United Nations in Timor-Leste

The Sustainable Development Goals are a global call to action to end poverty, protect the earth’s environment and climate, and ensure that people everywhere can enjoy peace and prosperity. These are the goals the UN is working on in Timor-Leste:

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21 September 2023

Avansa to’o 2030 - Opsaun no Oportunidade ba Timor-Leste

Iha tinan 2015, governu sira husi nasaun hotu-hotu, sosiedade sivíl no umanidade tomak foti esforsu boot ida hodi adopta Objetivu Dezenvolvimentu Sustentavel (ODS) - ambisiozu, haree ba oin, no atu hetan liuhusi parseria no konsensu - ho objetivu atu hasai ema husi kiak, hamenus dezigualdade, no rezolve kestaun sira seluk ne'ebé limita ita-nia potensialidade; atu proteje ita-nia planeta, ita-nia uma, husi mudansa klimátika no dezastre sira ne'ebé kauza husi ema; atu hetan prosperidade ba ema hotu-hotu, hamenus dezigualdade, hamenus modelu konsumu, promove igualdade no justisa, atu nune'e ema hotu-hotu, maske iha sira-nia sirkunstánsia, Bele moris no moris-di'ak; promove ko-ezisténsia pasifika no mundu ida-ne'ebé la iha konflitu; no buat hotu-hotu ne'ebé sei realiza liuhusi parseria - hanesan, respeitu, la iha diferensa bazeia ba nasaun ida-ne'ebé boot, ho ema hotu-hotu iha lian no partisipasaun iha futuru. Semana ida-ne'e iha Nova Iorke, hahú husi 16 Setembru 2023, mundu ne'e halibur fali hodi marka pontu balun husi ODS sira no diskute dalan sira atu aselera implementasaun ODS sira-ne'e. No ho konkluzaun ne'ebé triste teb-tebes katak ita la'o sai husi dalan atu atinje ODS sira. Iha mundu tomak, iha pandemia COVID, ne'ebé taka mundu, estraga ekonomia no hatudu ita-nia interligasaun; funu foun sira ne'ebé sa'e maka'as; susar ba multilaterizmu no konsensu atu rezolve krize sira ne'ebé urjente liu iha mundu; ameasa emerjente sira husi governu sira ne'ebé eleitu demokrátiku; falta konfiansa ba governu sira ne'ebé eleitu; intoleránsia ne'ebé aumenta maka'as; todan ba tusan boot; dezempregu no inkapasidade atu absorve foin-sa'e sira ba ekonomia. Ita haree hela problema ida-ne'ebé boot kona-ba direitus umanus ne'ebé ita hotu hanoin rezolve ona; diseminasaun notísia falsu no informasaun ne'ebé la loos liu husi média sosiál sira, ho ideolojia perigozu sira sai hanesan "faktu"; Tragédia sira ne'ebé hamosu mudansa klimátika ne'ebé la iha rohan no klaru katak la iha satisfasaun ho asuntu globál no dezigualdade sira ne'ebé aumenta - iha nasaun sira-nia laran, entre nasaun sira no ema sira-nia laran. Tuir mai iha númeru ne'ebé boot katak sei lori tinan 500 tan atu alkansa igualdade jéneru no haree duni feto no labarik-feto sira hanesan ema ho direitu hanesan. Maski la iha tempu ne'ebé di'ak liu atu moris - teknolojia aprezenta ona oportunidade no transformasaun ne'ebé hakfodak hodi inventa, inovasaun, ligasaun, ne'ebé la eziste de'it iha tinan 50 liubá; iha labarik barak liu ba eskola kompara ho tempu ne’ebé deit iha istória; demokrasia barak liu; muda norma sosiál ne'ebé la'o ba oin no bazeia ba direitu. Ita haree ona aumentu iha Artifisiál Intelijénsia no oportunidade sira ne'ebé aprezenta ona, konsensu globál ne'ebé boot tebes no hakarak loloos atu salva ita-nia planeta; oportunidade foun sira ba kreximentu ekonómiku ne'ebé di'ak no sustentavel no emerjénsia husi bloku podér foun sira iha Global Sul, ko'alia no dezafia ba injustisa istórika sira, enkuantu ezije fatin ne'ebé justu liu - iha negosiasaun finanseira sira, inklui reestruturasaun instituisaun finansiamentu globál sira, iha komérsiu no justisa klimátika. Sira ne'ebé sempre iha direitu marjinál - feto, LGBQTI+, ema ho defisiénsia, joven - hotu-hotu luta hasoru violénsia no diskriminasaun. Hanesan Exelensia, Prezidente Repúblika, Jose Ramos-Horta, envolve hela iha konversasaun globál no pozisaun lideransa Timor-Leste nian iha Nova Iorke ba Simeira ODS nian, ne'e mak tempu di'ak atu reflete kona-ba oportunidade sira ba tinan 7 oin mai. Ha'u-nia fiar dezde ha'u to'o iha Timor-Leste fulan 9 liubá, no hafoin dekade rua hetan independénsia no dedikasaun atu harii fali nasaun ida-ne'ebé destruída, mak Timor-Leste hanesan nasaun ida-ne'ebé iha oportunidade atu avansa no atinje kreximentu dezenvolvimentu ba ajenda 2030 nian. Timor-Leste, maske iha istória ida-ne'ebé difisil, pasífiku no estavel, ho lideransa ida-ne'ebé konfia, ne'ebé hili husi eleisaun regulár no la-kontroversiál ida ho eleisaun parlamentár ikus ne'ebé hetan susesu iha nasaun ne'e no estabelesimentu governu konstitusionál IX ne'ebé lidera husi S.E., Primeiru-Ministru Xanana Gusmão. Timor-Leste kontinua hatudu respeitu ba direitus umanus, iha instituisaun sira ne'ebé forte, inklui governasaun, nia pozisaun no influénsia iha asuntu internasionál maske ho nia dimensaun, membru ida-ne'ebé iha valór no adere ba padraun internasionál liu husi membru Nasoins Unidas, CPLP, fundador/membru g7+, relasaun bilaterál forte ho nasaun sira iha mundu tomak, no nia estatutu observador atuál ASEAN nian. Nia iha rekursu sira hosi Fundu Petróleu ne'ebé jere didi'ak, atu koko solusaun inovativu sira ba dezenvolvimentu. Timor-Leste mós sai hanesan nasaun primeiru entre nasaun sira seluk ne'ebé kompromete ona ba Ajenda Dezenvolvimentu Sustentavel tinan 2030 no hahú kedas, nasaun ne'e halo ona revizaun nasionál voluntáriu rua (VNR), ne'ebé foin lalais ne'e aprezenta ona iha Forum Politiku Nivel Aas (HLPF) iha fulan Jullu tinan ida-ne'e. Maibé, iha kestaun boot sira ne'ebé presiza rezolve. Enkuantu fokus ne'ebé loos mak kona-ba saida mak asuntu sira-ne'e - taxa kreximentu ne'ebé aas ba kapitál umanu husi tinan 2002 to'o 2022; 70% dependénsia ba importasaun ai-han, 40% dezempregu, 48.3% pobreza multidimensional ne'ebé agrava inseguransa ai-han no taxa malnutrisaun ne'ebé aas, 47% husi labarik sira ne'ebé seidauk to'o tinan 5 sofre stunting, rezultadu edukasaun ne'ebé fraku, dezafiu ba infraestrutura no konetividade, seidauk iha fokus sufisiente ba “oinsá” - sistema revizaun kona-ba oinsá dezafiu hotu-hotu nia interasaun, liu husi aproximasaun integradu no koordenadu. Ida ne'e atu orienta oinsá rekursu sira implementa la'ós de'it atu alkansa efisiénsia no efikásia, maibé atu eskala intervensaun sira liuhusi solusaun sira ne'ebé sei rezulta rezultadu eskala, nesesáriu atu alkansa ODS sira. Dezafiu la'ós atu identifika problema sira, maibé atu identifika sistema saida mak presiza troka no oinsá atu intervén ho diferente. Iha dalan balun ne'ebé Timor-Leste bele avansa no halo iha tinan 7 oin mai. Primeiru, estabelese objetivu dezenvolvimentu, inklui apoiu husi asisténsia dezenvolvimentu, tenke koordena maka'as iha lideransa governu nian okos. Aprosimasaun ida-ne'ebé integradu husi parseiru governu/dezenvolvimentu sira hotu ne'ebé koordena ona ba planeamentu, prioritiza, identifika