects a growing confidence in Brazil's legal institutions. The country is in the midst of a high-level war on impunity as judges and prosecutors target big names suspected of involvement in a slew of corruption scandals. The mobilization of a federal task force in MG was crucial in helping convict Alessandro Neves. He was sentenced to 30 years in prison for the murdering the journalist Rodrigo Neto and the photographer Walney de Carvalho. The Federation of Journalists in Brazil wants the murder of journalists to be classified as a federal crime so that cases are investigated by federal forces.

                Deadly violence against journalists in Latin America ( LA ) has continued to grow this year, with four countries from the region making the Committee to Protect Journalists' ( CPJ ) list of deadliest countries for journalists in 2015. Brazil, Mexico, Colombia and Guatemala were the deadliest countries in LA for journalists in 2015, according the organization's report. Between them, CPJ confirmed that the murders of 12 journalists were related to their work. Six of the cases were in Brazil. Journalists killed in LA this year reported on dangerous topics including organized crime or corruption and some had received threats to their lives prior to their deaths. With six deaths confirmed by the organization to be related to journalists' work, Brazil was the third deadliest country in 2015. The country "registered its highest number of killings since CPJ began keeping detailed records in 1992," according to an organization press release. Last year, 30-year-old blogger Ítalo Diniz Barros was killed in Maranhão in November. Just three days earlier, radio journalist Israel Gonçalves Dias was killed in Pernanbuco. Earlier in the year, radio journalist Gleydson Carvalho was shot while on air at radio Liberdade FM in Camocim, Ceará in August. Within one week in May, the bodies of two murdered journalists were found in the eastern part of the country. In May, the decapitated body of the blogger Evany Metzker was found in MG state. Days later, police discovered the tortured body of radio journalist Djalma da Conceição in Bahia. In a region that has been dangerous for journalists in recent years, Paraguayan radio journalist Gerardo Servian was killed in Ponta Porã, MS, on the Brazil-Paraguay border in March. 

               Brazilian authorities must fully investigate the murder of a Brazilian blogger, identify the motive, and bring the killers to justice, The CPJ said today. The body of Evany Metzker was found on Monday in the southeastern state of MG. "We condemn the brutal murder of Evany and urge authorities to leave no stone unturned in investigating this crime and all possible motives," said Carlos Lauría, CPJ's Americas coordinator. " The ability of local journalists to report the news is clearly being undermined by deadly violence against the Brazilian press." Police, responding to an anonymous phone call, found Metzker's body outside the town of Padre Paraíso, in the northeast of MG state. His head had been cut off. He was naked and his hands were tied behind his back. Metzker, 67, wrote a blog called Coruja do Vale, which focused on general political news and official wrongdoing in the impoverished north and eastern parts of MG. The reported news such as arrests made at police roadblocks, parking violations by local authorities, and community interest stories, according to CPJ's review of its content. The journalist's wife, Hilma Borges, told CPJ that they lived in the town of Medina, but that Metzker had traveled to Padre Paraíso about three months ago to do some investigative work. "He was doing investigative journalism in a region that is very dangerous," Hilma told CPJ. "There are lots of murders here. I think that the motive, given the barbarity of his murder, was because he hit on something. He investigated mayors, politicians, cargo robberies, prostitution," she said. According to local news reports, Metzker had been investigating a child prostitution ring that was active in the area. The MG Union of Professional Journalists issued a statement calling for the murder to be rigorously investigated and the perpetrators held to account. Independent bloggers in provincial capitals and towns who cover crime and corruption are particularly at risk in Brazil, according to CPJ research, News bloggers have grown influential in the country, thus becoming the newest target of those who want to muzzle the press, CPJ research shows. Brazil has seen a sharp increase in lethal anti-press violence in recent years, according to CPJ research. At least 14 journalists have been killed in direct retaliation for their work since 2011, Brazil's poor record of impunity adds to the violence and intimidation.
                 The Brazilian government has sent investigators to the state of MG to look into the murder of journalist Evany Metzker. His body was found in a rural area near the town of Padre Paraíso, five days after went missing. He had been tortured and decapitated. Colleagues said Metzker, 67, had been investigating drug trafficking and child abuse in the Jequitinhonha Valley. Local journalists said they were afraid to work in the region. "There is a climate of terror in the region that intimidates reporters from doing their jobs," said the president of the MG journalists Union, Kerison Lopes. He told Spanish news agency Efe that "everything led them to believe that Metzker was killed because he was reporting on robbery, drug trafficking and sexual exploitation of children and adolescents. He said the brutality of the murder had thrown local journalists in the region into panic. However, a local police officer said they were not ruling out the murder could have been "a crime of passion".
                

