31 October 2009

East Timor authorities reassess project by Portuguese financial group to open a bank

2009-10-29 Dili, East Timor, 29 Oct – The East Timor authorities are analysing the project of Portuguese state financial group Caixa Geral de Depositos (CGD) for the creation of a Timorese bank, the Timor Post newspaper reported in Dili Wednesday.

According to the daily, prime minister Xanana Gusmao decided to re-open the process, putting it up for discussion at the weekly meeting with the President of the Republic, before he left for South Korea.

The proposal to set up a Timorese bank was put forward by CGD for the first time in 2003, but never moved ahead and the commission set up to study the proposal never drew up a report on the subject.

CGD was linked to the start of the banking system in East Timor in the year 2000, by setting up a branch known as Caixa Geral de Depositos (CGD/BNU).

It now has the biggest retail banking network in East Timor, with branches in Baucau, Viqueque, Maliana, Batugade, Suai, Ermera (Gleno), Oeccusi and Dili.

As well as CGD/BNU, according to the Payment Authority the country's banking system is made up of other retail banks, such as the Australia New Zealand Bank (ANZ), with headquarters in Australia, and Mandiri Bank, with headquarters in Indonesia.

There is also the "East Timor Micro-credit Institution" (IMFTL), based in Dili, set up by the government with the financial support of donors and sponsorship from the Asia Development Bank (ADB), to provide micro-credit solutions. (macauhub)

East Timor government approves Portuguese real estate project in Dili

[ 2009-10-29 ] Dili, East Timor, 29 Oct – The government of East Timor Wednesday approved an investment project of Portuguese company Ensul Meci-Gestao de Projectos de Engenharia, for construction of a real estate complex in Dili.

The project includes a hotel, residential buildings, offices and retail areas as part of an investment expected to total over 75 million euros and create a significant number of jobs.

The project will be built in the Colmera neighbourhood in the centre of Dili, on land rented from the state for 50 years, and is part of the urban renewal of that area of the city.

Ensul Meci carries out turn -key engineering, public works and construction projects for residential and non-residential buildings as well as public and industrial facilities as construction is the group's main activity.

Its portfolio includes a number of projects in East Timor such as the official residence of the President of the Republic, the Military Police quarters, the arsenal of the Metinaro Training Centre and Hotel Timor. (macauhub)

Image added by ETLJB: Dili, capital city of East Timor.

Unsung Aussie General Saved Lives In Timor

Thursday, 29 October 2009, 4:44 pm Press Release: Sasha Uzunov Media Release: Subject: Unsung Aussie General Saved Soldiers Lives In Timor.

Sasha Uzunov, the director/producer of explosive Australian documentary film TIMOR TOUR OF DUTY, which reveals the Indonesian military's secret war against Australian and New Zealand troops and International peacekeepers in East Timor, says the farsighted actions of an unheralded Australian Army General saved the lives of Australian soldiers.

Uzunov said he had enormous respect for the popular commander of the successful Timor mission (INTERFET) Australian Army General Peter Cosgrove and he deserved to be recognized.

"But we must also acknowledge the actions of then Chief of the Australian Army Lieutenant General Frank Hickling," Uzunov said.

The Interfet Mission led by Australia intervened in East Timor to avert a catastrophe after the tiny Southeast Asian land had declared its independence from Indonesia in August 1999.

Pro-Indonesian Timorese militia groups supported by Indonesian Special Forces, Kopassus, went on a murderous rampage against independence supporters and later international peacekeepers.

Interfet then handed over control to the United Nations Transitional Administration for East Timor (UNTAET) in January 2000, and the Australian media believed the militia had been defeated. But the militia was simply biding its time and waiting to strike at what it thought was a soft target, Australian Army reservists.

Legendary infantry battalion 6RAR from Brisbane would be the next to go to Timor. It had, over the past decade, been gutted by cost cutting by defence experts. 6RAR had to be rebuilt with reservists grabbed from other units around Australia.

When 6RAR arrived in East Timor in early 2000 it came under ferocious militia attack but held its own.

In 2001 a small patrol of Australian soldiers from Alpha Company 4RAR also came under attack from a militia group believed to be Indonesian Special Forces, Kopassus, operating close to Balibo. The film TIMOR TOUR OF DUTY revolves around two ex-Australian soldiers who were on that patrol.

In 1998, a year before East Timor erupted, the far-sighted Chief of the Australian Army, Lieutenant General Frank Hickling, a combat engineer who saw action in Vietnam, went from unit to unit ordering his senior commanders that he wanted all full time and reserve soldiers to sharpen up their war fighting skills.

He was concerned that the army's combat troops had gone soft because of the focus on peacekeeping missions. It was his foresight that kept Australian soldiers, both regular and reservist, alive on the battlefield in Timor despite the cutbacks from the bureaucrats.

The brutal murder and later mutilation of New Zealand soldier Private Leonard Manning by militia in July 2000 was a signal of what the militia had in store for Australian and international soldiers.

"They wanted to send a message loud and clear to Canberra and Wellington, get out of Timor," Uzunov said.

The Australian film maker said Pvt Manning's grisly fate was deeply felt by Australian soldiers who proudly served alongside their ANZAC cousins in East Timor.

TIMOR TOUR OF DUTY received a special commendation award from the Nevada Film Festival (2009 Platinum Reel Award) and made its international debut at the New York International Independent Film and Video Festival (NYIIFVF) last Sunday.

ENDS

Image added by ETLJB: Present-day 6RAR soldiers in East Timor: Anzac Battle Group members LCpl Lance Smolders, Pte Brendon Mencshelyi, both 6RAR, and LBdr Paul Obersteller, 1 Fd Regt, with children from Balibar school in Timor-Leste. Photo by Cpl Michael Davis

Justice System in East Timor - An Independent Comprehensive Needs Assessment 2009

Justice System in East Timor - An Independent Comprehensive Needs Assessment 2009

East Timor Massacre Suspect Back in Indonesia for Treatment with Undisclosed Health Problems

The Associated Press October 30, 2009 Suspect in East Timor Massacre Back in Indonesia Jakarta - Indonesia brought home a suspected militia leader accused in a massacre of dozens of women, children and priests in a church in East Timor a decade ago, the Foreign Ministry said.

Maternus Bere arrived in Indonesia on Friday and was taken to a hospital with undisclosed health problems, said Foreign Ministry spokesman Teuku Faizasyah. He faces no charges in Indonesia and will be a free man after treatment.

An Indonesian national, Bere was indicted by U.N. prosecutors in 2003 on charges of crimes against humanity, including murder, persecution, forced disappearances, torture, extermination and abduction.

More than 1,000 people were killed by pro-Indonesian militias when East Timor voted to break from Indonesia in 1999, but more than 300 suspects remain at large, most of them in Indonesia. Leaders from both countries oppose criminal trials so rights activists have called for the establishment of a U.N. tribunal.

Bere was recognized during a visit to Suai, the town where the massacre took place in September 1999, and was arrested by Timorese police in early August.

He was handed over to the Indonesian Embassy at Jakarta's insistence after negotiations between the two governments on Aug. 30, the 10th anniversary of the tiny country's vote to become an independent state.

East Timor Law Journal - Towards the rule of law in Timor-Leste

Internationals in Timor Leste organise to defend democracy and justice

THE DISAPPOINTMENT OF THE FRIENDS OF Timor-Leste

"Internationals" Organise themselves

TO DEFEND THE TIMORESE DEMOCRACY AND JUSTICE

A cooperative group which has participated in the development of knowledge and performance in several areas of East Timor, known as "international", composed of individuals of the Portuguese Language Countries and other nationalities, announces the TLN (Timor Lorosae Nacão Blog) who is organising to exchange information on the country of "Sol-Nascente" on its people and their friends, even after having returned to their countries of origin, especially when doing "for reasons of safety, because we believe that crime which favours certain politicians are unpunished. "

They said, asking our support in the disclosure of information that consider "useful to fight in defence of legality and democracy in Timor-Leste ".

And continue:

"We do not wish to rush so we understand that in moments like those that currently in Timor if are living, we know that is in some political authorities, who are the biggest violators of the law, we should seek to establish truths about what is possible and denounce.

We aim to understand and disseminate safely illegalities that currently are practice and worrying attack on democratic development in Timor-Leste, defrauding the Timorese and the entire international community that has committed to lead the country teaching practices of the developed world for better justice and democracy.

In fact, in the case of East Timor, we believe that all of us have had the illusion of that by the fact that almost ten years to be a country, the commitment of international aid, there are persons desirous that had success, because some of their leaders went and lived in exile for many years abroad in the developed world, for all these reasons, we judged that had seen the errors committed by other Governments and societies and that in the case of Timor a lot would be different and better.