populasaun no munisípiu sira ne'ebé presiza liu, orientasaun finansiamentu no eskala tenke sai nu'udar prioridade absoluta. Porezemplu, planeamentu no intervensaun sira kona-ba uma rurál sira labele hala'o sein análize integradu kona-ba oinsá atu fornese uma rurál sira mós bele uza atu alkansa asesu ba bee, saneamentu, asesu ba kuidadu saúde no edukasaun, uza dadus no evidénsia ne'ebé forte kona-ba saida mak funsiona, inklui atrai tipu investimentu no teknolojia oin-oin hodi alkansa meta sira. Esforsu atu hamenus mortalidade labarik no inan nian, inklui hamenus malnutrisaun no stunting, tenke iha pelumenus empoderamentu feto nian. Porezemplu, iha estimativa katak feto isin-rua hamutuk 40,000 kada tinan iha Timor-Leste, no ho koordenasaun, planeamentu no alokasaun ne'ebé loos ho valór USD28M kada tinan, feto hamutuk 28,000 ne'ebé reprezenta 70% sei simu kuidadu ante-natal, ema na'in 32,000 ne'ebé reprezenta 80% sei hetan atende husi asistente partu ne'ebé iha kualifikasaun, ema na'in 36,000 ne'ebé reprezenta 90% sei simu kuidadu pos-natal no asesu ba servisu planeamentu familiár ne'ebé sei lori ba alkansa objetivu sira husi ODS kona-ba mortalidade inan nian hamutuk 70/100,000 mortalidade inan iha 2030 no se feto sira simu planeamentu familiár hodi loke espasu ba oan, sei hamenus stunting 50%. Planeamentu dezenvolvimentu ida-ne'ebé koordena sei rekere konsisténsia, espesializasaun téknika adisionál ne'ebé ajénsia ONU sira lori ba meza no tenke halo ho instituisaun governu relevante hotu-hotu, parseiru dezenvolvimentu bilaterál no ajénsia ONU - atu hala'o planeamentu konjuntu, identifika responsabilidade sira bazeia ba vantajen komparativu, identifika fonte finansiamentu, oinsá atu atrai finansiamentu adisionál, konkorda hamutuk kona-ba saida mak atu halo, oinsá atu halo monitorizasaun no importante liu, saida mak sei atinje eskala. Segundu, oportunidade ba finansiamentu ba dezenvolvimentu labele depende de'it ba finansiamentu públiku. Tenke identifika fonte finansiamentu seluk ba objetivu dezenvolvimentu nian iha maneira koerente, estratéjiku no kona alvu. Enkuantu orsamentu governu nian ba tinan 5 oin mai identifika ona prioridade no orsamentu sira, ida-ne'e mesak de'it labele finansia realizasaun ODS sira-nian. Sei iha nafatin nesesidade atu halo kustu finansiamentu hodi alkansa ODS sira iha períodu tinan 7 nia laran no finansiamentu adisionál saida mak bele hetan asesu. Ida ne'e sei la'ós de'it fo rezultadu lalais no kresimentu ekonómiku maibé sei garante estabilidade ba Fundu Petroliferu. ONU iha istoriku iha konvoka konversasaun kona-ba finansiamentu inovativu, inklui kona-ba finansiamentu bazeia ba rezultadu, iha ne'ebé investidór sira selu fali governu ba rezultadu espesífiku sira kona-ba edukasaun no alvu saúde nian. Diálogu hirak-ne'e atu halibur parseiru tradisionál no investidór privadu sira, instituisaun finansiamentu multilaterál sira kona-ba identifika fatin ne'ebé mak iha sentidu atu investe iha Timor-Leste, la'ós de'it atu kria empregu maibé atu kria emprezariedade lokál (franchising, cadeia de valór, asesu ba teknolojia, rekursu, abilidade, dijitalizasaun) ne'ebé sei responde ba dezafiu sosiál sira. Konversasaun sira-ne'e mós sei identifika dalan konkretu ba investimentu no finansiamentu, ho objetivu klaru no vontade polítika ne'ebé forte, atu hasai bloku sira-ne'e. Porezemplu, PNUD dezenvolve ona mapa investidór ODS ba nasaun sira iha Azia (Malazia, Tailandia, Sri Lanka, etc.), ajuda governu sira-ne'e atu identifika oportunidade ba investimentu privadu sira atu alkansa ODS no identifika investidór privadu/sosial potensiál sira, enkuantu suporta governu sira atu kria ambiente ida-ne'ebé bele fasilita. Terseiru, tenke iha esforsu konsultadu ida no rekursu inisial sira ba dijitalizasaun no abilidade sira ne'ebé liga ho kriasaun empregu. Planu kona-ba kriasaun empregu ba foin-sa'e sira tenke foka liu ba kriasaun empregu dijitál sira. Planu ne'e tenke dezeña bazeia ba enkuadramentu adaptativu ida atu identifika abilidade téknika no dijitál ne'ebé presiza no númeru ema ne'ebé disponivel ba abilidade hirak-ne'e, atu aselera kapasitasaun ekonómika, rekoñese dezafiu kontinu sira iha sistema no infraestrutura sira, dezenvolve enkuadramentu formasaun tékniku no dijitál ida, hahú husi inisiu, identifika iha ne'ebé mak abilidade hirak-ne'e sei implementa no sustenta no sistema monitorizasaun ida-ne'ebé forte ne'ebé deliberadu - mak planu ne'e bele lao? Ba dala haat, protesaun ba direitus umanus no dezigualdade sira ne'ebé iha ligasaun tenke sai sentrál ba foti desizaun kona-ba dezenvolvimentu. Asesu ba servisu ho kualidade no abilidade atu iha abilidade no instrumentu atu hadi'a kondisaun moris, liuliu ba ema ne'ebé vulneravel liu, nu'udar direitu fundamentál ne'ebé sidadaun sira tenke iha kbiit atu ezije, no governu nu'udar ema ne'ebé kaer devér, tenke fornese hanesan baze atu alkansa objetivu dezenvolvimentu no kria pás sustentavel ho maneira inkluzivu no la-diskriminatoriu. Ikusliu, buat hotu iha leten labele akontese sein reforma governasaun - setór públiku ida-ne'ebé ativu, kapasitadu no adekuadu ho kapasidade atu orienta desizaun polítika sira, maibé konsistente no apolitiku nafatin. Sistema jestaun finanseira públiku ida-ne'ebé halo monitorizasaun ba despeza governu nian ne'ebé hale'u alkansa meta sira no la'ós de'it despeza no prestasaun servisu sira no permite foti desizaun lalais iha nivel foti desizaun ne'ebé aas liu, suporta mudansa lalais iha aprosimasaun sira bainhira presiza no hamenus duplikasaun la'ós de'it atividade sira maibé iha funsaun no instituisaun sira. Ha'u hakarak atu ramata ho subliña dalan balun ne'ebé ONU no ninia ajénsia espesializada sira bele kontinua fó apoiu ba governu no povu Timor-Leste hodi alkansa ODS sira. ONU nia vantajen komparativu mak iha nia baze koñesimentu ne'ebé luan husi Timor-Leste no globalmente, atu fornese konsellu polítika imparsiál no neutral, inklui uza bid data (hanesan sensus). Ajénsia ONU nian, iha koordenasaun husi Koordenador Rezidente ida-ne'ebé iha kapasidade, bele fó apoiu ba governu hodi fasilita finansiamentu adisionál, inklui liuhusi investimentu sosiál sira, atu konvoka fasilita parseria rejionál no globál sira, eskala projetu pilotu sira- kona-ba saúde, nutrisaun, transformasaun sistema ai-han, hapara stuntung labarik sira no mortalidade inan no iha fornesimentu abilidade sira kona-ba kriasaun empregu. ONU nia papél normativu no apoiu ba governu nu'udar xave atu asegura katak governu kontinua kumpre nia responsabilidade direitus umanus, promove igualdade jéneru no empoderamentu feto sira-nian, no mós halo relatóriu kona-ba konvensaun ONU nian ne'ebé Timor-Leste asina - hotu-hotu importante atu fasilita realizasaun Programa Governu IX nian ne'ebé lori ba ODS.