World Press Freedom Day 2016

                  Last Tuesday 3rd of May, All the world celebrated the importance of the press freedom. This post is a summary of the concept note released by UNESCO. The theme of this year is,  "Access to information and fundamental freedoms, this is your right!  And this is also the title of this concept note.  It was published in November of 2015 at http://www.unesco.org/new/fileadmin/MULTIMEDIA/HQ/CI/CI/pdf/WPFD/WPFD2016_Concept-Note.pdf

               World Press Freedom Day (WPFD) is celebrated across the globe every 3 May, representing an opportunity to advance the fundamental principles of press freedom and to pay solemn tribute to journalists who have lost their lives in the line of duty. In 2016, World Press Freedom Day coincides with three important milestones: 1) The 250th anniversary of the world's first freedom of information law, covering Sweden and Finland. 2) The 25th anniversary of the adoption of the Windhoek Declaration of press freedom principles. 3) 2016 is also the first year of the 15 year life-cycle of the new Sustainable Development Goals (SDG). The WPFD in 2016 highlights also the links between press freedom, a culture of openness and the right to freedom of information, and sustainable development in the digital age. The common thread in all these is the role of journalism, and the importance of safeguarding those who bring this service to the public. This year's WPFD will examine the questions from three different perspectives: 1) Freedom of information as a fundamental freedom and as a human right. 2) Protecting press freedom from censorship and surveillance overreach. 3) Ensuring safety for journalism online and offline. The world's first freedom of information law, in Sweden and Finland is a historic milestones which gave legal recognition to two inter-related norms that have had global repercussions: 1) Citizens should have the right to express themselves outside of interference by the state, and of particular importance. 2) Information held by the state should be available to citizens. In this perspective, the state should not constrain citizens's realm of information, and neither should it conceal information from them, It is a position that puts a limit on arbitrary state interference in public dialogue on one hand, and reinforces the accountability if state power on the other. The adoption of the Windhoek Declaration in 1991 in Namibia gave rise to WPFD being recognized by the United Nations. This declaration highlighted that press freedom is constituted  by media freedom, pluralism and independence. Each year, the Day serves as an occasion around the world for stakeholders to celebrate and strengthen this right. These three elements of press freedom, the right to information, and sustainable development, are interconnected through the role of journalism as a specialised exercise of the right to free expression that uses professional standards and public interest as its lodestar. This interconnection means that any limitations in the imparting side of communications impact on the receiving side, and vice versa. The degree to which a society has a rich and open information environment therefore depends in the conditions for freedom in both dimensions. In its dual dimensions, freedom of expression is a right of high significance to other rights. It is also highly significant to sustainable development. It is clear that public access to information and fundamental freedoms are not only an end in themselves, but also an important mean to SDG. Press freedom and the related safety of journalists impact directly on the information environment to which the public has access. Conversely, the better the public access to information, the better the climate for respecting fundamental freedoms including safety for journalists, and the creative cultural expression as well.  These insights are amplified by the emerging digital age. As information becomes more and more a necessity for development, so the right to information, securing press freedom and ensuring journalism safety become of increasing significance. The right to information is linked to wider transparency in society, as highlighted in the 2015 UNESCO study, "Keystones to foster inclusive knowledge socities: Access to information and knowledge, freedom of expression, privacy, and ethics on a global internet." Again, journalism is central to all these aspects. A major obstacle to open access to information is overreach in governmental secrecy. States should be able to keep some information confidential in line with legitimate purpose and processes set out in international human rights laws. However, information from administrative and executive authorities, concerning for example laws and public expenditure, should be accessible to everyone. hence, freedom of information both helps provide oversight over governmental bodies, as