Seminar on the role of the media in the coverage and supervision of public finances
The opening session of a training seminar for journalists from Timor-Leste on "The Higher Institutions of Control and the Democratic Rule of Law: The Role of the Media" was held on April 3rd. This seminar is being carried out within the scope of the project "Public Financial Management and Oversight" (PFMO), in co-organization with the Portuguese Language Clinic and in coordination with the Secretariat of State for Social Communication (SECOMS). The Seminar will run until April 12 at the Cultural Center of the Embassy of Portugal.
The PFMO involves a number of East Timorese entities and aims to contribute to the sustainable development in Timor-Leste by strengthening planning, management, monitoring, auditing, accountability and oversight of public finances with a view to more efficient, transparent, accountable and citizen-oriented public service delivery. This training and dissemination action aims to strengthen journalists' knowledge about the model of public finance management and supervision, through knowledge of the status, functions and role of the higher control institutions in the country and to identify the role and work of journalists and of the media in the coverage and supervision of public finances.
The purpose of this training is to analyze the system of democracy and the rule of law and the auditing authorities in the country and to recognize the main challenges of the media in guaranteeing an informative service to citizens in an impartial, legally independent and transparent way, building synergies and cooperation with the audit authority, thus creating opportunities to enhance the support of these actors in ensuring access to official information on public policies, as provided by the Law and the Constitution of the Republic.
This seminar is be attended by 30 journalists from the press, radio, television and digital journalism as well as communication advisors, being led by UIC-Camões, with the participation of Timorese and international trainers from various professional areas, namely experts from the National Parliament , Accounts Tribunal, Legal Training Center, Press Council, Civil Society Organizations, Media and Specialist Consultants on matters related to the management and supervision of public finances.
The opening ceremony was attended by the Chief of Staff of the Secretariat of State for Social Communication, Júlio Gonçalves, the Portuguese Ambassador to Timor-Leste, José Pedro Machado Vieira and a representative of the European Union Delegation in Timor-Leste.