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21 September 2023

Leapfrogging into 2030 – Options and Opportunities for Timor-Leste

In 2015, governments of all nations, civil society, and humanity as a whole took a giant stride by adopting the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) - ambitious, forward-looking, and to be achieved through partnerships and consensus - with the aim of lifting people out of poverty, reducing inequalities, and addressing other issues that limit our potential; of safeguarding our planet, our only home, from climate change and human-induced disasters; of achieving prosperity for all, reducing inequalities, rebalancing consumption patterns, promoting equity and justice so that all individuals, regardless of their circumstances at birth, can thrive and prosper; fostering peaceful coexistence and a world without conflicts; and all of this to be accomplished through partnerships – equal, respectful, without distinctions based on the size of a country, with everyone having a voice and a stake in the future. This week in New York, from 16 September 2023, the world is again gathering to mark the halfway point of the SDGs and discuss ways in which to accelerate the implementation of the SDGs. And within the backdrop of the very depressing conclusion that we are completely off-track in achieving the SDGs. Globally, there has been the COVID pandemic, which shut down the world, ruined economies and demonstrated starkly our interconnectedness; new and escalating wars; the rising distrust of multilateralism and consensus to resolve the world’s most urgent crises; the emerging threats of the overthrowing of democratically elected governments; increasing lack of confidence in elected governments; growing intolerance; huge debts burden; unemployment and inability to absorb young people into economies. We are witnessing a growing backlash on human rights that we all thought were settled; dissemination of fake news and misinformation through social media, with dangerous ideologies becoming ‘facts’; unending climate change-induced tragedies and clearly a dissatisfaction with global state of affairs and growing inequalities – within countries, among countries and within people. Then there is the grim figure that it would take us another 500 years to achieve gender equality and truly see women and girls as human beings with equal rights. Even with all the bleakness around us, there is no better time to be alive – technology has presented astounding opportunities and transformation to invent, innovate, connect, that did not exist just 50 years ago; there are more children in school than any time in history; more democracies; changing of social norms that are more progressive and rights-based. We have seen the rise of Artificial Intelligence and the opportunities it presents, the overwhelming global consensus and genuine desire to save our planet; new opportunities for green and sustainable economic growth and the emergency of new blocs of power in the Global South, speaking up and challenging historical injustices, while demanding fairer playing ground – in financial negotiations, including for the restructuring of global financing institutions, on trade and on climate justice. Those whose rights have always been marginal – women, LGBQTI+, people with disabilities, young people – are all fighting back, against violence and discrimination. As His Excellency, the President of the Republic, Jose Ramos-Horta, is engaging in the global conversations and positioning Timor-Leste’s leadership in New York for the SDG Summit, this is a good time to reflect on the opportunities for the next 7 years. My belief since I got to Timor Leste 9 months ago, and after two decades of independence and dedicated rebuilding of a then wrecked country, is that Timor-Leste is one of the few countries with the opportunities to leapfrog and achieve development growth in time for the 2030 agenda. Timor-Leste, despite a difficult history, is peaceful and stable, with a trusted leadership, enabled by regular and uncontroversial elections with the country’s last successful parliamentary elections and the establishment of the IX constitutional government under the leadership of HE, Prime Minister Xanana Gusmao. Timor-Leste continues to demonstrate respect for human rights, has strong institutions, including for governance, its position and influence in international affairs despite its size, a valued member and adherent to international standards through membership of United Nations, the CPLP, founder/member of g7+, strong bilateral relations with countries across the world, and its current observer status of ASEAN. It has the resources from a properly managed Petroleum Trust Fund, to test innovative solutions to development. Timor-Leste was also among the first countries to commit to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and since then, the country has conducted two voluntary national reviews (VNR), the latest of which was presented at the High-level Political Forum (HLPF) in July of this year. There are, however, major issues that will need to be addressed. While the focus rightly has been on the ‘what’ of the issues – a flat rate of growth for human capital from 2002 to 2022; 70% dependency on food imports, 40% rate of unemployment, 48.3% multidimensional poverty that aggravates food insecurity and a high malnutrition rates, 47% of children under 5 suffering from stunting, poor education outcomes, challenging infrastructure and connectivity, there has not been enough focus on the ‘how’ – systems review on how all the challenges interact, through an integrated and coordinated approach. This is to guide how resources are deployed to not just achieve efficiency and effectiveness, but in scaling up interventions through solutions that will result in scale of outcomes, necessary to achieve the SDGs. The challenge is not about identifying the problems, but in identifying what systems need to change and how to intervene differently. There are a few ways in which Timor-Leste can leapfrog and make the next 7 years count. First, setting development objectives, including support from development assistance, must be strongly coordinated under government leadership. An integrated and whole of government/development partners coordinated approach to planning, prioritizing, identifying the most in need populations and municipalities, guiding financing and scale must be an absolute priority. For example, planning and interventions on rural housing cannot be undertaken without an integrated analysis of how the provision of rural housing can also be used to simultaneously achieve rural access to water, sanitation, access to health care and education, using strong data and evidence of what works, including attracting different types of investments and technology to achieve the goals. Efforts at reducing child and maternal mortality, including reducing malnutrition and stunting, must have at the very least, women’s empowerment at its core. For example, there are an estimated 40,000 pregnant women per annum in Timor-Leste, and with right coordination, planning and allocation of USD28M a year, 28,000 women representing 70% will receive ante-natal care, 32,000 representing 80% will be attended to by skilled birth attendant, 36,000 representing 90% will receive post-natal care and access to family planning services which will lead to achievement of SDG targets on maternal mortality of 70/100,000 maternal mortality by 2030 and if the women receive family planning to space their children, will reduce stunting by 50%. A coordinated development planning will require consistency, additional technical expertise of which UN agencies bring to the table and must be done with all relevant government institutions, bilateral development partners and UN agencies – to undertake joint planning, identify responsibilities based on comparative advantage, identify sources of funding, how to attract additional financing, agree jointly on what to track, how to track and most importantly, what will achieve scale. Second, opportunities for financing for development must not only rely on public finance. Other sources of financing for development goals must be identified in a coherent, strategic and targeted way. While the government budget for the next 5 years has identified priorities and budget, this alone cannot finance the achievement of the SDGs. There will still be a need to undertake the cost of/financing for achieving the SDGs within a 7-year period and what additional financing can be accessed/mobilized. This will not only fast-track results and economic growth but will ensure stability for the Petroleum Fund. UN has a track record in convening conversations around innovative financing, including on outcome-based financing, where investors repay the government for the achievements of specific outcomes on education and health targets. These dialogues are to bring together traditional partners and private investors, multilateral financing institutions on identifying where it makes sense to invest in Timor-Leste, not just to create jobs but to create local entrepreneurship (franchising, value-chains, access to technology, resources, skills, digitalization) that will concurrently address social challenges. The conversations would also identify concrete roadblocks to investments and financing, with clear targets and strong political will, to remove the blocks. For example, UNDP has developed SDG Investor Maps for countries in Asia (Malaysia, Thailand, Sri Lanka, etc.), helping these governments identify opportunities for private investments to achieve SDGs and identifying potential private/social investors while supporting governments to create an enabling environment. Third, there must be a concerted effort and seed resources for digitalization and skills linked to job creation. A plan around job creation for young people must be centred on creating digital jobs. The plan must be designed around an adaptive framework in identifying the technical and digital skills needed and the number of people available for these skills, to accelerate economic empowerment, recognizing the perennial challenges in systems and infrastructure, developing a technical and digital skills training framework, from the start, identifying where these skills would be deployed and sustained and a strong monitoring system that is deliberate – is the plan working? Fourth, the protection of human rights and bridging inequalities must be central to decision-making around development. Accessing quality services and ability to have the skills and tools to improve livelihoods, especially for the most vulnerable, are fundamental rights that citizens must be able to demand, and the government as duty bearers, must provide as the foundation for achieving development objectives and engendering sustainable peace in an inclusive and non-discriminatory way. Finally, all the above cannot happen without governance reforms – an agile, capacitated and fit-for-purpose public sector with the ability to guide political decisions while remaining consistent and apolitical. A public financial management system that tracks government spending around achievement of targets and not just expenditure and delivery of services and enables quick decision-making at the highest level of decision making, supporting quick changes in approaches when necessary and reduction in duplication of not just activities but in functions and institutions. I would like to end by re-emphasizing some ways in which the UN and its specialized agencies can continue to support the government and people of Timor-Leste in achieving SDGs. UN's comparative advantage lies in its extensive knowledge base from Timor-Leste and globally, to provide impartial and neutral policy advice, including using big data (census for example). UN agencies, under the coordination of an empowered Resident Coordinator, can support the government to facilitate additional financing, including through social investments, to convene facilitate regional and global partnerships, scaling up pilot projects– on health, nutrition, food systems transformation, ending child stunting and maternal mortality and in the provision of skills on job creation. UN’s normative role and support to government are key to ensuring the government continues to fulfil its human rights accountability, promotes gender equality and empowerment of women while also reporting on UN conventions of which Timor-Leste is a signatory – all critical to enabling the achievement of the IX Government Programme leading to the SDGs.