For the better in the case of the environment, better in the case of transparency, better in the case of a healthy democracy, better in the case of Justice and distribution of wealth through initiatives honest, etc. Thought this is much more possible given the small country and population. At the moment East Timor could be beginning to be almost a sea of roses, essentially fair, healthy and democratic.

But it is not happening. What we have seen is this people being systematically deceived. Fooled by some ex-combatants selfish, by all those who were always hand in hand with the Indonesian military and with the Australia Governments, by some who fought abroad and comfortable lives in exile. That the peoples and their Governments gave them to live, learn and fight, the case of Jose Ramos Horta, for example. It was aim to return the country become a fair elite benefit of massacred anonymous and needy children of Timor.

The reality of East Timor is not this, quite the contrary. The majority of Timorese are surviving miserably, while their leaders wasted and exploit the wealth of the country in their own advantage. East Timor has already a criminal elite is fill their bank accounts abroad, as other ex Portuguese countries cases. Angola, Jose Eduardo dos Santos, his daughter, and all that are in line with the regime that was installed and that apparently only now beginning to open the democracy, a democracy deficit which aims only moderate certain requirements of its citizens and democratic world. In East Timor is already happening. It was of that destructive and opportunistic movement 2006 brought to the country.

It is not difficult to conclude that the profiteers want to be part of the elite any cost, selling, lying, fooling, indifferent of the difficulties of huge anonymous people and away from the centre of political power. Political power prepared to systematically deceive and violate laws.

This unfortunate reality is a shameful. Citizens of the world and contributors for a Timor democratic and fair, we are disappointed by being so defrauded by liars Mr Ramos Horta and Xanana Gusmao. We do not need to mention now others, newcomer elitist status, are generating in Timorese society a true cancer, a kind of illegality and absolutely practitioner impunity is at the stage of growth.

All this is extremely worrying, very sad, and inadmissible. For these reasons we believe this the reason for our existence to denounce the criminal elite of East Timor that is in formation and that must be fought with the wisdom and legality which does not allow it to make that country a new area of despotism and easy enrichment at the expense of human rights violations and outrage at the democratic world.

At the moment we are currently considering the reality of the practices of present Timorese leaders, democratic world that has supported the country for more of ten years must suspend all kinds of aid. Not by Timorese ,of course, but the criminal elite that is in political power, disregarding all other constitutional powers, especially the judiciary, laws, propriety, attentive anonymous populations, needy because of Government operations.

The current East Timor Government represent a huge disappointment for the who know and accompany daily dishonest practices and anti-democratic. That is why we denounce all actions harmful and illegal that the current Government and Presidency of the Republic to commit or try commit. It is what this group of friends agreed to put forward.

We appeal to all the international "which have complied with mission in East Timor and that have been silenced the complaints of unlawful and anti-democratic practices committed by the current political power and their counterparts do through this site or disclosure bodies they consider most appropriate that the Timorese may enjoy country who want fair and thus deserve. The objectives took us to dedicate to their cause.

Friends of East Timor

Timor-Leste UNDP Justice Program Newsletter September 2009

UnDP Justice Program Newsletter September 2009

29 October 2009

Handle with Care: Private Security Companies in Timor-Leste

Small Arms Survey 29 October 2009 by Sarah Parker: An analysis of the private security companies operating in Timor-Leste; efforts to regulate the private security industry at the national and international levels; and the negative impacts of the use of armed private security in other countries. See also Commentary on the Draft Arms Law in Timor-Leste
Parker Private Security Companies in Timor-Leste

Timor-Leste Centre for Investigative Journalism: AMP and FRETILIN MPs Suspect Misuse of Funds

Written by Madalena Horta no Calisto da Costa Tuesday, 27 October 2009 - CJITL flash: Parlaimentary Majority Alliance as well as opposition MPs in the National Parliament suspect the Minister for Planning and Finance Emilia Pires misused the 2008/2009. The MPs considered the Minister’s attempted explanations on this in the National Parliament not to be very clear.

MP Inacio Moreira from the opposition said that according to his researched information, the referendum package budget is being improperly used.

He has asked the government, especially the Minister to present concrete detail regarding the implementation of the referendum package.

The President of the National Unity Party (PUN) also questioned its transparency and accountability.

The former Minister demanded Emilia Pires make a detailed explanation of the referendum package, because some districts have not had access to these budget funds.

“The Finance Minister has to explain more clearly the budget for the referendum package,” said this opposition MP in Parliament House, Dili, Monday 26 October. “Because some districts have not had access to these funds.”

Similarly the AMP MP Virginia Ana Belo also said that these budget funds were very important and because of this there must be a clear explanation from the Finance Minister.

“Emilia Pires needs to properly explain moneys spent on foreign travel, for the air fares and hotel costs and other things,” she asked.

FRETILIN MP Estanislau da Silva accused the Finance Minister of being evasive during the budget discussion and stressed the need for her to show proof or concrete details regarding the government’s execution of the budget.

The former Minister for Agriculture demanded that the Finance Minister take a close look at the moneys spent on foreign travel because often there are shady behind the scenes manipulation of these budget funds. (Lena, Calisto/cjitl)

THE ABOVE IS A TRANSLATION FROM TETUM, the original of which may be found at the following link: http://cjitl.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=596&Itemid=1

28 October 2009

Timor-Leste Foreign Ministry New Web Site

The Ministry For Foreign Affairs of RDTL has a new blog. The aim of this blog is to disseminate all relevant news from the Ministry .

If you want to know more about all the activities around the Ministry For Foreign Affairs of R.D. Timor-Leste , following are the details:

Name of the blog is :

Info-TL Foreign Ministry

The address :

http://mnerdtimorleste.blogspot.com/


Email address:

infotlforeignministry@gmail.com

We apreciate very much your help by sharing this service with your colleagues and friends.

Warm regards and thanks in advance for your support

Maria-Gabriela Carrascalao H
Media Advisor
Gabinete do Ministro
Ministerio dos Negocios Estrangeiros
RDTL

email: mgabrielacarrascalaoh@gmail.com

Timor-Leste Government Media Release: Government changes the public service culture to deliver budget results

REPUBLICA DEMOCRATICA DE TIMOR-LESTE

IV CONSTITUTIONAL GOVERNMENT

MEDIA RELEASE D?li- October 26, 2009

Statement By The Spokesperson of the IV Constitutional Government,
The Secretary of State for the Council of Ministers

Government changes the public service culture to deliver budget results

The Minister for Finance for Timor-Leste, Ms. Emilia Pires, will go before Commission C on behalf of the IV Constitutional Government to deliver the results of the 2008 and 2009 budget performance as a precursor to the presentation of the 2010 budget proceedings.

2008 was a transition year when the Government of Timor-Leste adopted a cash basis system for the management of public finance to comply with Section 39.1 (b) of The Budget and Financial Management Regulation which stated ?public accounts must be consistent with International Accounting Systems.? The previous system did not comply as the modified accrual basis did not meet international standards.

Despite the transitions, in 2008 the Government improved in all areas, both revenues and budget execution rates.

In 2006/2007 the former Government reported revenues of $47.5m.The following year, despite the tax reforms lowering the threshold, the new Government delivered US$69.9m in domestic revenues, an average of $5.8m per month. In 2009, the domestic revenues have averaged an additional one million per month ($6.88m), thus resulting in a significant increase in revenues to be expected by the end of the 2009 financial year.

In 2006/2007, the former Government had a budget executing rate of 48.9% on cash basis, on a budget of $328.6m. In 2008, the budget effectively doubled and with the same public service capacity, reaching a budget execution rate of 79% on cash basis.

Forecasts on the 2009 budget execution look even more positive, this time last year, budget execution was at 37%; this year 48% of the 2009 budget has been executed; final execution rates will largely be determined by the timely delivery of goods, many of which have been re-routed to meet demands of various humanitarian crises from regional natural disasters.

The results reflect the Governments? commitment to improve conditions of the nation through more effective and efficient public financial management which ultimately has resulted in improved overall economic indicators.

Recently, The World Bank Doing Business Report 2010 cited Timor-Leste as having the largest improvements in reforms in ?paying taxes?. Evaluated on their taxation services globally, Timor-Leste increased 56 countries in one year to rank #19 from 183 countries; making the nation attractive for investors. Timor-Leste also increased by nine countries in the overall doing business category to rank #164.

Timor-Leste was the second fastest growing economy in the world in 2008, with a12.8% economic growth and prospects for 2009 look good, reaching at least 8% which is needed sustainable development.

In a Timor-Leste Financial Management Performance Report which evaluated the three years prior to 2007, the main findings say there were ?Unproductive Attitudes and Behaviors.? in the public service.