well as the possibility to hold them accountable, and this right strengthens the relevance of an independent journalism. Another issue is that even in countries where there are freedom of information laws or legal provisions, journalists may have difficulty in accessing, understanding, and subsequently using the raw data or information. This is where data journalism can play a role in accessing and interrogating data and mashing up datasets to produce results that inform audiences "something new about the news" When journalists are empowered to use freedom to use freedom of information laws to bring hidden information to light, they can amplify their potential to enhance the accountability of institutions as part of the SDG conception of development. Proactive steps by states to open up records can also greatly help to ensure transparency in public administration. In the digital age, press freedom is confronted by growing challenges of arbitrary blocking access to online information, and arbitrary intrusions on digital privacy. These developments impact on those who do journalism, on others who express themselves online, and also on those who receive online information through multi-step flows. They may also unjustifiably limit the diversity of cultural expression. There are serious implications of the increasing number of measures which regulate internet content through blocking of websites and communications tools in ways that exceed international standards requiring legality, proportionality and legitimate purpose. These steps constrain the ability of society to make informed choices about development and democracy. An inter-related issue is the challenge of possible surveillance overreaching. The right to privacy is well-established as a precondition for freedom of expression, and for the protection of journalists confidential sources. Privacy intersects also with anonymity, and with the use of encryption. An absence of these facilities can seriously inhibit the free flow of information, something that may have particular implications for people seeking to challenge gender inequality, for example. Where journalistic source protection is compromised, there may be cover-ups of corruption, intimidation and exposure of sources' identities with repercussions on them. In the long term, this can contribute to sources of information running dry and to self-censorship in society at large. It is crucial that journalists can safely access and produce information both online and offline. Assuring the physical and psychological well-being of journalists including digital security is one of the most pressing issues in recent times. It is a matter with many dimensions. It is a matter that impacts directly on the environment for public access to information, including on the confidence of the public to speak freely. Technological advances and the rise of citizen journalism have cemented the notion that journalism today should be understood in terms of an activity rather than a status. While not every blogger and social activist engages in journalistic activities, those who do so can risk harassment, threats, and attacks, akin to journalists working within traditional media. Accordingly, all those who generate public interest journalism should be especially protected as increasingly recognized by the international community in recent resolutions across the U.N. More and more attention worldwide is being given to the safety of journalists and of ending impunity. The killing of journalists is the ultimate form of censorship and UNESCO systematically condemns such crimes, and reports on impunity. Other inter-governmental organizations are also increasingly taking measures. The Council of Europe has launched an online platform to promote the protection of journalism and safety of journalists. Media and civil society groups are stepping up their activities, for example with regard to alerts, training, campaigning and developing policy for freelancers. However, awareness can be further strengthened, impunity remains a huge problem and there is a need to address weaknesses in building strong institutions to protect journalists and punish perpetrators of attacks. Press freedom and access to information are essential to democracy. Journalism helps make this so. Sometimes referred to as a "watchdog" of political and societal institutions, journalism is also much more: it demonstrates freedom of expression for society at large, it puts new questions on the development agenda, and it empowers citizens with information. It provides a context in which the diversity of cultural expressions can flourish. For all these reasons, strengthening journalism is key to developing a culture of openness, access to information and fundamental freedoms. To this end, WPFD 2016 seeks to advance the right to information, press freedom, and the environment for journalism to done in safety.