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10 May 2022

Solidarity to End Violence

Viqueque, Timor-Leste. The two-day ‘Do No Harm’ workshop on ethical and safe approach when responding to cases of gender-based violence (GBV) was held on March 30, 31 in Viqueque, Timor-Leste. The ‘Do No Harm’ workshop aims to promote better understanding of the nature of Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) which interlinks with mental health of the survivors, and supports local communities to adopt ‘Do No Harm’ approach, namely ethical and safe method when respond to cases of VAWG. The workshop has been conducted in three municipalities, Bobonaro, Ermera and Viqueque, lectured by Civil Society Organizations (CSOs), local authorities and Justice Institutions that work closely on VAWG and GBV. At the seminar, the participants including school teachers and students are encouraged to share their experiences when dealing with GBV cases and survivors, and discuss about how they can improve local community to response and prevent the VAWG. Irene Kobesi works as the PNTL (Policia National Timor-Leste) First Sergeant in Vulnerable Person Unit (VPU), supporting survivors of Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG). She said “I participated in the ‘Do No Harm’ workshop, because, as a VPU officer, my duty is to protect women and girls.” At the workshop, interconnections between VAWG and mental health of the survivors were underlined to understand the wider perspective of VAWG: survivors are harmed not only when they received violence, but also when they receive indiscreet questions about the sexual violence during the judicial process. https://youtu.be/ilSYHxHS7Cc During the seminar, it was emphasized that people’s better understandings of VAWG and cooperation from local authorities are necessary to eliminate VAWG at the community level. Maria Odete do Amaral, a Chief of Village in Viqueque, stated “I really wanted to join this seminar because this is essential for me as a community leader. I can share what I learned in this seminar with my community, and those who experienced violence, mostly women and girls.” While “Prevention of domestic violence can start from family. If we have knowledge in VAWG, domestic violence can be prevented in the early stage. If we solve family issue with violence, our children never learn how to solve problem without violence” addressed by Jose Delima, a Coordinator of Public Defender. In Timor-Leste, climate change also exacerbates cases of VAWG. In the interview, Irene shared her experience in the flash floods during March 29th -April 4th 2021, resulted in disastrous landslide that produced more than 15,000 internally displaced people right after the disaster. “Last year, we experienced the catastrophic flood. Some people were traumatized, because they didn’t have place to live, and experienced violence from their partners. We provided support to those who suffered from both flood and violence. If their houses are not safe to live, we contacted local authorities to provide them an emergency shelter.” To respond and prevent VAWG, a bottom-up approach to adopt ‘Do No Harm’ at the community level is essential, because the causes of the violence are deeply connected to the social context of Timor-Leste. “Together, we can end violence against women and girls” concluded Irene. By Fidelia Mendonca, Ayumi Kimura

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Irene Kobesi, a police officer working with the Vulnerable Person’s Unit (VPU). She joined the ‘Do No Harm’ seminar to strengthen her knowledge of ‘Do No Harm’ approach. Photo: UNDP/ Ayumi Kimura

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18 April 2022

Historical insights, sustainable and inclusive development: What they might mean for us now and for the future