The report continues ?Many of the problems faced by the PFM system stem from an ineffective organizational culture characterized by a lack of transparency and accountability, and by systemic corruption. Most high-level staff have no leadership and management experience, and the incentive framework is weak and uncertain. Managers are reluctant to delegate, further reducing the degree of responsibility felt by staff. There are problems of staff absenteeism, lack of motivation?

The Secretary of State for the Council of Ministers and Official Spokesman for the IV Constitutional Government noted ?I believe our positive results demonstrate a shift in culture of the public service The improvements in budget execution and revenue collection are performed by the same public service, but this Government has strong policies and a shared national agenda. The budget process has never been so transparent and open for debate.?

?We are actively reforming and professionalizing our institutions, like with the implementation of the civil service commission, higher wage scales, promotions based on meritocratic systems, training and capacity building initiatives and in turn, our public servants through strong leadership and management by our Government led by the Prime Minister Xanana Gusm?o, are energized and achieving greater results for the nation.?

Increases in budget execution and domestic revenues are largely due to new systems and controls, implementations of stricter procedures, streamlined efficiencies for collection and identifying and targeting those areas where fraud or corruption could occur with deterrence measures. ENDS

For More Information Please Contact: Agio Pereira +670 723 0011; E-mail:
agiopereira@cdm.gov.tl

Fretilin Media Release: Audit reveals Gusmao government?s woeful financial management: Action looms on ?Referendum Package?

27 Oct 2009 - FRETILIN TIMOR-LESTE NATIONAL PARLIAMENT MEDIA RELEASE Dili, 27 October 2009

Audit reveals Gusmao government?s woeful financial management: Action looms on ?Referendum Package?

The Gusmao de facto government?s Minister for Finance, Ms Emilia Pires, stated to a parliamentary committee that she would not take any responsibility for budget implementation, blaming other ministries, which failed to spend budget monies for vital social and other infrastructure. ?This is another appalling piece of evidence of this Minister?s incompetence and lack of responsibility for her legal duty?, said a FRETILIN MP and Party Vice President Mr Arsenio Bano today.

Finance Minister Pires was named by the country?s anti-corruption watchdog for abuse of power in relation to a government tender
contract last year. She is also at the centre of a jobs-for-mates on huge salaries scandal, involving World Bank administered money.

Mr Bano was speaking to journalists after a hearing by the Parliamentary Economy, Finance and Anti-corruption Committee on the
2008 financial year audit. He said that the Minister confirmed that the claimed ?reform policies? in public finance management of the
Gusmao de facto government have failed abysmally.

?A key ministry, Social Solidarity, has according to the Minister?s own report spent only 7.2% of their capital and development budget, and less than half of their minor capital budget, with an overall spending of 51% of their total budget.

?The Infrastructure Ministry only spent 12% of their capital and development budget and 20% of their minor capital budget, and a total of 16% of their overall budget for 2009. The Ministry of Tourism, Commerce and Industry spent only 7.1% of their capital and development budget. The Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, has only spent 36.9% of its capital and development budget, only 3.6% of its minor capital budget and overall only 35.7% of their 2009 budget.
Health spent a mere 27.5% of its capital and development budget, and only 18.7% of minor capital,? said Mr Bano.

?These are the engine house ministries that move development along and that deliver most of the country?s basic services. Yet the Minister did not accept any responsibility for this parlous public finance management. All this after such large amounts of donor assistance, such as the US$26 million Public Finance Management Capacity Building Project, to which countries like Australia have contributed, and which employed ?advisors? on salaries of hundreds of thousands of dollars each per year,? said Bano.

The government?s auditors, Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Chartered Accountants from Darwin, stated that they were unable to ?obtain
appropriate audit evidence to support the validity of salary and wages payments to certain employees as their contracts of employment were not available for us to inspect.? The auditors could not obtain evidence ?to support the validity of pension payments,? as well as being ?unable to attend cash counts and hence obtain sufficient appropriate audit evidence to support the validity of cash advances at year end.?

The auditors? report also said they were ?unable to review the prior year audit working papers and were not able to perform alternative audit procedures to enable us to form an opinion on the opening cash balance 31 December 2007, or on the adjustment of US$73,270,000 referred to in Note 7, regarding the accounts to prior years.?

Mr Bano commented: ?These Audit qualifications are clear evidence of public finances being a shambles. There were never any such qualifications for all the audits undertaken prior to and including the 2006-2007 financial years. Why were the previous auditors? working audit documents not available to the current auditors? We know that the government had issues with the previous auditor being intransigent on their audit report for the transition six months 1 July to 31 December 2007. The Minister failed to explain why the current auditors can?t say where these monies are. Just as she has failed to explain whether advances reported as missing last January have all been recovered. It seems from the auditor?s report that they
were not recovered,? Mr Bano said.

The auditors? report qualified ?receipts amounting to US$817,000 and payments amounting to US$116,746,000 being post 31 December 2008 transactions.? They say: ?We were unable to satisfy ourselves as to the completeness of these receipts and payments as we have not audited all receipts and payments for the period 1 January 2009 to 30 June 2009 and we were unable to satisfy ourselves as to completeness through alternative audit procedures?.

Mr Bano commented: ?Nearly US$200 million worth of transactions cannot be verified by the auditors. That is unacceptable in anyone?s books. All this after the purported ?reform? too. It is a joke for this government to continue to paint the rosy picture it has been of public finances, or to try to blame others, such previous governments for their incompetence and corrupt elements. It?s their doing and their incompetence,? Bano said.

During questioning on the highly controversial sole sourcing of government public works projects, the so called ?Referendum Package? of August 30 this year, the Minister expressly shifted responsibility for answering the myriad of questions and accusations raised by both the Opposition as well as government MPs to the Prime Minister himself. She evaded it totally.

"The US$34 million ?Referendum Package? was announced by the de facto Prime Minister after he dragged together unspent budget monies from varied ministries to spend on purportedly urgent infrastructure projects. There has been no tender, but contracts were coordinated by, and contractors from, handpicked businesspeople with close political and family ties to the de facto Prime Minister. It included an advance payment of 20% of the contract price before any works commenced. There have been allegations by civil society, business, and MPs from all parties, of over-pricing and phantom projects.

?We know that the Finance Minister herself was against the ?Referendum Package? from the outset. We hear she told the Prime Minister that it is was illegal and he responded as usual that he knew where the Dili prison was located. But it is a joke for the Finance Minister to say that it is the Prime Minister?s responsibility to answer questions on it because she did not know. The law says she has to know, that she is the Minister responsible for implementing the state budget. It is her legal responsibility. She cannot just say, ?it?s not me, it?s the others?. If she is not happy with having to do so, then she should resign. We intend to hold her accountable whether she wants it or not,? said Mr Bano.

?Now the Minister comes before the parliament and when questioned about the shambles that has become the ?Referendum Package?, involving procurement of goods and services worth in excess of US$34 million, she simply diverts all questions and responsibility to the Prime Minister and other Ministers. She says that the atrociously low budget spending is because of other minister?s management. Will she ever be held responsible for anything?? asked Bano.

?This ?Referendum Package? is a big disaster. It has been an irresponsible and illegal attempt by the de facto Prime Minister to
spend, spend, spend, so that he does not have to face the embarrassment of having asked parliament for more than the government could handle, just as we had told them when they brought the budget to parliament for approval. It has totally disregarded procurement and public finance laws and regulations. This is totally unacceptable and we will be taking legal action,? Bano warned.

For further information, please contact Arsenio Bano MP on +670 741 9505 or Jose Teixeira MP on +670 728 7080

JSMP Vacancy Announcement Women's Justice Unit Evaluator

Expected start date: Mid-November 2009.
Type of contract: Short-term project contract
Salary: USD$ 2,500
Applications Close: Friday 6 November 2009

Background to the Position

The Judicial System Monitoring Programme (JSMP) was established in 2001 to promote legal compliance with international human rights standards, particularly those relating to a fair trial, and to contribute to good governance practices in Timor-Leste. JSMP disseminates the information it gathers to both the Timorese and international community.

Since 2004, the Women?s Justice Unit (WJU) at JSMP has assessed and reported upon the status of women, provided policy advice regarding legal issues affecting women in the formal justice sector and developed resources on issues affecting women?s access to the formal justice system.
The WJU seeks to contract an external evaluator to assess the effectiveness, efficiency, relevance, and results of the WJU during the 2009 calendar year.
Objects of the Position
The WJU Evaluator will provide JSMP and external stakeholders with information that will:

* determine the degree to which the WJU has fulfilled its objectives;
* be constructive and useful for the cooperating parties by structuring experiences and providing lessons learned which can be used to strengthen and further develop the projects of the WJU; and
* promote learning among both cooperating partners, as well as other relevant parties such as local authorities, local NGOs, and external donors.

