Timor Leste National Parliament and UNDP Sign Agreement for Continued Technical Assistance

Dili, Timor-Leste: 21 December 2009 - On 21 December 2009, the National Parliament RDTL and UNDP signed a new project document, providing for continued technical assistance towards strengthening parliamentary democracy over the next four years (2010-2013). The project document marks the beginning of new cycle for the UNDP Parliament Project, which has been supporting Parliament since 2003.

The new project document recognizes that seven years after its establishment, Parliament is approaching a new phase of development, moving from a period of establishing core institutional processes to period of systematic capacity development and consolidation of its role within the democratic governance systems. While institutional foundations are largely in place allowing Parliament to exercise its legislative and oversight functions in accordance with its Constitutional mandate, significant capacity challenges remain.

The objective of the new Parliament project is three-fold: (1) to support the consolidation of parliamentary processes by continuing to provide technical expertise and advisory assistance; (2) to expand and integrate existing capacity building initiatives into a comprehensive capacity- development strategy; and (3) on the basis of this capacity-development strategy and in close coordination with the Parliament, to lay the groundwork for a capacity transfer and eventual exit strategy.

President Fernando La Sama de Araujo said he was very pleased with the process of developing the strategy for the new project and emphasized the important role UNDP advisers play in supporting parliamentary operations. UNDP Resident Representative and Acting Representative of the Secretary-General, Mr. Finn Reske-Nielsen, thanked the President for his leadership and highlighted the Parliament Project as flagship example of cooperation and partnership between UNDP and Timorese institutions.

http://www.tl.undp.org/undp/Parliament%20and%20UNDP%20Sign%20Agreement%20for%20Continued%20Technical%20Assistance%20over%20the%20Next%20Four%20Years%20%282010-2014%29.htm