Guyana has improved slightly on the 2014 Reporters Without Borders World Press Freedom Index, to 67th, two spaces below its 2012 rankings.The index’s annual global indicator, which measures the overall level of violations of freedom of information in 180 countries annually, has risen slightly. The indicator has gone from 3395 to 3456 points, a 1.8% rise. The level of violations is unchanged in the Asia-Pacific region, but has increased in Africa.Guyana remained among the lowest ranked in the region in the latest press freedom rankings released yesterday.Faring better than Guyana in the region is Jamaica, 17; Suriname 31: Antigua 36; Trinidad 43 and Haiti 47. Guyana is better off than the Dominican Republic at 68 and neighbouring Venezuela at 116.According to the watchdog press body, the ranking spotlights major declines in media freedoms in such varied countries as the United States, Central African Republic and Guatemala and,Wholesale NBA Jerseys China, on the other hand, marked improvements in Ecuador, Bolivia and South Africa.The same trio of Finland, Netherlands and Norway heads the index again,Wholesale Jerseys, while Turkmenistan, North Korea and Eritrea continue to be the biggest information black holes,Cheap Jerseys Supply, again occupying the last three positions.“The World Press Freedom Index is a reference tool that is based on seven criteria: the level of abuses, the extent of pluralism, media independence, the environment and self-censorship, the legislative framework, transparency and infrastructure,” said Reporters Without Borders Secretary-General Christophe Deloire.“It makes governments face their responsibilities by providing civil society with an objective measure, and provides international bodies with a good governance indicator to guide their decisions.”Reporters Without Borders Head of Research Lucie Morillon said: “This year, the ranking of some countries, including democracies, has been impacted by an overly broad and abusive interpretation of the concept of national security protection.”This year’s index covers 180 countries, one more than in last year’s index. The newcomer is Belize, which has been ranked in the enviable position of 29th.The 2014 index emphasizes the negative correlation between armed conflicts and freedom of information. In an unstable environment,Cheap MLB Jerseys China, the media become strategic goals or targets for groups or individuals trying to control news and information in violation of the guarantees enshrined in international conventions.Syria (177th) is rubbing shoulders with the last three countries in the index. Around 130 professional and citizen-journalists were killed in connection with the provision of news and information from March 2011 to December 2013. They are being targeted by both the Assad government and extremist rebel militias. The Syrian crisis has also had dramatic repercussions throughout the region.In Africa,Jerseys From China, Mali continued its fall and is now ranked 122. Progress in the conflict in north of the country has stalled, preventing any real revival in media activity. Central African Republic (109th) has followed suit, falling 43 places. In Egypt (159th), President Morsi’s ouster by the army led by Al-Sisi freed those media that the Muslim Brotherhood had gagged ever since coming to power, but it marked the start of a witch hunt against journalists suspected of supporting the Brotherhood.Far from these conflicts, in countries where the rule of law prevails, security arguments are misused as grounds for restricting freedom of information. Invoked too readily, the protection of national security is encroaching on hard-won democratic rights.In the United States (46th, -13), the hunt for leaks and whistleblowers serves as a warning to those thinking of satisfying a public interest need for information about the imperial prerogatives assumed by the world’s leading power. The United Kingdom (33rd, -3) has followed in the US wake, distinguishing itself by its harassment of The Guardian.Aside from the 13-place fall by the United States (46th, -13), Guatemala’s dizzying plunge (125th, -29) was due to a sharp decline in the safety of journalists, with four murders and twice as many attacks as the previous year.Violence against journalists, direct censorship and misuse of judicial proceedings fell in Panama (87th, +25), Dominican Republic (68th,Wholesale NFL Jerseys China, +13), Bolivia (94th, +16) and Ecuador (94th, +25), although in Ecuador the level of media polarization is still high and often detrimental to public debate.The past year was marked by laudable legislative develo

By Shyon HoppieThe Mayor and Councillors of Georgetown recently held a statutory meeting at which Councillor Gregory Fraser passed a motion addressing Venezuela’s claim to Guyana territory.His motion stated that the border between Guyana and Venezuela was settled by treaty of 1897 in which Venezuela accepted the Arbitral Award of 1899 as a full, final and perfect settlement.This was noted that by accepting this Arbitral Award of 1899, Venezuela accepted the final and perfect settlement of the boundaries and whereas the borders were officially demarcated by Brazil, British Guiana and Venezuela in 1905. The motion was seconded by Councillor Hector Stoute and supported by full Council.The government denounced the aggressive and reckless claim of Guyana’s maritime and territorial space expressed in decree 1787 and modified by decree 1859.The Mayor and Councillors who are representatives of more than 200,Cheap Jerseys,000 people in Georgetown assembled at this statutory meeting to fully support the position of the Government of Guyana, and encourage it to use all means necessary to defend the territorial integrity including the maritime space of Guyana and support its efforts to find a peaceful resolution of the matter.They also denounced the unjustified claim of Venezuela against the territory and maritime space of Guyana. Council encourages its administration and other related agencies to design and implement activities to raise public awareness and to promote education on the issue in City of Georgetown.M&CC is calling on Venezuela to respect this existing mechanism for resolving disputes and controversy mainly the International Court of Justice and the convention on the Law of the Sea.Councillor Oscar Clarke in his presentation on the motion stated that Guyana attained independence and sparked and the Venezuelan President to claim two-thirds of Guyana’s territory. However, Guyana was able to strongly reject these claims.He added that Guyanese have no choice but to reject this bizarre claim with an iron fist. “We must unite to maintain our territorial integrity,” the councillor said.He reiterated that every time Guyana moves forward to explore it economic capabilities, Venezuelan claims emerge. Therefore, every one must unite and raise their voices against this unjust claim,Wholesale Stitched Jerseys, he said.Mayor Hamilton Green stated in his presentation that it is imperative that, “The young people of this nation be educated on this matter. He additionally recalled that when Guyana was about to gain Independence, Venezuela raised this same rhetoric.”Venezuela’s President Nicolas Maduro,Wholesale Jerseys, on May 27, last,Cheap China Jerseys, issued a decree, extending Venezuela’s claim to Guyana’s territorial waters. A map which was issued, accompanying the decree, shows that the claim includes the area where the US giant oil company, ExxonMobil, is currently drilling for oil.While Venezuela maintains a position seeking to deprive Guyana of a significant portion of its territory, the Bolivarian Ministry of Foreign Affairs has issued a statement saying that it wants peace.In the statement,NFL Jerseys China, Venezuela asserted that Guyana is somewhat overreacting in its issuance of statements saying that it will use all means necessary to firmly reject Venezuela’s latest threat to its sovereignty.Venezuela made reference to initiatives it has with Guyana to promote “solidarity and brotherhood” such as the PetroCaribe deal.? It was said that despite such assistance offered to Guyana,Cheap Jerseys From China, the new government seems “unfriendly.”According to Venezuela, the David Granger-led Administration is exhibiting a dangerous policy of provocation against the Bolivarian Venezuela of peace, “supported by the imperial power of a US multinational, Exxon Mobil, which must be rectified in the short term.“This unfriendly policy of provocation will be defeated by the force of reality imposed by the foreign policy of peace and friendship between Venezuela and the people of Guyana itself.”