Expected Outcomes of the Position

JSMP expects the Evaluator to conduct their work in three phases: preparation; data collection and interpretation; and feedback and reporting.

In the preparation phase, the Evaluator must, in consultation with internal staff and external donors, prepare an evaluation work plan and schedule, describe the projects? goals and results, prepare project partners and draft an initial list of evaluation questions.

In the second stage of data collection and interpretation, the Evaluator must collect, analyse and interpret data, develop a final report outline and conduct an onsite debriefing for participants in the evaluation process.

The final phase of evaluation and feedback will consist of preparation, validation and distribution of the final evaluation report. The report is expected to be concise (approximately 30 pages). The Evaluator will also be expected to deliver an oral presentation on the report for all interested parties.
The final results of the evaluation must be submitted to JSMP by 30 December 2009.
Qualifications and Experience
The successful candidate will have the following qualifications and experience:

* Experience in monitoring and evaluation of projects;
* Familiarity with the justice sector in Timor-Leste;
* High level of proficiency in both written and spoken English, and Tetum or Bahasa Indonesia;
* High level interpersonal and oral and written communication skills; and
* Excellent knowledge of gender issues.


The position is open to both national and international applicants. Timorese nationals are particularly encouraged to apply.

Interested applicants should email their CV and a covering letter explaining how they meet the selection criteria to Julia Mansour, International Adviser at JSMP mansour@jsmp.minihub.org by Friday 6 November 2009.

24 October 2009

More international jurists for Timor-Leste justice system

UNDP East Timor Press Release 19/October/2009 - Dili- On the 14th of October 2009 at the Office of the Prosecutor-General, four international prosecutors and four international clerks were sworn into office for their one-year assignment in Timor-Leste. These justice actors, from Cape Verde and Portugal, are provided through agreements of cooperation that the UNDP-Justice System Programme (JSP) has promoted and supported both logistically and financially.

The prosecutors and clerks will perform line functions and also provide on the job training with the overall goal of strengthening capacity and skills of their national counterparts. It is expected that some of these actors will be assigned to district posts outside of Dili

“It is a great honor for me to be selected for this role and I believe with my professional experience I can contribute to the development of the Prosecution Office and justice system. I have conviction that this is an important mission and that it will personally be a very enriching experiencing. I hope to deliver good results to the authorities that have placed trust in me to participate in this collective effort to strengthen the justice system of Timor-Leste,’’ said Dr. Joao Goncalves Rato, one of the two Prosecutors from Portugal.

There are currently 13 national prosecutors in Timor-Leste, and five more are expected to graduate in February 2010, following the completion of the 3rd group of Magistrates and Public Defenders training course provided by the Legal Training Centre, currently in progress.

The UNDP Justice System Programme is supported by Australia, Brazil, Ireland, Norway, Spain, Portugal, Sweden, the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights and UNDP Bureau of Crisis Prevention and Recovery.

For more information please contact the Public Information Officer, Shaila Noronha, on +670-730-4445 or on shaila.noronha@undp.org

-----

KOMUNIKASAUN-IMPRENSA

PROKURADÓR NO ESKRIVAUN INTERNASIONÁL SIRA SIMU POSSE

19/Outubru/2009 Prokuradór sira hosi Kabu-Verde no Portugál: Oscar Tavares, Rui Ramos Marques, João Goncalves Rato no Franklin Furtado iha seremónia simu posse iha Prokuradória Jerál, Dili 14 Outubru 2009.

Dili- Iha loron-14 fulan-Outubru 2009 iha Prokuradór Jerál, Prokuradór Internasionál haat no Eskrivaun Internasionál na’in haat simu posse ba hala’o knaar durante tinan ida nia laran iha Timór-Leste. Autór judisiál hirak-ne’e, hosi Kabu-Verde no Portugál, mai tan akordu kooperasaun ne’ebé promove nomós lojistikamente no finanseiramente apoia ona hosi PNUD nia Programa Sistema Justisa (PSJ).

Prokuradór no eskrivasaun sira-ne’e sei dezempeña funsaun liña sira no mós sei fó formasaun servisu ho hanoin tomak ba hametin kapasidade no abilidade sira-nia parseiru nasionál nian. Hein katak autór hirak-ne’e balu sei bá hala’o sira-nia knaar iha distritu.

“Hanesan onra boot ida mai ha’u bainhira hetan hili ba knaar ida-ne’e no ha’u fiar ho ha’u-nia esperiénsia profisionál katak ha’u bele kontribui ba dezenvolvimentu Prokuradória no sistema justisa. Ha’u iha konviksaun katak misaun ida-ne’e importante no katak ne’e ba ha’u-nia an rasik nu’udar esperiénsia ida be hariku tebes. Ha’u hein atu presta rezultadu di’ak ba autoridade sira ne’ebé fó ona fiar mai ha’u atu partisipa iha esforsu koletivu ida-ne’e ba hametin Timór-Leste nia sistema justisa,“ dehan Dr. João Goncalves Rato, Prokuradór ida hosi na’in rua ne’ebé mai hosi Portugál.

Daudaun ne’e iha prokuradór nasionál 13 iha Timór-Leste, no hein katak na’in lima tan sei mai hamutuk tan ho sira bainhira kursu formasaun ba Majistradu no Defensór Públiku ba grupu 3o- ne’ebé daudaun ne’e halo hela hosi Sentru Formasaun Jurídika remata ona iha fulan Fevreiro, 2010.

PNUD nia Programa Sistema Justisa ne’e hetan tulun hosi rai Austrália, Brazíl, Portugál, Noruega, España, Suésia no ONU nia Gabinete Komisáriu Aas ba Direitus Umanus (G-KADU), nomós PNUD nia Departamentu Prevensaun Krize no Rekuperasaun.

Atu hetan informasaun liután halo favór ida kontakta de’it ho Shaila Noronha liuhosi +670-730-4445 eh iha shaila.noronha@undp.org

Image: Prosecutors from Cape Verde and Portugal: Oscar Tavares, Rui Ramos Marques, Joao Goncalves Rato and Franklin Furtado at the swearing in ceremony at the Office of the Prosecutor-General, Dili, 14th October, 2009

EU supports building security before withdrawing UN from East Timor

Earth Times Posted : Fri, 23 Oct 2009 18:10:39 GMT - New York - The European Union concurred with the United Nations Friday on the need to strengthen East Timor's capability to handle its own security before the UN mission there can be withdrawn. During a debate in the UN Security Council on the situation of East Timor, known also as Timor Leste, Swedish Ambassador Anders Liden said the island nation's recent successful elections and relief to displaced people are signs of maturity.

"At the same time, the process of handing over responsibilities to the national police force must continue with a view to setting the ground for a future transition and drawdown of the UN mission," Liden said. Sweden currently holds the rotating EU chairmanship.

The EU is among organizations and countries that provide significant financial assistance to the government in Dili. The UN mission in East Timor has about 2,800 staff, most of them international police sent to train an East Timorese police force.

The international community has provided security and development aid for East Timor since it gained independence from Indonesia 10 years ago.

Thailand's UN Ambassador Norachit Sinhaseni, speaking on behalf of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), called for clarity in the UN mission's future presence in East Timor in order to work out an effective transition to the national police force.

"We should all strive for a nation-building process that is a process of, by and for the people of Timor-Leste," Sinhaseni said. "ASEAN stands firm in solidarity of Timore-Leste as a regional partner and, above all, a friend."

The UN special envoy for East Timor, Atal Khare, told the council that Dili held local elections in October in a "generally peaceful atmosphere" with the help of the UN and national police. Some 67 per cent of eligible voters cast ballots.

Khare said national elections planned in 2012 would require more international support, including helicopters, to face emergency situations.

"The touchstone for success in Timor-Leste is not whether or not crises occur, but how future crises are met and resolved," Khare said. "The goal should be to ensure that there are handled in a responsible manner that does not threaten the state, and instead provide an opportunity for enhanced social cohesion and development."

Copyright DPA

SRSG Khare warns on United Nations Police cuts in Timor-Leste



UN News Centre New York, Oct 23 2009 3:05PM ENVOY URGES CAUTION ON CUTS TO UN POLICE STRENGTH IN TIMOR-LESTE - Any drawdown of international security forces in Timor-Leste should proceed with caution, the top United Nations envoy to the South Pacific nation warned today ahead of UN and Government reviews of the world body’s peacekeeping presence in the fledgling country.

In his final address to the Security Council, the Secretary-General’s Special Representative Atul Khare said that President Jose Ramos-Horta and other leaders of Timor-Leste do not wish to be continually dependent on the deployment of UN police units in their country.