An essential first step is perhaps to help people clearly define what type of national development people of Timor-Leste would like to see in their country The United Nations is here to support the government and the people of Timor-Leste. The SDGs and 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development offer evidenced-based and solution-based directions for an inclusive, prosperous and sustainable future for all.
With the second round of the Presidential Elections imminent, it has been an interesting and exciting past week, thinking about now as well as the future of the country. Irrespective of the people’s decision for either of the candidates, the President’s ‘father-of-the-nation’ role entails a key guiding role that contributes to strengthening the economy, political systems, collaborations, and reconciliation in the wake of the COVID-19 fallout and critical development challenges facing the country.
In the past week, I had the privilege of joining an exciting and insightful online webinar featuring an interview with Professor Jeffrey Sachs on Accelerating Progress on SDGs in Malaysia . The interview –skillfully moderated by my friend and colleague UN Resident Coordinator for Malaysia and Singapore, Ms Karima El Korri – was organised by the Sunway University and the Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN), part of a global network of universities and institutions promoting sustainable development practices. Incidentally, we (the UN) are assisting the University of Timor-Leste to join this Network soon. As always, Professor Sachs covers a lot of historical ground and makes fascinating connections between social and economic progress and many global challenges that the world faces today. He starts by drawing attention to the combination of events that contributed to global economic growth in the period after 1776 (imperialism, the industrial revolution, the role of fossil fuels, self-interest, the dominance of market economies and many other factors).
Professor Sachs points out that “…one of the reasons the world is struggling to reduce its dependence on fossil fuels is that we have had 200+ years of economic growth based on a reliance on fossil fuels and market economies. The powerful forces behind fossil fuels are pervasive and shape almost every aspect of our lives. So, breaking that dependence and reducing our reliance on fossil fuels and shifting towards carbon-neutral growth may take years, possibly decades.” This is why governments and development institutions need to prepare long-term plans now and to ensure that these are practically progressed annually for this critical global transition. He notes that sadly even after the past decade of rising global temperatures and changing global weather patterns contributing to more frequent and devastating environmental disasters, as well as the loss of biodiversity and the COVID-19 pandemic, we have yet to see many governments, industries and international institutions develop and implement robust long-term (20-year plus) plans for zero carbon growth. As the IPCC (International Panel on Climate Change) has said on many occasions (see: https://www.nature.org/en-us/what-we-do/our-insights/perspectives/ipcc-report-climate-change/) ‘time is running out’! “…one of the reasons the world is struggling to reduce its dependence on fossil fuels is that we have had 200+ years of economic growth based on a reliance on fossil fuels and market economies. The powerful forces behind fossil fuels are pervasive and shape almost every aspect of our lives. So, breaking that dependence and reducing our reliance on fossil fuels and shifting towards carbon-neutral growth may take years, possibly decades.” By making a powerful case for the SDGs (Sustainable Development Goals) as the guiding principles for a better, more sustainable world for all, he advocates for “six big transformations” that he believes are essential for nations in the Asia-Pacific region (all of whom, according to data from ESCAP, are ‘off-track in terms of progress against the SDGs’ (see: https://data.unescap.org/data-analysis/sdg-progress.) The Asia-Pacific region is home to 60% of the global population, so if the world is to achieve the SDGs by 2030, it is vital that this region achieves the progress that is needed. The six transformations that Professor Sachs’ identifies are: (i) Quality Education for all; (ii) Health for all; (iii) Energy and industrial transformation; (iv) Sustainable land use (and one might add, especially for small island states and many others sustainable use of oceans); (v) sustainable cities; (vi) Digital transformation. While also emphasising the vital importance of gender equality and inclusion, Professor Sachs’ makes a personal plea for increased women’s leadership globally and in all spheres to accompany and accelerate the transformations needed to create a better world for all. This presentation made me reflect on the work that the UN is supporting in Timor-Leste and elsewhere. How can we better support political leaders, governments and key institutions in the countries we serve to develop serious, long-term, inclusive, and sustainable plans for climate action and carbon-neutral growth? And more importantly, how can we more effectively support the development and implementation of long-term plans for such transformations? An essential first step is perhaps helping people clearly define what type of national development they would like to see in their country. In my conversations with some Timorese citizens, I have heard friends and colleagues say that they would like Timor-Leste to be more like Singapore. I wonder, however, which aspects of Singapore’s development people in Timor really value. If that is a ‘model’ that Timorese citizens want to emulate, how can we start to chart a path to move from where we are now to foster a model of development that benefits and creates a better, more sustainable future for all? And critically, how can we ensure that progress is measured year-on-year to safeguard a better future for all?

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15 March 2022

Children in Grade 1 inspired to learn by peer mentors in Timor-Leste

Around forty children between the ages of five to seven sit in small groups on a large verandah and in classrooms at the Eskola Basic Filial (EBF) Matata school in Ermera Municipality. All of them are completely engrossed in books that they occasionally point to as they emphasize a detail or show each other some of the illustrations. The setting is a school in the Ermera Municipality, where the UNICEF supported ‘Ready to LEAP’ (Learn, Engage, Achieve, Progress) programme, introduced in 2019 with the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports, is helping children have a smooth transition from home to formal schooling. Similar activity is being conducted at ten other basic education schools in Ermera and Liquica municipalities. The initiative helps children who enrolled in grade 1 or those repeating grade 1 to get additional support from the school, their parents, families and other students (peer mentors) to build up their confidence and prepare to continue learning in a school-based setting. Trained peer mentors play a key role in inspiring younger children to learn. UNICEF Timor-Leste/2020/Dmaia Grade 3 students involved as young mentors to Grade 1 students in EBF Matata, Ermera municipality. In a country where only 27 per cent of children are enrolled in preschools, and where the grade 1 repetition rate is 19 per cent, initiatives such as these make a big difference in inspiring younger children to transition smoothly into school-based learning. To date, the school readiness programme has benefitted 1,314 students in grade 1 classes and enabled 439 students between 10 -11 years old from eleven basic education schools to take part in this initiative as peer mentors. So as not to interrupt learning for peer mentors, these sessions take place every Saturday. The training for teachers and peer mentors at the school in Ermera was initially conducted in 2019 in collaboration with the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports. However, the rollout of the programme was interrupted by COVID-19 related school closures. Most of the trained peer mentors from Grade 5 and Grade 6, who usually take part in this initiative, had also already graduated or were busy preparing for their final examinations. However, the EBF Matata basic school introduced new ideas to keep the programme running. Teachers from EBF Matata school started engaging with Grade 2 and Grade 3 students who were once beneficiaries of the programme in 2019, to train and help them become peer mentors themselves and help inspire younger children to learn. “I feel so happy and proud when the teacher asked me to be a young facilitator. Since joining this programme, I have become much closer to grade 1 students and have become friends with them” said 10-year-old Davio Bosco Cardoso UNICEF Timor-Leste/2022/LRangel A peer mentor takes part in an interview through phone call to help other children continue to learn. Nine-year-old Merelia de Francia Mali Goncalves expressed her excitement at being part of the programme “I feel so proud because I am like a teacher for them, I make them feel happy, to be diligent, and they come to the school every day. So it is a great feeling,” she says. At the beginning of the programme, teachers accompanied the peer mentors and supported them until the mentors were capable of running the activities on their own. As the programme progressed, teachers say the peer mentors got over their initial shyness and became more confident to speak up and lead the sessions. “This is not only benefitting the Grade 1 students. After taking a role as peer mentors, the literacy and numeracy skills of the mentors also improved, and so did their social skills, for example, understanding ways to solve problems, or how to communicate with friends and manage time,” said Lurdes Rangel Goncalves, a teacher at the EBF Matata School in Ermera. With additional funding from UNICEF Australia, the ‘Ready to LEAP’ programme will continue in 2022 and 2023 in 30 more schools in five municipalities. These would incorporate additional inclusive and sustainable approaches, including supporting the participation of children with disabilities.

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09 July 2025

Caring for Those Who Care: UN in Timor-Leste Puts Staff Wellbeing at the Centre of Change

