How has multinational companies' secrecy, corruption and tax avoidance been revealed? Which methodologies have been used? What are the obstacles for those seeking information? What tools can nation states use when faced with systemic avoidances? What information should be made publicly available? Why is it so difficult to get regulations in place?
You will hear:
- Why Panama papers was an expeced scandal.
- Why the former accountant at PwC, Raphaël Halet, decided to expose how multiantional companies could avoid paying billions of dollars in taxes and write their own tax agreements, and became a whistleblower in the Lux Leaks.
- How those involved in money laundering, corruption and tax evasion face negligible risk of detection and punishment, while those who seek access to information and stand up for a common good risk a lot.
- How investigative journalists from Ecuador were sued by the president after exposing oil contracts routed through Panama.
- How CICIG (International Commission Against Impunity in Guatemala) managed to fight corruption and send the president and vice president to prison, even when the political system was corrupted
- What tools can nation-states use when faced with systemic avoidances?
WHEN: Tuesday 13th and Wednesday 14th December, 2016.
WHERE: "Athene", Oslo and Akershus University College of Applied Sciences (Høgskolen i Oslo og Akershus, HiOA), Pilestredet 46, Oslo.
FREE ENTRY
- See program 13th December
"Making Transparency Possible":
How to reveal multinational companies' tax avoidance?
Host of the day - Stig Arild Pettersen, journalist and host, Podcast "Du verden!" and "Ja, de penga"08:15 - 09:00 Registration
09:00 - 09:15 Welcome, Nina Waaler, vice-rector, Oslo and Akershus University College of Applied Sciences (HiOA), Mona Thowsen, secretary general, Publish What You Pay Norway
09:15 - 09:45 Why Transparency? Cobus de Swardt, Managing Director, Transparency InternationalSession 1: What is the Problem?
09:45 - 10:15 Panama Papers - an expected scandal. Prof. Dr. Juris Beate Sjåfjell, University of Oslo (UiO)
10:15 - 10:45 The art of making a corporate maze with untraceable structures and owners, PhD. Linn Anker Sørensen, University of Oslo (UiO)
10:45 - 11:15 Panel debate: What can we do when the legal and economic system prevents neccesary information and insight?
- Moderator: Prof. of Law and Economics Tina Søreide, Norwegian School of Economics (NHH)
- Prof. Dr, Juris Beate Sjåfjell, University of Oslo (UiO)
- PhD. Linn Anker Sørensen, University of Oslo (UiO)
11:15 - 12:15 LunchSession 2: Power Asymmetry
12:15 - 12:35 Global power shift: Companies vs. the people. Prof. of Political Economy of International Development and the Environment John Andrew McNeish, Norwegian University of Life Sciences (NMBU)
12:35 - 12:55 Why should workers care about their companies' lack of transparency? Daniel Bertossa, Director of Policy and Governance, Public Services International, the Global Union Federation
12:55 - 13:15 Inequality for all? Prof. of Economics Kalle Moene, University of Oslo (UiO)
13:15 - 14:00 Panel debate: Global powershift: Why should we care about the consequences?
- Moderator: Stig Arild Pettersen, journalist and host, Podcast "Du verden!" and "Ja, de penga"
- Prof. of Political Economy of International Development and the Environment John Andrew McNeish, Norwegian University of Life Sciences (NMBU)
- Daniel Bertossa, Director of Policy and Governance, Public Services International, the Global Union Federation
- Prof. of Economics Kalle Moene, University of Oslo (UiO)
- Roger Heimli, Norwegian Union of Municipal and General Employees (Fagforbundet)14:00 - 14:20 Tea/Coffee
Session 3: Revelations
14:20 - 14:40 Sued by the president: the cost of exposing oil contracts in Panama, Christian Zurita Ron, investigative journalist, Ecuador
14:40 - 15:00 How can a journalist explain to the world what is going on in a tax haven? Jan Lukas Strozyk, investigative journalist who worked with Swiss Leaks, Lux Leaks, Panama Leaks, Germany
15:00 - 15:20 Why I decided to become a whistleblower in the Lux Leaks? Raphaël Halet, former accountant at PwC, Luxembourg
15:20 - 15:40 Thief or whistleblower - arrest or protect? Amélie Lefebvre, lawyer, cabinet BOURDON & FORESTIER, which represents the whistleblowers E. Snowden and A. Deltour, France
15:40 - 16:25 Panel debate: How to get access to information when more than 60% of global transactions are in the dark?
- Moderator: Assoc. Prof. Anne Hege Simonsen, Oslo and Akershus University College of Applied Sciences (HiOA)
- Christian Zurita Ron, investigative journalist, Ecuador
- Jan Lukas Strozyk, investigative journalist, Germany
- Raphaël Halet, former accountant at PwC, Luxembourg
- Amélie Lefebvre, lawyer, Bourdon & Forestier, France
14th December: Making Transparency Possible: What tools can nation states use when faced with systemic avoidances? Meet prosecutors, academics, private sector, development institutions, editors and investigative journalists who will share their stories and insights.
