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| Forum of Governors of Brazil | |
|---|---|
| Name | Forum of Governors of Brazil |
| Native name | Fórum dos Governadores do Brasil |
| Formation | 1987 |
| Type | Political association |
| Headquarters | Brasília |
| Region served | Brazil |
| Leader title | President |
Forum of Governors of Brazil is a national association of Brazilian state executives that convenes to coordinate public policy, negotiate with the federal executive and legislature, and represent subnational interests in national debates. Founded during the late 20th century transition linked to Constitution of 1988, the Forum has featured governors from major federative units such as São Paulo (state), Rio de Janeiro (state), Minas Gerais, Bahia (state), and Rio Grande do Sul. Its activities intersect with institutions like the Supreme Federal Court (Brazil), the National Congress of Brazil, the Presidency of Brazil, and multilateral bodies such as the World Bank and Inter-American Development Bank.
The Forum emerged in a period shaped by the end of the Military dictatorship in Brazil and the drafting of the Constituent Assembly (1987–1988), when state leaders sought coordinated responses to fiscal reform, decentralization, and constitutional norms. Early participants included governors associated with parties such as the Brazilian Democratic Movement, the Workers' Party (Brazil), the Brazilian Social Democracy Party, and the Liberal Front Party (Brazil), arranging meetings often in Brasília, São Paulo (city), and Belo Horizonte. Over the decades the Forum reacted to crises linked to the Real Plan, the impeachment of Fernando Collor de Mello, the administrations of Fernando Henrique Cardoso, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, Dilma Rousseff, and Jair Bolsonaro (politician), and to legal disputes adjudicated by the Superior Electoral Court and the Federal Supreme Court. The body expanded its agenda to include fiscal federalism, intergovernmental transfers such as the Fundo de Participação dos Estados, public security coordination with agencies like the Federal Police of Brazil, and emergency responses to public health events like the 2015–2017 Brazilian microcephaly outbreak and the COVID-19 pandemic in Brazil.
Membership comprises incumbent governors from the 26 states and the Federal District (Brazil). Leadership roles—President, Vice-Presidents, and a rotating secretariat—have been held by figures from diverse parties including the Democrats (Brazil), Socialism and Liberty Party, Progressistas (Brazil) and regional coalitions. The Forum interfaces with state secretariats such as state finance secretariats and agencies like the Tribunal de Contas da União, as well as municipal associations like the National Front of Mayors and civil society organizations such as Brazilian Bar Association chapters. Meetings often include representatives from supranational actors like the United Nations and trade federations such as the Confederação Nacional da Indústria and the Central Bank of Brazil.
The Forum functions as a deliberative and advocacy platform for policy stances on fiscal rules, intergovernmental consortia, and infrastructure projects including corridors tied to the BR-101 and North–South Railway. It issues joint communiqués addressed to the President of Brazil, the Ministry of Finance (Brazil), the Chamber of Deputies, and the Federal Senate (Brazil), and seeks judicial clarification from the Supreme Federal Court (Brazil). The Forum has sponsored working groups on public security with coordination to the Ministry of Justice and Public Security (Brazil), health responses aligned with the Ministry of Health (Brazil), and environmental actions relevant to the Amazon Rainforest monitored by agencies like the Brazilian Institute of Environment and Renewable Natural Resources.
Regular plenary sessions take place in Brasília and rotating state capitals such as Porto Alegre, Salvador, and Manaus, often timed with budget cycles of the National Treasury (Brazil)]. Initiatives include the creation of interstate consortia for procurement, joint litigation before the Superior Court of Justice (Brazil), and protocol agreements on transport with entities such as Infraero and Empresa Brasileira de Infraestrutura Aeroportuária. The Forum has launched thematic agendas on education tied to discussions with the Ministry of Education (Brazil), urban policy dialogues involving the National Housing System (Brazil), and development pacts connected to the National Integration Plan and regional development banks like the Banco do Nordeste.
Relations oscillate between cooperation and contestation depending on administrations and parties. The Forum negotiates transfers such as the Fundo de Participação dos Estados and influences fiscal measures debated in the Ministry of Economy (Brazil). It has coordinated with federal emergency mechanisms like the Civil Defense of Brazil during natural disasters in the Northeast Region, and has challenged federal decisions through legal actions before the Supreme Federal Court (Brazil) and the Tribunal Superior Eleitoral. Presidents and ministers frequently engage with the Forum—examples include dialogues with Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, Michel Temer, and Jair Bolsonaro (politician) administrations—on issues spanning taxation, social programs like Bolsa Família, and public security.
The Forum operates with administrative support from host states and pooled resources from member offices, relying on budgets tied to state treasury allocations and logistical backing from state secretariats of administration and finance. Partnerships with institutions such as the Inter-American Development Bank and the World Bank have funded studies and technical cooperation, while legal counsel has involved firms and public law offices that interact with the Advocacia-Geral da União and state prosecutors’ offices. Transparency debates have referenced audit practices of the Tribunal de Contas do Estado and reporting comparable to federal agencies like the Controller General of the Union (Brazil).
Critics argue the Forum can entrench partisan blocs and influence national policy outside electoral accountability, sparking disputes with the National Congress of Brazil and civil society movements such as Movimento dos Trabalhadores Rurais Sem Terra. Controversies include allegations of opaque financing, clashes over resource allocation affecting programs like Fundo de Manutenção e Desenvolvimento da Educação Básica, and political maneuvers during impeachment processes and state-level corruption probes involving institutions like the Federal Police of Brazil and state tribunals. Legal challenges have arisen concerning the Forum’s role in interstate agreements and its interventions in federal policy adjudicated by the Supreme Federal Court (Brazil).