“I also believe that the long-term sustainability of Timor-Leste’s efforts depends on the ability of its own institutions to operate in a democratic, responsible and effective manner,” said Mr. Khare, who heads the UN Integrated Mission in Timor-Leste (UNMIT).

“At every step of the way, UNMIT and the UN country team have consciously endeavoured to work in a manner that enhances the capacity and credibility of the institutions of this young nation,” said Mr. Khare.

The Special Representative noted, however, that the success in supporting security forces instead of taking the lead in law enforcement means that progress depends on the rate of which local institutions develop, which can also include setbacks.

“The touchstone for success in Timor-Leste is not whether crises occur, but how future crises are met and resolved,” said Mr. Khare. “The goal should be to ensure that they are handled in a responsible manner that does not threaten the State, and instead provide an opportunity for enhanced social cohesion and development.”

He said that the future presence and role of the international security forces needs to be carefully taken into account in planning any modification of the composition and size of UNMIT.

Current UNMIT strength stands at 1,578 police officers, 33 military personnel, around 1,200 international and local civilian staff and 195 UN Volunteers.

“The United Nations and the Government of Timor-Leste should jointly agree on the criteria for each step in the process of downsizing the UNMIT police,” said Mr. Khare. “It should be clearly agreed with the authorities, in advance of each stage, what support the UN will and will not provide.”

The UN presence in Timor-Leste began in 1999 when it conducted a “popular consultation” which saw a huge turnout of Timorese overwhelmingly vote for independence over autonomy within Indonesia. The eventual result was the birth of the State, but 1,500 to 2,000 people were killed in clashes in the immediate aftermath of the declaration.

UNMIT received its mandate to restore public safety in the wake of an eruption of violence in 2006 ­ attributed to differences between eastern and western regions of the country ­ when 600 striking soldiers were fired, and the ensuing hostilities claimed dozens of lives and drove 155,000 people, or 15 per cent of the total population, from their homes.

In his most recent report on UNMIT earlier this month, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon stressed that the causes underlying the 2006 crisis, including the rising level of poverty, persistent unemployment, the lack of an effective land and property regime, and under-strength justice and security sectors, could still destabilize the country.

‘Stable, Steady Approach’ Vital To Long-term Peace In Timor-leste, Head Of United Nations Integrated Mission Tells Security Council

23 October 2009 Security Council SC/9774 Department of Public Information • News and Media Division • New York Security Council 6205th Meeting (AM) - Timorese Prime Minister Outlines Broad Institutional Progress,

But Says That Scaling-up Investment in Development Key to Cementing Gains

A stable and steady approach on the part of the international community was required to ensure the long-term stability of Timor-Leste, Atul Khare, Special Representative of the Secretary-General, told the Security Council this morning.

“The dictum that there should be not strategy without an exit is well known”, he said, but added that: “However, the reverse that there should be no exit without a strategy is equally true”.

Mr. Khare, who is also head of the United Nations Integrated Mission in Timor-Leste (UNMIT), introduced the Secretary-General’s latest report on the Mission’s work, which, among other observations, warns that the root causes of the 2006 violence remained despite the recent peaceful celebration of the tenth Anniversary of the vote for independence (see background).

Continuing, Mr. Khare said that even given such stability, along with the successful holding of recent local elections, the long-term sustainability of Timor-Leste depended on the ability of its institutions to operate in a democratic, responsible and effective manner, and for that, it required deliberate United Nations assistance, followed by long-term multilateral and bilateral aid.

The touchstone for success was not whether crises occurred, but how future crises would be met and resolved, he maintained. In that context, he stressed that the future presence and role of international security forces needed to be carefully taken into account in planning any modification of the composition and strength of UNMIT, which must be done in concert with the country.

Jose Luis Guterres, Deputy Prime Minister of Timor-Leste, elaborated on the some of the institutional progress made recently in the country, saying: “With all these systems and institutions in place and operational we might say to the world that we as a people are expressing our final goodbye to conflict and with an open smile, we are welcoming development.”

Outlining accomplishments in areas from legislation to tourism -- in promotion of which an international bicycle race had recently been successfully held in the country -- he maintained, however, that to ensure sustainable peace and stability, there was a need to invest in development.

So far, he said, petroleum and gas revenues had been the main source of income, with the petroleum fund reaching $5 billion, and next year, the National Oil Company would invest in the basic infrastructures needed to develop those industries further. Economic growth in 2008 had been estimated at 12.8 per cent and 2009 growth was expected to be between 8 and 9 per cent.

The 2010 national budget, he said, had identified seven priority areas: roads and water; food security focused on production; human resources development; access to justice; social services; good governance; and public safety.

In the discussion that followed those statements, Security Council members and other speakers welcomed the progress made by Timor-Leste in holding peaceful elections and generally consolidating political stability. They particularly welcomed the gradual resumption of security responsibility by the national police in conjunction with UNMIL, and the closing of the camps that had been housing those displaced by the outburst of violence in 2006.

Most agreed with the Secretary-General that stability remained fragile in the country, however, and for that reason, they supported his recommendation that the strength and configuration of UNMIT be maintained at current levels. With the country now entering a new phase, focused on long-term institutional and developmental needs, New Zealand’s representative warned that “UNMIT must not be allowed to become static. It is vital that the mission remains responsive to the changing environment in which it operates.”

For that purpose, he urged the greatest attention be paid to the upcoming United Nations Technical Assessment Mission. He added that the linkages between UNMIT and the International Security Force (ISF) of New Zealand and Australia must be respected in determining the future of both.

Noting that this was probably the last time that Mr. Khare would address the Council as head of UNMIT, speakers commended his performance in that position over the past three years.

Also speaking today were the representatives of Japan, United Kingdom, Costa Rica, Burkina Faso, China, Turkey, Uganda, Russian Federation, Croatia, Mexico, Austria, Libya, France, United States, Viet Nam, Thailand (on behalf of the Association of South-East Asian Nations), Sweden (on behalf of the European Union), Portugal, Brazil, New Zealand, Australia, Philippines and South Africa.

The meeting, which began at 10:10 a.m., ended at 1:05 p.m.

Background

The Security Council had before it the Secretary-General’s report on the United Nations Integrated Mission in Timor-Leste (S/2009/504), which covers the period from 21 January to 23 September 2009, and warns that the root causes of community tensions behind the 2006 violence in the country remain, despite the recent peaceful celebration of the tenth anniversary of the vote for independence.

In the report, the Secretary-General cites the rising level of poverty, persistent unemployment, the lack of an effective land and property regime, and the weak justice and security sectors as some of the causes of the 2006 crisis, which began as a dispute among military elements and eventually spread throughout the country, leaving dozens of people dead and driving some 155,000 from their homes.

He says that the return and resettlement of persons displaced internally by the crisis has been by all measures successful, but tensions in some communities remain and could lead to future local-level conflicts.

He writes that he is encouraged by the fact that the National Police Force has begun to assume primary law enforcement responsibilities, but cautions that much more needs to be done in that area. In addition, he says more time is required to ensure that political, institutional and socio-economic improvements can “take root in democratic institutions and processes”.

Weaknesses in the judiciary, in particular, continue to affect public confidence in the entire legal system, he said, pointing to the lack of a specialized prosecutorial capacity and the lack of an overall functioning administrative system, among other problems.

Praising President Jose Ramos-Horta for promoting dialogue across the country’s political spectrum to address priority issues, the Secretary-General warns against allowing such an exchange of opinions to be exploited to heighten tensions in society.

He says renewed political dialogue on reparations to victims of criminal acts committed from 1974 to 1999, the period under Indonesian rule, is promising, but cautions that the “prolonged delay in delivering justice and providing reparations” may further adversely affect public confidence in the rule of law.

He encourages the Government to make every effort to ensure broad-based discussion and follow-up on the recommendations of the Commission for Reception, Truth and Reconciliation and the Commission of Truth and Friendship.

Briefing by Special Representative of the Secretary-General

ATUL KHARE, Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Timor-Leste and head of the United Nations Integrated Mission in that country, known as UNMIT, introduced the Secretary-General’s latest report on that Mission’s work (see background). Updating the Council first on developments after the reporting period, which ended 23 September, he noted that a draft law on the 2010 State budget had been approved by the Timorese Council of Ministers, which totalled about $637 million, and aimed to diversify engines for economic growth and job creation while retaining a focus on extreme poverty, unemployment, infrastructure and rural development. President Jose Ramos-Horta had also focused recently on the tourism section, he added, describing several events to promote that sector.