Dili, Timor-Leste – In an ever-evolving global development funding and financing context marked by volatility, reform, and rising demands on the multilateral system, the United Nations in Timor-Leste is leading by example — placing staff wellbeing and resilience at the heart of its operational ethos. Recognising that a healthy, supported workforce is essential to delivering on the Sustainable Development Goals, the UN Resident Coordinator’s Office recently came together for a dedicated two-day session focused on navigating change, building resilience, and prioritising wellbeing. Facilitated by psychosocial expert Ms Loyda Santolaria, the initiative brought together staff across agencies for open and honest dialogue.The workshop was convened under the leadership of UN Resident Coordinator Ms. Funmi Balogun, who has been at the forefront of championing a people-first approach within the UN system in Timor-Leste.“At the heart of the UN is its people. When we speak of leaving no one behind, we must begin by not leaving behind those who serve,” said Ms. Balogun. “Staff wellbeing is not a side agenda — it is central to our effectiveness, our credibility, and our collective ability to build the future we all envision.”The training was grounded in the rather sobering findings of a Psychosocial Needs Assessment (PNA) carried out between July 2022 and April 2023. Among other findings, it revealed that 33% of staff screened positive for PTSD symptoms, 18% for burnout, and 27% for one or more significant mental health concerns. These are not mere statistics — they represent real people, many of whom are national staff still living with the echoes of Timor-Leste’s difficult history of occupation, violence, and displacement. “Timor-Leste’s past and present realities mean that for many of our national colleagues, professional responsibilities are deeply intertwined with personal experiences of trauma,” Ms. Balogun observed. “This makes it even more important that the UN does not just deliver services — it must create safe, inclusive environments for those delivering them.”Alongside this special training, the UN in Timor-Leste has rolled out monthly Cultural Awareness Sessions since early 2024, helping new staff and their families integrate into the local context while fostering mutual understanding in the workplace. Conducted in collaboration with UNDSS and across UN agencies, these sessions have created much-needed spaces for connection, knowledge, and cross-cultural appreciation. The recent resilience-focused well-being workshop invited participants to explore real-time challenges—organisational restructuring, job insecurity, emotional exhaustion—and to develop personal strategies to cope and thrive. It included peer-sharing, grounding exercises, discussions on survivor’s guilt, and tools for managing team dynamics during uncertain times.“The workshop has helped me understand that change is inevitable, and it has inspired me to start thinking more positively rather than worrying about what lies ahead,” shared WFP Head of Research, Assessment and Monitoring with WFP. “Together with my family, we’ve begun exploring additional income-generating ideas. I’m also looking at acquiring new skills beyond the white-collar sphere — like business and design — that could help build resilience in times of change.”In a context of global financial tightening and structural changes across the UN, many staff in field settings — particularly those on short-term or project-funded contracts—are facing heightened stress, job uncertainty, and emotional strain. “The session provided timely guidance and encouragement, particularly for those of us with supervisory roles,”said UNFPA, Admin and Finance Associate at UNFPA. “It gave me clarity on managing uncertainty, stress, and the emotional impacts of change. More than that, it reminded me to stay grounded and focused—not only for my own wellbeing but to better support my team during challenging times.”The workshop also reinforced key principles of the UN System Mental Health and Wellbeing Strategy, launched by the Secretary-General and adopted across all UN entities. The strategy aims to foster a system-wide culture where mental health is protected, supported, and promoted — one that recognises mental health as a foundation for performance, accountability, and a sustainable workforce. “We are asking our teams to deliver more, in more difficult environments, with fewer resources. That is the reality of today’s multilateralism,” said Ms. Balogun. “But we cannot achieve excellence through exhaustion. The wellbeing of our people is not only a moral imperative — it is a strategic investment in the UN’s mission and mandate.” The momentum built through these wellbeing sessions will not be lost. The RCO will continue to advocate for manager support and the integration of wellbeing principles into everyday team dynamics. There is ongoing interest in informal peer-support mechanisms and in building capacity to better navigate organisational transitions. This is not a one-off conversation. It is a shift in culture — towards one where being human is not a liability but a strength.“If we want our staff to be resilient in the face of complexity,” Ms. Balogun concluded, “then we must build systems that honour their humanity. That’s the future of our work—and it starts now.”

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Caring for Those Who Care: UN in Timor-Leste Puts Staff Wellbeing at the Centre of Change

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30 April 2025

25 Years of PNTL and UN Partnership: A Journey of Resilience and Progress

The Policia Nacional de Timor-Leste (PNTL) recently marked its 25th anniversary in March 2025, highlighting the force's achievements and the strong and lasting alliance between PNTL and the United Nations. From its early days of establishing Timor-Leste's law enforcement agencies under UNTAET to its current position of providing ongoing support, the United Nations has been an integral contributor to country's law enforcement institutions. The UN’s role has evolved from direct supervision to strategic collaboration throughout the years, ensuring that PNTL remains a strong, autonomous organisation. From UNTAET (1999-2002) to UNMIT (2006-2012), the UN supported the establishment of a professional and community-oriented police service. As a key institution of governance, the PNTL has been instrumental to Timor-Leste’s pride in being a model of democracy, good governance and human rights in Southeast Asia, working through ongoing collaboration and coordinated approaches with UN agencies in Timor-Leste, to strengthen its ability in crime prevention, investigations, and digital forensics to ensure that officers are prepared to handle the needs of modern police. Together with its operational capability, the PNTL has developed into a professional police force characterized by a dedication to human rights and community involvement. This has been integrated into the DNA of the PNTL through a consistent and continuing partnership with the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights and the Provedoria for Human Rights and Justice (PDHJ), an independent national institution, which has helped to include human rights principles into PNTL training. Increased public faith in law enforcement is a direct result of the partnership’s emphasis on police upholding the law in a way that is consistent with international human rights norms and standards. Community policing programmes, with the support of the United Nations, have also helped bring police and the communities they patrol closer together. These initiatives have fostered a more welcoming and community-focused approach to law enforcement by bringing together citizens and security forces. Recognising that security should include not just public areas but also homes and communities, the UN’s collaboration with PNTL has strongly emphasised gender-responsive policing. In light of the concerning prevalence of GBV in Timor-Leste, the United Nations has provided strong backing to the second National Action Plan (NAP) 1325 on Women, Peace, and Security (2024-2028) and support on gender equality, gender-based violence prevention, and leadership via this program, ensuring that PNTL's policing strategy is proactive, protective, and safeguarding. The United Nations also supported PNTL's official adoption of its second-generation Gender Strategy (2024–2028) in November 2024. The strategy addresses critical issues such as women’s recruitment, career progression, and sexual harassment prevention, advancing a gender-inclusive work environment. The UN has also played a key role in supporting women officers in peacekeeping missions, mentoring 205 officers (71 women and 134 men) for international deployment opportunities. As Timor-Leste prepares to join ASEAN as a full member, the PNTL will need to adjust to changes in regional security, fortify cross-border cooperation, and increase its ability to combat transnational crime. ASEAN membership will provide new opportunities for knowledge-sharing, joint training, and coordinated law enforcement efforts, ensuring that PNTL is well-equipped to meet emerging security challenges. Additionally, the country faces new security challenges, including cybercrime, human trafficking, illicit trade, and transnational organised crime. The United Nations has taken the lead in building PNTL personnel-specific skills in digital forensics, counter-trafficking procedures, and victim protection measures in order to improve law enforcement's responses. With the first Victim Identification and Referral Mechanism in place, Timor-Leste is better able to fight human trafficking and provide victims with the help they need to overcome these crimes. Anticipating the Future: A Strong and Collaborative FoundationLooking into the future, addressing emerging threats will require a focus on strengthening institutional capabilities, incorporating sophisticated technologies, and expanding regional security cooperation. The United Nations Resident Coordinator Funmi Balogun expressed her appreciation to the Commandant and all serving and retired members of the PNTL, on this momentous occasion, recognising their steadfast commitment to safeguarding the country and its inhabitants. "PNTL's journey over the past 25 years exemplifies resilience, dedication, and an unyielding commitment to justice." It is with great pride that the United Nations has joined forces with PNTL to establish and reinforce an institution that will serve with honesty and make human rights its top priority. To ensure that every person may live in dignity, peace, and security’. She also applauded the Government of Timor-Leste for its ongoing efforts on police and judicial reforms. As the celebrations concluded, one message stood very clear - the PNTL’s 25-year journey is evidence of resilience, progress, and the power of multilateralism.

