Technicians from the Brazilian government statistical bureau (Instituto Brasileiro de Geografia e EstatÀstica) (IBGE) have arrived in Guinea-Bissau, a west African, Portuguese-speaking, nation, where they will assist the local National Institute of Statistics and Census in a broad survey of the country in 2007.
At that time Guinea-Bissau authorities intend to update mapping of the country, making them more accurate, along with a population census. The IBGE will provide assistance in making the surveys and processing, analyzing and publishing data.
This cooperation effort is part of a South-South Cooperation Sub-Program between the two countries.
Earlier this year, a technical team from the Brazilian Federal Electoral Court (TSE) helped in the organization of Guinea-Bissau’s presidential elections, which were held yesterday on June 19.
Dispatching the technicians was a commitment assumed by President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva on April 13, during a visit to the African country. The team was sent on April 29 to assist the Guinea-Bissau National Election Commission in the process of preparing for the elections.
The TSE staffers helped improve the process of computerizing the data from the country’s electoral census, making it possible to update the list of 538,000 registered voters. Brazil also contributed 25 computers to the Commission.
Guinea-Bissau is a member of the Community of Portuguese-Speaking Countries (CPLP), and Brazil’s objective is to increase "cultural, political, and friendly ties," informed a note from Brazil’s Ministry of Foreign Relations.
Brazil also took part in the CPLP mission to observe the elections, sending representatives of the Ministry of Foreign Relations and the Brazilian Bar Association.
The project is part of the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) and a series of other activities by the Brazilian government on behalf of Guinea-Bissau’s economic development,
They include technical cooperation projects in the areas of health and professional training, cooperation for the reorganization of the Armed Forces, and agricultural and livestock development projects.
ABr