On 9 October, successful elections for community authorities were held in a generally peaceful atmosphere, he said, with the United Nations police (UNPOL) and the Timorese National Police (PNTL) eproviding country-wide security. There was about 68 per cent turnout of registered voters in a poll that was more complex than the 2007 elections, but which required less UNMIT support in such areas as helicopter transport, and there were few incidents of violence. Communal peace, water, electricity, infrastructure and education were the primary concerns of the electorate, and the United Nations Electoral Support Team consisting of staff of UNMIT and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), provided well-coordinated advice, he commented.

In relation to justice issues, he welcomed a 13 October day-long debate in the National Parliament, on a motion of no confidence tabled by the Revolutionary Front for an Independent East Timor (FRETILIN) because of opposition to the release of Maternus Bere, as a positive step in ensuring that critical issues of national interest were channelled through the legislature with meaningful participation of the opposition. In addition, he said, the Human Rights and Transitional Justice Sector of UNMIT had organized a workshop on international criminal law as it related to the country, and important cases stemming from the violence of 2006 took place on 9 October. He expressed hope that fair trials would take place in the remaining cases upon conclusion of the investigations. He reiterated that there could be no amnesty or impunity for serious crimes and agreed that continuing investigations into the serious crimes committed in 1999 should lead to further capacity-building of the Timorese investigators.

Strengthening rule of law would require sustained efforts by the Timorese with continuous assistance from international partners, he said, commending the four-person team led by Judge Philip Rapoza in producing an independent, comprehensive needs-assessment of the justice sector, which should be used by all stakeholders. While the resumption of primary responsibility by the PNTL continued in districts in the country, UNMIT also continued to support the Falintil-Forças de Defesa de Timor-Leste (F-FDTL), he pointed out.

“The dictum that there should be not strategy without an exit is well known”, he said, but added that: “However, the reverse that there should be no exit without a strategy is equally true”. The long-term sustainability of Timor-Leste depended on the ability of its institutions to operate in a democratic, responsible and effective manner. What was required to achieve that was a stable and steady approach.

Continuing, he said the touchstone for success was not whether crises occurred, but how future crises were met and resolved. In that context, he stressed that the future presence and role of international security forces needed to be carefully taken into account in planning any modification of the composition and strength of UNMIT, which must be done in concert with the country. At the same time, he said, cooperation with long-term providers of bilateral and multilateral assistance to Timor-Leste must continue to be promoted. He described ongoing models of such assistance.

Finally, he pointed out that the country also must grapple with the challenges of environmental protection, and urged the footprint of international assistance to be as light as possible. Accordingly, UNMIT had been making continuous efforts to reduce energy consumption and protect the environment, he said.

Statements

JOSÉ LUIS GUTERRES, Deputy Prime Minister of Timor-Leste, said that on 12 October, democracy and accountability had been tested in the Parliament during the debate on a motion of no confidence tabled by FRETILIN, the opposition, regarding the “illegality of the Government’s decision to grant ‘freedom’ to a former Militia”. After a “lively” day-long debate, covered on national television, the motion had been rejected by an absolute majority, based on the Constitution. The former militia was transferred to the Indonesian Embassy, awaiting further legal procedures. The Independent Comprehensive Needs Assessment team had published its report on 13 October, noting that there was a need for continued advice and assistance from the international community for a justice system run by Timorese.

He said that one of the major challenges that the Timorese had faced as a people was the 2006 crisis, which had driven some 150,000 people from their homes and resulted in the establishment of 65 tented camps for internally displaced persons in and around Dili. The Government had allocated $36 million to provide support for their reintegration and, with the help of the United Nations, the European Commission and others, all the camps had been closed this year. He added that many of the homes that had been destroyed had been rebuilt, and that by the end of this year, the Government would provide recovery assistance for other destroyed possessions and assets.

The Government had also developed a social housing programme for the elderly, disabled, widows and chronically ill and was providing assistance to the poor households. He said a Social Security programme would benefit almost 70,000 elderly persons and disabled citizens. Some 3,300 veterans and families of the martyrs had received their pensions. Social harmony and stability and the values of democracy and respect for the law had been demonstrated during the successful Suku elections held this month.

The security sector had been a priority of the current Government, he continued. The national security law and national defence law were now before Parliament. The new Ministry of Defence and Security structure, the Military Police law, a military service law and amendments to military service law had been approved. The United Nations and the Government had agreed on a mechanism to progressively hand over responsibilities to the National Police.

He said that to achieve sustainable peace and stability, there was a need to invest in development. Natural resources would be used to finance the national budget. Petroleum and gas revenues had been the main source of income, and the petroleum fund had reached $5 billion. Next year, the National Oil Company will be established that would invest in the basic infrastructures needed to develop the petroleum and gas industry. Economic growth in 2008 had been estimated at 12.8 per cent. 2009 growth was expected to be between 8 and 9 per cent. The 2010 budget had identified seven priority areas: roads and water; food security focused on production; human resources development; access to justice; social services; good governance; and public safety. And independent civil service commission will also be created, as well as a National Anti-Corruption Commission.

“With all these systems and institutions in place and operational we might say to the world that we as a people are expressing our final goodbye to conflict and with an open smile we are welcoming development,” he said. In August, a Timor-Leste cycling tour had been organized by President Ramos Horta. The international cycling event took participants to the villages, mountains and valleys, welcomed and applauded by thousands of Timorese. Next year, an international fishing competition would be organized. Those initiatives should create a new and better image of the country: that of a peaceful and caring people. The country would, however, still need the presence and support of the United Nations up to 2012.

YUKIO TAKASU ( Japan) said he was encouraged with the steady build up of democratic governance in Timor-Leste, and he expressed the hope that democratic culture would continue to take root not only at the national level but also at the municipal level. He also appreciated the valuable support of the United Nations Mission in Timor-Leste in that regard. The country was a sound democracy in which political leaders exchanged views and set forth their arguments openly in Parliament, he noted.

He went on to observe that the security situation was moving in the direction of greater stability, thanks to the assistance of UNMIT. He was particularly pleased with several positive developments, such as the closure of all internally displaced persons camps without major incident, the judicial proceedings for the suspects in the assaults in 2008 on the President, and the Prime Minister and the reintegration of “Petitioners”, had been accomplished without major incident. Again, he attributed the stable security situation to the presence of UNMIT, which had been conducting interim law enforcement and helping to rebuild the National Police since its establishment in 2006.

He said it was Japan’s view that United Nations support for Timor-Leste was beginning to bear fruit as the country was moving out of the emergency phase and into the transitional period towards achieving self-sustainable stability, rule of law and socio-economic development. Naturally there were still elements that bore monitoring, and the international community must be prudent to avoid hast action and thereby undermining the success achieved thus far. To that end, it would be helpful if the Secretary-General’s next report included a review of UNMIT’s role in view of mid-to-long-term peace and nation-building perspective. The country was also enjoying sound economic growth. As a staunch supporter of Timor-Leste, Japan would spare no effort to ensure a successful nation-building process, he added.

PHILIP PARHAM ( United Kingdom) said there had been signs of continued progress, including the successful and peaceful holding of local elections. He welcomed progress made regarding the medium-term benchmarks, including the resumption of local police authority in three districts with no increase in crime and disorder. Progress in that area was a tribute to UNMIT’s police component. As for security sector reform, greater clarity was required on the role and responsibility of the national defence forces. He was also encouraged by progress in justice and the rule of law, democratic governance and economic and social development.

He stressed the importance of doing more to address the issue of impunity for those involved in crimes against humanity, war crimes and genocide. Outstanding cases should be addressed quicker. He was concerned by reports of human rights violations committed by security forces, as the protection of human rights was of central importance to the development of sustainable democracy. The visit of the Technical Assessment Mission would be an important opportunity to assess how best UNMIT could allocate resources, he said, but warned that any adjustment to the police component should be gradual. The goal should be to enable Timor-Leste to stand on its own feet, which would require the continued engagement of the international community.

JORGE URBINA ( Costa Rica) said that over the past ten years, there had been many achievements regarding peace and state building. The security institutions were being consolidated and the National Police was taking over responsibilities. He welcomed the success of local elections and efforts to achieve the Millennium Development Goals regarding primary education and health. There were, however, two areas of major concern: the slow pace for consolidation of the rule of law, and the development of an army for which there was no purpose. As for the rule of law, he noted two worrisome developments: criticism at the judicial system that undermined the legitimacy of democratic institutions and the procedures to hand over a refugee to Indonesian authorities.

It was important to examine the role of the army in the context of security sector reform, he said, and he urged the Timorese authorities to attribute clear tasks to an army that did not serve a great purpose towards defence. The army must become an agent for change and play a constructive role in the process of nation building. To the tasks of border control and monitoring of trafficking in persons, support for national disaster response could be added, for instance. With that and other tasks, the army could pay society back for the sacrifices it was making with meagre resources.