GDP Growth 2015

              This post is a summary of a book published in April 2016 with the title of, "Too slow for too long." at http://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/weo/2016/01/pdf/text.pdf. Every year in May I publish the GDP (Gross Domestic Product) growth of many countries, and we can realize that, unfortunately the GDP growth of Brazil has remained among the lowest in the world since 2011, as you can check in these links from previous years: The GDP growth for 2014 http://www.thepeopleteacher.blogspot.com.br/2015/05/this-post-is-summary-of-book-published.html. The GDP growth 2013 and 2013-2011 among Latin America Countries.  http://www.thepeopleteacher.blogspot.com.br/2014/05/this-post-is-summary-of-three-articles. The GDP growth 2012 http://www.thepeopleteacher.blogspot.com.br/2013/05/real-gdp-growth-2012.html. And finally, the GDP growth for 2011 http://www.thepeopleteacher.blogspot.com.br/2012/05/vol-teac-xxi-real-gdp-growth-in-2011.html. Something has to be done to reverse this low growth that cause many evils, mainly unemployment, with all its bad consequences. Brazil can not afford another lost decade like were the 1980s, but differently from the 1980s when was a world crisis, now only very few countries are suffering the downward in the economic activity.

              Global recovery continues, but at an ever-slowing and fragile pace. Financial conditions have tightened even more outside the advanced economies. Increased net capital outflows from emerging markets could lead to further depreciation of their currencies, eventually triggering adverse balance sheer effects. China, now the world's largest economy on a purchasing-power-parity basis, is navigating a momentous but complex transition toward more sustainable growth based on consumption and services. Given China's important role in global trade, however, bumps along the way could have substantial spillover effects, especially on emerging market and developing economies. Emerging markets stress could rise further, also reflecting domestic vulnerabilities. For, instance, an additional bout of exchange rate depreciations could worsen corporate balance sheets, and a sharp decline in capital inflows could force a rapid compression of domestic demand. A period of low oil prices could further destabilize the outlook for oil-exporting countries, While some countries still have sizable buffers, these are eroding , and some countries already face the need for sharp expenditure cuts. In emerging markets, policymakers should reduce macroeconomic and financial vulnerabilities and rebuild resilience, including by implementing productivity-enhancing reforms. In some commodity exporters, fiscal buffers can help smooth the adjustment to lower commodity prices, but it will be importasnt to plan for fiscal adjustment to durably lower commodity revenues and new, more diverse growth models. In others, financial strains may limit the room to implement a gradual adjustment. Exchange rate flexibility, where feasible, should also be used to cushion the impact of adverse terms-of-trade shocks. The economies of Brazil and Russia, which together account for about 6% of world output based on purchasing-power-parity exchange rates, have been contracting since mid-2014. Lower-than-expected gtowth in Brazil was amajor contributor to the downward revision to estimated 2015 growth . The outlook for Brazil and Russia remains uncertain, however, and possible delays in their return to more normal conditions could once again push global growth below the current forecast.  The unexpected weakness in late 2015 reflected to an important extent softer activity in advanced economies. The picture for emerging markets is quite diverse, with high growth rates in China and most of Asia, but severe conditions in Brazil, Russia and other commodity exporters. Growth is projected to continue in the U.S.A. at a moderate pace in 2016 and 2017. Longer-term growth prospects are weaker, with potential growth estimated to be only about 2%, weighed down by an aging population and low productivity growth. The Euro Area recovery is projected to continue in 2016-17, with weakening external demand outweighed by the favorable effects of lower energy prices, a modest fiscal expansion, and supportive financial conditions. Output in the Euro area is expected to grow at about 1.5% in 2016 and 1.6% in 2017. In Japan, growth is projected to remain at 0.5% in 2016, before turning negative to -0.1% in 2017.  In the U.K. growth forecast at 2% in 2016 and 2.2% in 2017 is expected to be driven by domestic demand supported by lower energy prices and a buoyant property market. Strong growth projected for Sweden, about 3.7% in 2016 is underpinned by expansionary monetary policy, higher residential investment and higher public spending owing to large refugee inflows. In Australia, growth is expected at 2.5% in 2016 and to rise above 3% over the next two years. In Latin America, overall growth in 2016 is expected to be negative for a second consecutive year (-0.5%). However, economic activity is expected to strengthen in 2017. Mexico is expected to grow at 2.4% in 2016 and 2.7 in 2017, supported by domestic demand and spillovers from a robust U.S. economy. In Latin America, the downturn in Brazil was deeper than expected, while activity for the reminder of region was broadly in line with forecasts. In Brazil, output is expected to contract by a further -3.8% in 2016 ( following a contraction of -3.8% in 2015), as the recession takes its toll on employment and real incomes and uncertainties continue to constrain the government's ability to formulate and execute policies. Brazil's government should persevere with its fiscal consolidation efforts to foster a turnaround in confidence and investment. With the scope for cutting discretionary spending severely limited, tax measures are necessary in the short term, but the most important challenge is to address rigidities and unsustainable mandates on the spending side. A reduction in inflation toward the 4.5% target by 2017 will require a tight monetary policy stance. Structural reforms to raise productivity and competitiveness, including the infrastructure concessions program, are essential to reinvigorate potential growth.

Below the GDP growth in 2015 in many countries, from higher growth to lowest growth, in some cases, negative growth or recession, when we can see the sign (-). This was the case for Brazil, Venezuela, Russia, Greece, Ukraine, and more very few countries.

PanAmerican countries                                                  Others countries
Dominican Rep.  7.0%                                                       Ireland  7.8%        
Panama  5.8%                                                                    India  7.3% 
Bolivia  4.8%                                                                    China  6.9%
Guatemala  4.0%                                                              Philippines  5.8%              
Costa Rica  3.7%                                                               Indonesia  4.8%
Honduras  3.6%                                                                  Sweden 4.1%
Peru  3.3%                                                                        Turkey 3.8%
Colombia  3.1%                                                               Romania 3.7%
Guyana  3.0%                                                                     Poland  3.6%
Paraguay  3.0%                                                                New Zealand  3.4%
Mexico  2.5%                                                                    Saudi Arabia  3.4%
U.S.A.  2.4%                                                                         Spain  3.2%                                    
 Chile  2.1%                                                                        Angola  3.0%
Uruguay  1.5%                                                                    Australia  2.5%
Canada  1.2%                                                                 United Kingdom  2.2%                    
Argentina  1.2%                                                                 Germany  1.5%
Ecuador  0.0%                                                                    Portugal  1.5%
Brazil  -3.8%                                                                      France  1.1%
Venezuela  -5.7%                                                                  Italy  0.8%
                                                                                           Japan  0.5%
                                                                                          Russia  -3.7%