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08 April 2025

Timor-Leste Launches and Disseminates Gender Analysis Thematic Report: A Key Milestone in Advancing Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment

Today, the Government of Timor-Leste, through the Secretary of State for Equality (SEI) and the National Institute of Statistics of Timor-Leste (INETL), in collaboration with the United Nations in Timor-Leste, represented by UNFPA and UN Women, launched and disseminated the Gender Analysis Thematic Report derived from the 2022 Population and Housing Census. The event marks a significant milestone in the country’s ongoing journey toward achieving gender equality and women’s empowerment.In her opening remarks, the Secretary of State for Equality, H.E. Elvina de Carvalho, expressed pride and honor in launching this pivotal report, highlighting its critical importance in shaping national policies and programmes. "This report is more than a collection of numbers," she stated. "It is a mirror reflecting the realities, inequalities, and progress of women, girls, men, and boys in our country. While we celebrate the strides made in education, healthcare, and political participation, we must also confront the persistent disparities, particularly in employment, literacy, and access to services for women in rural areas and those with disabilities."Highlighting key findings from the report, she underscored the urgency of addressing critical gender issues such as high maternal mortality, gendered poverty, early marriage, and vulnerable employment that continue to disproportionately affect women in Timor-Leste. "These challenges are not just statistics," she continued. "They represent the lived experiences of Timorese women and girls. The time for action is now, and data-driven solutions that will shape our future."The UN Resident Coordinator for Timor-Leste, Ms. Funmi Balogun Alexander, also addressed the gathering, commending the strong collaborative efforts between the Government, the National Institute of Statistics, UNFPA, and UN Women in producing the report. "The Gender Analysis Thematic Report is an invaluable tool for understanding both the progress made and persistent gender inequalities that continue to share the lives in Timor-Leste," said Ms. Balogun. "Despite notable achievements such as increased access to education for women and improved maternal healthcare, significant challenges remain. The road ahead requires us to tackle the root causes of gender inequality, which are deeply entrenched in both societal norms and legal structures."Reflecting on global commitments to gender equality, she reminded the audience of the 30th anniversary of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, underscoring the United Nations' commitment to improving gender statistics and analysis globally. "The data presented today provides a roadmap for transforming the lives of women and girls in Timor-Leste. This is a call to action for all stakeholders to work collaboratively in turning this data into meaningful, tangible outcomes. The urgency of addressing gendered poverty, expanding women’s access to decent work, and breaking down the barriers that hinder women from achieving their full potential cannot be overstated."Both the Government and the UN reaffirmed their shared commitment to advancing gender equality, aligning their efforts with international frameworks such as the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW). The report’s findings will inform policies and programmes aimed at expanding access to quality healthcare and education, reducing the gender gap in the labor market, tackling unpaid care work, and preventing gender-based violence.The Secretary of State for Equality concluded her speech with a powerful call for unity and action: "Let us all join forces to ensure that gender equality is not just a vision but a living reality for every woman and girl in Timor-Leste. This report is our roadmap, and together, we must commit to its implementation for the betterment of our nation."During the closing remarks, Ms. Navchaa Suren, UNFPA Representative, echoed this sentiment, affirming, "Let us leave today with a shared commitment to ensure this report does not sit on a shelf, but it used to inform and influence budgets, laws, policies, service delivery, and advocacy for advancing gender equality in Timor-Leste."The event marks a new chapter in Timor-Leste’s journey towards building a more inclusive and equitable society. The Gender Thematic Analysis Report serves as a vital tool for informing evidence-based policies that advance gender equality and women’s empowerment, ensuring that no woman or girl is left behind.

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07 April 2025

When Darkness Surrounded Us, Midwives Became Our Light of Hope

In the early hours of a rainy night in the quiet village of Tutuluro, Manufahi, a young couple found themselves in the midst of an unexpected ordeal. At around 2:00 am 22-year-old Oliviana Maria Ornai felt the first waves of labor gripping her body. Outside a fierce storm raged unleashing a torrential downpour and fierce winds. The Tutuluro river swelled and flooded,, cutting off their community and turning an already daunting moment into a desperate struggle for safety.For Oliviana’s husband, 20-year-old Bonjono da Costa, the situation was overwhelming. The village was eerily quiet, but the storm’s fury made their isolation even more terrifying. With no immediate access to the health facility and no experience with childbirth, fear gripped him. "I didn’t know what to do," he admitted. "I wanted to get help, but the river had turned into a raging force, cutting us off completely." The only path to medical assistance lay beyond the swollen waters, but crossing it in the dark, amidst the storm, seemed impossible.Despite the mounting pressure, Bonjono was determined to get his wife the medical care she needed. He stayed by Oliviana’s side, trying to keep her calm while grappling with his own fear. The possibility of seeking help seemed impossible until dawn, when neighbors arrived and rushed to alert the midwife at the local health post. Upon assessing Oliviana, the midwife knew there was no time to lose…she needed to be taken to the Emergency Obstetric and Newborn Care Center in Monaco Same immediately.The challenges kept mounting but Bonjono refused to give up. With the roads nearly impassable, The midwife’s husband carefully navigated a motorbike through the treacherous terrain carrying Oliviana as close as possible to the riverbank.But the real test lay ahead… the river had swelled dangerously, turning their path into a rushing torrent. As they waded in, the water rose to their waists, each step a struggle against the current. Drenched and exhausted, they finally made it across relief washing over them as they spotted the ambulance waiting on the other side.As soon as they reached the ambulance, Bonjono and Oliviana were met by healthcare professionals whose presence brought a much needed sense of relief. . “Seeing the midwives from EmONC was like a light in the darkness. In that moment, it felt like we had hope again,” Bonjono added, his voice thick with emotion.As she rested at the EmONC Center, Oliviana reflected on her ordeal and the fears that had gripped her throughout the night. “I wanted to give birth at the health facility in Monaco Same because I knew they had the proper equipment and trained healthcare providers,” she said. “I’ve seen what can happen when complications arise. My aunt suffered severe health issues after giving birth at home, and I was terrified of facing the same fate. I wanted a safe delivery for myself and my baby.”By 11:00 am, Oliviana had delivered a healthy baby girl weighing 3,115 grams. The skilled midwives trained in Emergency Obstetric and Neonatal Care (EmONC) successfully delivered the baby, using a vacuum extractor when she became too weak to push. After 24 hours of monitoring, both mother and baby were safely discharged ending a night of struggle with the joy of new life. Inés Cardoso, another midwife at EmONC reflected on the significance of their training in handling such cases: “Without the training we received through EmONC, we wouldn’t have been able to handle such a complex delivery. The vacuum extraction procedure, in itself, is something I learned through this program. Without this knowledge, we might have had to refer the case to a hospital.”The EmONC center, which opened in December 2022, has been a beacon of hope for many families in the region. Equipped with medical, non-medical items and staffed by dedicated professionals, the center has supported over 200 births since its opening, all while maintaining a zero maternal mortality rate this year.UNFPA, the United Nations sexual and reproductive health agency, in partnership with the Ministry of Health and the National Institute of Health, continues to strengthen the capacity of healthcare workers like Rosalia and Inés, ensuring that essential care reaches even the most remote areas. By providing training and medical resources, they are working toward their goal of eliminating preventable maternal deaths in Timor-Leste.

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27 March 2025

SHAPING THE FUTURE: TIMOR-LESTE'S YOUTH CALL FOR ACTION

Timor-Leste's youth are not just future leaders—they have already proven themselves as key actors in shaping a better world. In the lead-up to last year's United Nations Summit of the Future, young leaders from across the country gathered for the Timor-Leste Youth Forum, a dynamic platform where they tackled some of the most pressing global challenges. Organized by the Timor-Leste Alumni Youth Parliamentary (APFTL), with support from the UN Resident Coordinator's Office and in collaboration with the Ministry of Youth and Sports, the event brought together over 150 young representatives from 22 organizations, demonstrating the country's strong commitment to global governance, sustainable development, and peacebuilding. As the world prepared for the Summit of the Future, Timorese youth made their voices heard, contributing to the global UN Youth Agenda and influencing the Youth Declaration. Their discussions centered on five critical themes of the proposed Pact for the Future: Sustainable Development and Financing, Peace and Security, Science, Technology, and Innovation and Digital Cooperation, Youth and Future Generations, and Transforming Global Governance. Each of these topics carried profound local significance. At the heart of the Forum was the Timor-Leste Youth Declaration for the Summit of the Future, a bold statement aligning with the UN's Our Common Agenda. It called for stronger youth representation in policymaking, increased investment in education and vocational training, and a greater focus on gender equality, reinforcing the importance of SDG 5 on Gender Equality. The declaration also addressed global governance, with Timorese youth advocating for greater inclusion of small nations in decision-making processes. They emphasized the need for accountability in climate commitments, urging world leaders to uphold the Paris Agreement and act decisively on carbon emissions to ensure climate justice for future generations. The UN Resident Coordinator's Office played a crucial role in supporting the Forum, fostering collaboration between national and international actors to ensure youth voices translated into action. The event underscored the UN's commitment to innovation, inclusivity, and empowering young leaders as equal partners in shaping the world's future. As the Summit of the Future became a defining moment in global governance, Timorese youth ensured their perspectives were part of the conversation. Their message remains clear: "We are not just the future—we are the present. The time to listen to youth is now."