He said the United Nations action in Timor-Leste had demonstrated the importance of making an early start with peacebuilding. UNMIT had contributed to the sustainability of peace and the future successful exit of the Mission. The case of Timor-Leste showed the importance of a strong and symbiotic association between the international community and local actors. The Council should draw on the important lessons learned in Timor-Leste.

MICHEL KAFANDO ( Burkina Faso) welcomed the building of a stable and prosperous nation by the people of Timor-Leste through a spirit of dialogue that put national interests above factional considerations. He also welcomed recent steps in police reform and the assumption of responsibility by the National Police Force. It was important to further define the area of responsibility of all forces, and to adequately coordinate and fund their strengthening, he said.

Promotion of human rights deserved greater support, he said, and obstacles must be removed from trials of criminal violators, including through traditional justice methods. In addition, all areas of social and economic development must be supported, particularly in areas of agricultural production, and displaced persons must be rehabilitated and reintegrated. In all areas, efforts must be made to consolidate the achievements in Timor-Leste, he stressed.

LIU ZHENMIN ( China) welcomed the deepening of calm and ongoing dialogue, along with growing security, in Timor-Leste. He appealed to leaders of factions to seize the present opportunity to lead their people in nation-building. As poverty might threaten the current stability, he urged priority be given to the building of infrastructure and human resources to combat unemployment.

He supported keeping UNMIT at its current strength for the time being, but urged a renewed focus on police training and hand-over of responsibilities in order to allow the mission to eventually pull out of the country, in consultation with the Government. China had recently pledged $30 million in assistance to Timor-Leste and was willing to help the country to the best of its ability.

FAZLI ÇORMAN (Turkey) said that thanks to UNMIT and the resilience and commitment of the Timorese people, the country had peacefully celebrated its tenth anniversary of the Popular Consultation. Stabilization in the country had enabled the Timorese to address key issues such as strengthening democratic governance and enacting legislation to fight corruption. The successful local elections had proved that the Timorese were committed to democracy. The security situation was steadily improving, with progress in addressing the situation of internally displaced persons. He hoped that the handover process of police responsibilities would continue to be as smooth as it had been. Further progress to enhance security sector reform, as well as the adoption of a national security strategy, were of the utmost importance.

He said that despite those achievements, the main issues contributing to the 2006 crisis, such as poverty, unemployment and a weak judicial system, continued to pose considerable challenges. He was confident that Timor-Leste would eventually overcome those challenges, but added that success would require national dialogue and unity. As Timor-Leste required continued support from the international community in its quest for peace, stability and prosperity, UNMIT’s strength and composition should be maintained.

RUHAKANA RUGUNDA ( Uganda) said that despite progress there was a need for continued focus on key strategic areas. The security sector reform process was progressing well, including the transfer of responsibilities to Timorese police. Efforts should be made in supporting the Timorese police to support key areas of operational and logistical requirements. Not much progress had been made in the development of the military, however. Defining a meaningful role for the military as well as clarifying the relationship with the police remained key challenges for the Government.

He said that although the improved security situation had contributed to progress in the situation of the internally displaced persons, there was still a need to address issues such as housing conditions and land and property issues. Addressing the administration of justice, he said potential repercussions were arising from the release of a militia, which had led to a vote of no confidence in parliament. It was critical that efforts be made to ensure that impunity was not condoned. The Timorese Government must take primary responsibility for security and development of the country with support of the international community and the international community should ensure that there was a local capacity to play a leadership role in all aspects of development.

KONSTANTIN DOLGOV (Russian Federation), welcoming political progress and other advances in Timor-Leste, said the time had come to tackle priority tasks in security, rule of law, eradicating poverty, finding jobs for the population and other areas. Efforts towards those priorities should be pooled and well-coordinated. Agreeing that much of the progress in Timor-Leste was fragile in nature because of the weaknesses in institutions and the economy, he supported keeping the deployment of UNMIT at current levels. He pledged that his country, which contributed police officers to the mission, would continue to provide such assistance.

RANKO VILOVI (Croatia), aligning himself with the European Union, said the tenth anniversary of Timor-Leste’s historic vote for independence on 30 August was a significant benchmark of how far the Timorese people had come in a short time. He reaffirmed his full support to them and urged that they not waiver from their endeavours in the face of political, institutional and socio-economic challenges. Long-term stability was contingent on national security institutions functioning in an accountable manner, and he welcomed efforts to strengthen security bodies, enhance security-sector legal frameworks and establish a national security policy.

Authorities should continue to take full advantage of UNMIT’s expertise in that process, as such reforms, if designed correctly, would allow for a comprehensive overhaul of the security sector. On the transfer of primary police duties to the PNTL, he said the process ensured public confidence in the security situation. Croatia fully supported regular reviews of the size configurations of UNMIT’s police component, and looked forward to the Technical Assessment Mission’s upcoming visit to Timor-Leste. UNMIT’s police component had to be retained for the time being and could ensure the national police force’s resumption of duties continued smoothly.

He said Croatia was encouraged by the strengthening of the judicial system and enactment of important legislation. The independent needs assessment should open the way for a coordinated approach to justice sector reform. However, long-term peace would not take hold in the absence of a credible and functioning judiciary and penal system. The 9 October local elections represented another benchmark towards a culture of political dialogue and he welcomed that the Government had closed camps for internally displaced persons in Dili and Baucau. He urged the Government to alleviate potential post-displacement destabilizing situations.

CLAUDE HELLER ( Mexico) said that after the celebration of the tenth anniversary of the referendum for independence, there was now an atmosphere of stability and good governance was being stabilized. The support of the United Nations to the Government had made it possible for the country to shape its own future. Timor-Leste should continue to enjoy the support of UNMIT to make progress in such areas as justice, human rights and development. As it was important to strengthen control and transparency mechanisms, he welcomed the fact that Parliament had established an Anti-corruption Commission and had started procedures to join the United Nations Convention against Corruption.

He praised the continued support of UNMIT in transferring command to the National Police. Complete transfer must occur once all the criteria had been met, with emphasis on the certification by the United Nations of national officials and acceptance by the local communities of the national police. The road to the consolidation of the rule of law and human rights still held many challenges. In that regard, he said there should be no amnesty or impunity for those who had committed war crimes, crimes against humanity or genocide. He welcomed the closing of the 65 camps for internally displaced persons and supported the Government’s efforts to meet the needs of 3,000 displaced persons still in temporary shelters. He hoped that democratization would continue and that the major challenge of unemployment would be addressed.

THOMAS MAYR-HARTING (Austria), welcoming the efforts to promote inclusive dialogue and national reconciliation in Timor-Leste, said that for such endeavours to be successful, some of the root causes of the 2006 crisis still needed to be addressed. Timor-Leste still faced important challenges in its efforts to reduce poverty and create new employment opportunities for its people. It was right that the Government had stressed the increasing need to move from conflict prevention to a comprehensive development agenda, he said, adding that UNMIT could play a key role in that evolution.

He said Austria also supported Timor-Leste authorities in their efforts to build strong institutions that could fight impunity for grave violations of human rights, and in that regard, welcomed UNMITs’ recommendations, in cooperation with the Office of the High Commissioner of Human Rights, to strengthen accountability for human rights violations, and hoped for their rapid implementation. It was important that the National Police of Timor-Leste was making progress in resuming its primary policing responsibilities, including through the Police Training Academy.

Continuing, he pointed out that the successful re-establishment of a functioning rule of law system in the country was vital for achieving long-term stability. That called for the continued review and reform of the security sector at all levels, as well as the strengthening of the police and the judiciary, the adoption of relevant legislation and a clear division of responsibilities and competencies between the police and the military.

IBRAHIM DABBASHI (Libya) welcomed the progress that had been achieved in Timor-Leste and said it was important to devote heightened attention to the post-reintegration phase of internally displaced persons, and to living conditions of vulnerable persons. In meeting the challenges of continuing poverty, land-ownership and institutional weaknesses, the responsibility lay with the Timorese in cooperation with UNMIT and the United Nations country team. In the political area, he welcomed strengthening of national dialogue and he voiced hope that such a cooperative spirit would prevail. He agreed that a great deal remained to be done in Timor-Leste and supported maintenance of UNMIT at current levels.

NICOLAS DE RIVERE (France), supporting the statement to be made by Sweden on behalf of the European Union, welcomed progress in Timor-Leste and said that a hasty withdrawal must be avoided and UNMIT’s assistance must be maintained until Timorese institutions were strong enough to stand on their own in all areas. Maintaining that it was crucial to avoid impunity for crimes committed in upsurges of violence, he reiterated support for UNMIT’s support for mechanisms for the prosecution of serious crimes in the country.

