Global Financial Integrity

A Joint GFI-MINDS Conference in Rio De Janeiro

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Overview

Global Financial integrity (GFI) and the Multidisciplinary Institute for Development and Strategies (MINDS) hosted a day-long conference on September 9, 2014 in Rio de Janeiro with an expert discussion of the scale, causes, and consequences of illicit financial flows in Brazil and potential policy responses.

Based on the new report from GFI, Brazil: Capital Flight, Illicit Flows, and Macroeconomic Crises, 1960-2012, this event included discussions and keynote remarks from Brazilian and international experts on the nature of Brazil’s illicit financial flows (IFFs), and how and why curtailing these IFFs should be a priority for Brazil’s next government. GFI Preisdent Raymond Baker also presented an overview of the report findings.

Panelists and keynote speakers were drawn from the public, private, and non-profit sectors and covered multiples sides of the issue.

Simultaneous English/Portuguese translation was made available, and video of the speeches and panels will be made available in both English and Portuguese on our website shortly.

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Agenda

September 9, 2014

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Logistics

Date: September 9, 2014

Venue: JW Marriot Hotel, Rio de Janeiro
Avenida Atlântica, 2600, Copacabana | Rio de Janeiro, Brasil

Please note that conference attendees are responsible for making their own travel arrangements.

Translation: Simultaneous English/Portuguese translation will be available.

Accommodations

The conference will be held at the JW Marriot Hotel Rio de Janeiro in the Copacabana neighborhood of Rio.  Guests are welcome to book rooms at the JW Marriott Hotel or at another hotel of their choosing.  Below is a list of a few nearby hotels:

• Arena Copacabana Hotel (4 Stars)
• Belmond Copacabana Palace (5 Stars)
• California Othon Classic (3 Stars)
• Grande Hotel Canadá (3.5 Stars)
• Hotel Astoria Palace (3.5 Stars)
• Hotel Tulip Inn Copacabana (3.5 Stars)
• Hotel Atlântico Praia (3 Stars)
• Olinda Rio Hotel (3.5 Stars)
• Pestana Rio Atlantica (3.5 Stars)
• Toledo Copacabana Hotel (2.5 Stars)

Getting to the Conference

Airports

Rio de Janeiro is served by two major airports.

• Rio de Janeiro/Galeão–Antonio Carlos Jobim International Airport (GIG) is the major international airport serving Rio de Janeiro. GIG is a 22.1 km drive from the JW Marriott Hotel, which should take about 30-40 minutes in a taxi.  The estimated taxi fare from GIG to the Marriott is about US$55 (one way).
• Santos Dumont Airport (SDU) is the more centrally located city airport, but it has no international arrivals.   SDU is a 10.2 km drive from the JW Marriott Hotel, which should take about 15 minutes in a taxi.   The estimated taxi fare from GIG to the Marriott is about US$35 (one way).

Airport Transportation

We recommend that participants utilize taxis to transport themselves from the airport to the hotel.  Please, note that the JW Marriott Hotel does not provide shuttle service to either airport. If you are staying at another hotel, please check with them to find out whether or not they provide shuttle service to the airports.

More transportation information is available from the JW Marriott Hotel here.

Visas

Visas are required for many foreign visitors travelling to Brazil for both business and tourism. Please contact your nearest Brazilian consulate or embassy to find detailed information on visa requirements.

Conference Fees and Costs

There is no fee to attend the conference. Complimentary lunch and coffee breaks will be served.

We regret to inform you that Global Financial Integrity and MINDS are unable to provide funding for travel, accommodation, or per diems for the conference. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause.

What to Do in Rio de Janeiro

Rio de Janeiro is a lively, beautiful city with a ton of history and many things to do.  From lounging on the beach and hiking in the rain forest to art museums and former imperial palaces, Rio has something for everyone.  If you arrive early or decide to extend your stay, you can learn more about local tourism, and begin to plan your trip by visiting a few of the following websites:

• Rio.com
• RioTur – The city’s official tourism portal.
• Tripadvisor’s Rio de Janeiro Travel Guide
• Lonely Planet’s Rio de Janeiro City Guide
• VisitBrasil.com – Official Brazilian governmnet site that has useful information for planning your trip to Brazil.

Questions

Please send any questions to Christine Clough at cclough@gfintegrity.org / +1 202 293 0740 ext. 231.

Press Inquiries

Please direct all press inquiries about the event (and/or about GFI’s forthcoming report on Brazil’s illicit financial flows) to Clark Gascoigne at +1.202.293.0740 ext. 222 / cgascoigne@gfintegrity.org.

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Speakers

Panelists and speakers included:

• Raymond Baker, President, Global Financial Integrity
• Leonardo Burlamaqui, Professor of Economics, State University of Rio de Janeiro
• Roberto Fendt, Executive Director, CEBRI
• Clark Gascoigne, Communications Director, Global Financial Integrity
• Olav Lundstøl, Counselor–Energy and Petroleum, Royal Norwegian Embassy
• Rogerio Sobreira, Executive Director, MINDS and Deputy Director at Department of Public Policy Analysis (DAPP), Fundação Getulio Vargas
• Rogerio Studart, Executive Director for Brazil, Colombia, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Haiti, Panama, Philippines, Suriname, and Trinidad & Tobago, The World Bank
• Matt Woods, Deputy Consul-General and Head of UK Trade and Investment in Rio de Janeiro, British Consulate General Rio de Janeiro
• Paulo Wrobel, Researcher, Pontifical Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro/BRICS Policy Center

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Images

Photos from the conference are available below as well as on our Facebook page.

All photos were taken either by Christine Clough or Clark Gascoigne of Global Financial Integrity. [CC BY-NC-ND 3.0]

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Videos

All panels and speeches from the conference are available for viewing in both English and Portuguese.

English:

The playlist above cycles through all six English videos from the event in chronological order. To choose a specific panel or speech to watch, select the “Playlist” menu drop-down in the top left corner of the video frame, and then click on the video of your choosing.

Portuguese:

The playlist above cycles through all six Portuguese videos from the event in chronological order. To choose a specific panel or speech to watch, select the “Playlist” menu drop-down in the top left corner of the video frame, and then click on the video of your choosing.

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Twitter

GFI and MINDS are using the #IFFsBrazil hashtag on twitter to discuss the event and the report.  Join the conversation:

#IFFsBrazil Tweets

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