- See program 14th December
"Making Transparency Possible":
What tools do governments have in their toolbox, if they want?
Host of the day - Stig Arild Pettersen, journalist and host, Podcast "Du verden!" and "Ja, de penga"08:15 - 09:00 Registration
09:00 - 09:05 Welcome, Mona Thowsen, secretary general, Publish What You Pay Norway
Session 4: Against all odds
09:05 - 09:15 Brief background on the unique case of Guatemala. Prof. of Political Science Benedicte Bull, University of Oslo (UiO)
09:15 - 10:00 Against all odds in Guatemala - a corruption case involving the highest political and military levels. Iván Velásquez, Commissioner, International Commission Against Impunity in Guatemala, (CICIG), Guatemala
10:00 - 10:30 Panel debate: How to hold a president and a vice-president accountable for corruption charges?
- Moderator: Prof. of Political Science Benedicte Bull, University of Oslo (UiO)
- Ivan Velasquez, Commissioner, CICIG, Guatemala
- Assoc. Prof. Mariel Støen, University of Oslo (UiO)
- Rodrigo Veliz, investigative journalist, Guatemala
10:30 - 11:00 Panel Debate: From Guatemala to Norway: How independent are our own control institutions?
- Moderator: Stig Arild Pettersen, journalist and host, Podcast "Du verden!" and "Ja, de penga"
- Hans Christian Holte, Director, The Norwegian Tax Administration
- Per Kristian Foss, Chairman of the Board of Auditors General, Office for the Auditor General
- Trond Eirik Schea, Director, The Norwegian National Authority for Investigation and Prosecution of Economic and Environmental Crime11:00 - 11:20 Tea/Coffee
Session 5: Regulators' efforts after Panama Papers
11:20 - 11:45 Why is it necessary to differentiate between taxation mechanisms and transparency mechanisms? Frian Aarsnes, Director, ECON Management Consulting
11:45 - 12:10 OECD: Friend or foe in a fight for transparency? Prof. of Law and Economics Tina Søreide, Norwegian School of Economics (NHH)
12:10 - 12:35 Private sector: Friend or foe in a fight for transparnecy? Jon Vea, former ambassador to Angola, advisor at Confederation of Norwegian Enterprise (NHO)
12:35 - 13:20 Panel debate: What should Norway do to become a leader in financial transparency?
- Moderator: Turid Sylte, journalist, Vårt Land
- Jon Lomøy, Director, Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (Norad)
- Jon Vea, former ambassador to Angola, advisor, Confederation of Norwegian Enterprise (NHO)
- Prof. of Law and Economics Tina Søreide, Norwegian School of Economics (NHH)
- Frian Aarsnes, Director, ECON Management Consulting
13:20 - 14:20 LunchSession 6: The Fourth Power
14:20 - 14:40 How to be bureau chief in Russia, a country with limited access to insight? John Lloyd, contributing editor, The Financial Times
14:40 - 15:00 What to do when access to information is not given? Olesya Shmagun, investigative journalist, Russia
15:00 - 15:20 Access to information: How does it (not) work in Ethiopia? Tsedale Lemma, Editor in Chief of Addis Standard, Ethiopia
15:20 - 15:40 Which transparency mechanisms would help journlists with necessary access to information? Arne Jensen, secretary general, the Association of Norwegian Editors
15:40 - 16:25 Panel debate: What can be done to improve the conditions for investigative journalism?
- Moderator: Prof. of Journalism Roy Krøvel, Oslo and Akershus University College of Applied Sciences (HiOA)
- Prof. of Journalism Elisabeth Eide, Oslo and Akershus University College of Applied Sciences, Norwegian PEN
- John Lloyd, contributing editor, The Financial Times
- Arne Jensen, secretary general, the Association of Norwegian Editors
- Siri Gedde-Dahl, journalist, Kapital16:25 - 16:40 Closing remarks, Jan Gunnar Furuly, Chairman, SKUP, foundation for promoting investigative journalism in Norway
16:40 - 16:45 Thank You, Mona Thowsen, secretary general, Publish What You Pay Norway
Organised by PWYP Norway together with organising Committee: Prof. of Economics, Kalle Moene, Prof. of Development Studies Benedicte Bull, Prof. of Law and Economics Tina Søreide, Prof. of Journalism Roy Krøvel.
Hosted by: SKUP, RORG, Fagforbundet, HiOA, UiO ESOP, PWYP Norway
Financed by: Norad
Tine Eide
Email: tine.eide@pwyp.no
Cell: +47 480 87 820