ROSEMARY DICARLO ( United States) said Timor-Leste had made significant progress since the crisis of 2006, particularly in the area of security. She welcomed the increasing professionalism of the National Police as well as the recent transfer of policing responsibilities from UNMIT to the National Police in three districts, as a step forward. The role of the police and the military should be clearly delineated, however. Her country, committed to the development of the security sector, was conducting training exercises in Timor-Leste and Indonesia. Timor-Leste had also made progress in governance and the rule of law.

She applauded the initiative by President Horta to open a broad dialogue with the Timorese people on priority areas. An independent judiciary was critical, however, and a justice sector should be established that put an end to impunity for human rights violations. As social cohesion and economic development were key to stability, she welcomed the reintegration of internally displaced persons, which was an important step towards reconciliation. National priorities had been outlined and measures were taken for child protection, to guarantee access to education and to address unemployment. The United States would continue to support the Timorese people and had provided $24 million this year.

Council President LE LUONG MINH (Viet Nam), speaking in his national capacity, said he was encouraged by the efforts of the Government and the people in attaining a security situation conducive to economic and social development, noting that over 60 per cent of the targets set for this year had been met. Dialogue and reconciliation should be continued. The results of the local elections were proof of the strong commitment of the people to move the peace process forward. He welcomed in that regard the commitment of President Horta to undertake efforts to establish unity.

Efforts in governance and measures to combat corruption would enable State institutions to move forward with broad public support, he said. He welcomed UNMIT’s efforts to provide assistance to Timor-Leste in attaining security and police capacity as well as the smooth handover of policing responsibilities in three districts to the national police. That initial step would produce lessons on how to proceed to full ownership by Timor-Leste of the police. The challenges to development were poverty, unemployment and immaturity of security institutions. The international community must therefore continue to be committed to the cause of peace and development in Timor-Leste, especially in poverty areas.

NORACHIT SINHASENI (Thailand), speaking on behalf of the Association of South-East Asian Nations (ASEAN), said his delegation welcomed progress achieved in UNMIT’s four mandated areas: review and reform of the security sector; strengthening of the rule of law; promoting a culture of democratic governance and dialogue; and economic and social development. ASEAN also welcomed the fact that the National Police had started to gradually resume primary policing responsibilities in some districts, and supported international efforts to help strengthen police capacity. Social and economic development had resulted in steady progress in areas of national priority. The global financial crisis should not adversely affect international assistance and partnership for Timor-Leste.

He said that ASEAN supported the Secretary-General’s recommendations that the present strength and composition of UNMIT should be maintained while Timor-Leste was undergoing a delicate process of security sector reform. Continued peace and stability was essential for development and efforts to lay a strong foundation for democratic governance. A smooth transition from peacekeeping to sustainable peacebuilding should be ensured. He stressed that national ownership should not only be the principle that guided every facet of UNMIT’s work, but also the ultimate goal of the international community in Timor-Leste. All should strive for a nation-building process that was a process of, by and for the people of Timor-Leste.

ANDERS LIDÉN (Sweden), speaking on behalf of the European Union, said despite the challenges, groundbreaking efforts to rebuild Timor-Leste since a referendum ten years ago were praiseworthy. He warned, however, that efforts to address the country’s security situation and its long-term stability could not be taken for granted. Local elections on 9 October were a milestone and showed that capacity-building and democratic governance had improved. The European Union praised Government efforts to close internally displaced camps in the capital, Dili, and elsewhere, amid relative calm in the past months. It agreed with the Secretary-General that UNMIT should maintain the scale of its current presence with a view to handing over power to the National Police Force.

Given the link between security sector reform and the eventual scaling down of the Mission in Timor-Leste, the European Union urged the Timorese Government to roll out a coherent concept for that sector, outlining accountability and civilian oversight mechanisms, as well as the scope of national defence units. Since building a long lasting socio-economic system would remain a challenge, he urged the country to rely on the Petroleum Fund to boost the non-oil sector and to create jobs and infrastructure. He welcomed structured efforts to support State-building in Timor-Leste. He specified that solid benchmarks would allow the international community to assist priority areas and help the Mission downsize over time. The European Union also looked forward to the revised national development plan, which would signal Government ownership of the process.

JOSÉ FILIPE MORAES CABRAL (Portugal) said that, as representative of a country that shared 500 years of history with Timor-Leste, he wished to underline a few points. Recalling the tenth anniversary of the 1999 Popular Consultation, he said that despite all difficulties, Timor-Leste had pursued its path towards consolidating peace and democratic stability. Portugal commended the Government for its achievements in addressing security and economic challenges, and surmounting grievances of the 2006 crisis. He emphasized that the National Police’s resumption of operational responsibilities should be achieved in the near future, and he encouraged Timorese authorities to that end. He added that the early October elections had been another milestone in the democratic process.

Continuing, he said UNMIT played a central role in that process, notably by contributing to the four areas of its mandate. He agreed on the need for renewed dialogue across the political spectrum and in all segments of society. Further, long-term stability would depend on security institutions functioning in an accountable and effective manner. The Timorese had repeatedly worked to build a democratic society, a goal that required continued international support. UNMIT should maintain its current strength, including the police capacity to assume interim functions, while the handing over of duties to the National Police should continue with a view to laying the ground for UNMIT’s drawdown.

MARIA LUIZA RIBEIRO VIOTTI (Brazil) welcomed progress in Timor-Leste, and supported the gradual approach in returning responsibilities to the National Police, PNTL, based on mutually-agreed criteria between the Timorese Government and UNMIT. In addition, in order to firmly turn the sad page of displacements caused by violence and avoid destabilization, attention should be given to all considerations in the return of internally displaced persons, including housing, land, property rights and income generation.

Commending the Government on the holding of peaceful local elections earlier in the month, she encouraged political leaders to continue to participate in the democratic process as the only way to address the challenges facing the country. Economic and social development was essential to consolidate those achievements, requiring significant investments in the productive non-oil sectors and social services. Her country had contributed to such endeavours in diverse sectors and would continue to assist the country in building much-needed capacity.

JIM MCLAY (New Zealand) said that his country had been pleased to work with Timor-Leste and successive international missions for the past ten years, and he welcomed the considerable progress that there had been recently in the country. Australia and New Zealand’s International Stability Force (ISF) was increasingly focused on capacity-building and development assistance, but recognized that its mere presence, as with that of UNPOL, provided a disincentive to those who might otherwise seek to foment unrest. He was therefore watching with interest the resumption of policing by the PNTL, which his country continued to assist in the area of community policing.

While the support of the international community was still required in Timor-Leste, the nature and direction of that support may need to evolve and change. He said it also meant that contributions would be increasingly needed from a wide range of international players, with different areas of skill and expertise. The United Nations still had a central role to play, but it was vital that the mission remained responsive to the changing environment in which it operated. In that respect, he urged great attention be paid to the upcoming United Nations Technical Assessment Mission. He also urged that any decisions made about UNMIT’s future continue to recognize the close link between the United Nations and ISF operations, and continue to ensure close coordination between the two.

GARY QUINLAN ( Australia) said that as a steadfast friend and neighbour of Timor-Leste, his country would continue to contribute what it could to international efforts to assist it to become a stable and prosperous nation. He welcomed the 9 October local elections and the closure of the last camps for internally displaced persons. The return of significant numbers of people into communities with limited infrastructure and other support services, however, presented new risks.

He said the Australian-led International Security Forces had started to shift focus from a security support role to one of defence cooperation with Timor-Leste’s military. In addition, Australia’s bilateral Police Development Program was working closely with the Government to develop the capacity of the PNTL. Transfer of policing responsibility from UNMIT to the PNTL should take place gradually, with each district and unit required to meet a set of objective criteria. While progress in the development of the justice sector had been achieved, the clear principle of separation of powers must be kept in mind at all times to ensure strong and independent judiciary.

In support of capacity building, Australia was finalizing a new strategy for development assistance, focusing on priorities identified by the Timorese Government, he said, and continued to describe programmes in support of capacity building and institutional reform. Concluding, he said it was important that the international community, led by the United Nations, continued to support Timor-Leste as it moved towards more effective and sustainable governance arrangements.

HILARIO G. DAVIDE, Jr. (Philippines), describing past support for Timor-Leste since 1999, said his country remained committed to Timor-Leste’s nation-building efforts through bilateral arrangements for assistance in capacity-building and as a member of the Core Group on Timor-Leste. Welcoming positive developments in all areas of building Timor-Leste’s nationhood, including the resumption of primary policing responsibilities by the PNTL, establishment of anti-corruption and civil service commissions, and meeting targets for national priorities in the international compact for Timor-Leste, he acknowledged the comprehensive role the UNMIT and United Nations country team had played and would continue to play in promoting peace and development. He supported the Secretary-General’s recommendation that UNMIT’s present strength and composition be maintained.