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Press Release

05 February 2025

Executive Board of UNFPA, UNDP, UNOPS and Statement of Timor-Leste Ambassador to United Nations

New York, 4 February 2025 - Timor-Leste took the floor during the meeting of the Executive Board of the United Nations Children’s Fund, underlining UNICEF’s vital role in supporting the country's development and advancing child rights and sustainable development since its independence in 2002.In light of its Country Programme Document (CPD) (2021-2025), UNICEF in Timor-Leste have worked through its strategic initiatives to enhance the well-being of children in five key areas: Health and Nutrition, Education, Child Protection, Implementing the Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH), and Social Policy and Advocacy. This corresponds well with Timor-Leste’s first National Action Plan for Children launched in 2018, which outlines strategies and concrete targets for improving the lives of all children.UNICEF's contribution has been instrumental in Timor-Leste's development, directly impacting child survival, cognitive development, and future economic productivity as well as helped shape inclusive policies and promote children's rights. Timor-Leste reiterated its commitment to work closely with UNICEF as a strategic partner to address the country’s needs and achieve its development goals.Full statement available here: https://estatements.unmeetings.org/.../kXtGNhSl_nyc_en.pdf

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Press Release

29 August 2024

Joint Press Encounter with the Prime Minister of Timor-Leste Kay Rala Xanana Gusmão [as delivered]

Senhoras e senhores jornalistas, quero em primeiro lugar prestar uma sentida e emocionada homenagem ao primeiro-ministro Xanana Gusmão.Primeiro ao combatente, ao líder da resistência, que nas montanhas tudo sacrificou para conseguir a independência do seu país e do seu povo.Depois, pela resistência que revelou, preso na Indonésia, mas agindo sempre com grande determinação em defesa da independência do seu povo.Tivemos na altura ocasião pela primeira vez de falar por telefone. E quero sublinhar que houve uma total identidade de pontos de vista entre a resistência timorense, liderada por Xanana Gusmão, e o Governo português, nas negociações que conduziram no final ao processo de autodeterminação.E depois, o líder da transformação de Timor-Leste num país independente, num país democrático, num país respeitador dos direitos humanos e num país que se afirma internacionalmente com crescente influência.
Timor-Leste ganhou a batalha da independência. Timor-Leste ganhou a batalha da democracia. E como Secretário-Geral das Nações Unidas eu naturalmente sinto orgulho de que as Nações Unidas tenham estado ao lado do povo de Timor-Leste na luta pela independência e na consolidação da democracia.Mas Timor-Leste tem agora que ganhar a batalha do desenvolvimento. E quero dizer que as Nações Unidas, na sua limitada capacidade, mas com total empenhamento, estão inteiramente ao lado do Governo de Timor-Leste para, de acordo com as estratégias do Governo de Timor-Leste, poder apoiar a vitória na batalha do desenvolvimento.Fiquei muito impressionado pela descrição que o Sr. Primeiro-Ministro fez do compromisso de um esforço renovado em matéria de segurança alimentar, de investimento na agricultura. Seguramente um desafio crucial para o êxito da estratégia de desenvolvimento.Fiquei muito impressionado com o compromisso expresso pelo Primeiro-Ministro em relação à educação e à saúde. Fiquei muito impressionado com a visão sobre as infraestruturas que são necessárias e as infraestruturas que porventura o serão menos e a capacidade de escolher e decidir aquilo que o povo de Timor-Leste necessita.E fiquei também muito impressionado com o facto de Timor-Leste, um país pequeno, Portugal também é um país pequeno, ter hoje uma capacidade de afirmação internacional que é absolutamente notável.
Timor-Leste é membro da Organização Mundial do Comércio. Timor-Leste é fundador do G7+, com influência crescente nas discussões ao nível da comunidade internacional e das Nações Unidas. Timor-Leste será em breve membro da ASEAN, onde espero que possa desempenhar um papel muito importante para que também finalmente em Mianmar a paz possa chegar ao povo de Mianmar.Timor-Leste é uma voz particularmente respeitada nas Nações Unidas num momento que para nós muito importante que é aquele que com a Cimeira do Futuro, vai procurar pôr em cima da mesa as reformas indispensáveis para que as instituições multilaterais possam responder aos problemas do nosso tempo.Às alterações climáticas, aos desafios da inteligência artificial e à multiplicação enorme de conflitos e desigualdades a que assistimos em todo o mundo.Contamos com a voz de Timor-Leste na próxima Cimeira do Futuro. Contamos com a voz de Timor-Leste em todos os esforços para fazermos do nosso mundo um mundo em que a Carta das Nações Unidas seja respeitada, em que a lei internacional seja respeitada e em que as desigualdades e as injustiças que continuam a persistir possam finalmente ser enfrentadas com determinação e solidariedade.

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Press Release

28 August 2024

SG Remarks - Press Conference with the President of the Republic of Timor-Leste

Dear President Ramos-Horta,Dear friends from the media,Kalan Di-ak [Good evening]I am very happy to be here in Timor-Leste with all of you.I want to begin by expressing my enormous gratitude for the warm welcome and wonderful hospitality I have experienced in Timor-Leste.President Ramos-Horta, it is an honour to stand alongside a champion of peace.I cannot forget the many hours we worked together. The long days, late night phone calls and endless discussions.Seeing you travelling around the world, refusing to give up, defending the cause of the Timorese people was an inspiration for leaders everywhere. I am proud I was able to make a small contribution to support your efforts.And I am honoured to call you a friend.Ladies and gentlemen, friends,Timor-Leste’s motto is, quote, “Unity, Action, Progress.”That motto is a true reflection of your journey as a country, and inspiration for the road ahead. First, unity.The anniversary of the Popular Consultation is an opportunity to come together: …to celebrate your collective past;…to honour those who overcame differences to unite in the resistance;…and to commemorate those who dreamed of independence but are no longer with us.Independence was not the end.It was a new beginning that called for unity and resolve for new trials and challenges to come.Now, less than a generation later, I stand here as witness to a nation that prevailed.A nation at peace and in harmony with its neighbours.A thriving democracy, where human rights and fundamental freedoms are the common threads in the social fabric.Second, action.In the 25 years since the referendum, Timor-Leste has consistently taken action, moving mountains to create a society that serves all Timorese people.Your country may be small in size, but you are taking on some of the biggest challenges of our time.Timor-Leste has made impressive strides in building a democratic society and enhancing people-centred development, expanding quality education, especially in rural areas, achieving universal electricity access, addressing food insecurity, gender inequality, youth unemployment and improving healthcare.I urge you to show the same ambition on climate action. You are on the frontlines of the climate crisis that is threatening the very survival of small islands and low-lying coastal states.Across the Pacific, climate chaos is battering down the doors of those who have done the least to cause it.The time to act on climate change is now.I urge you to seize the benefits of a clean energy transition — with international support — towards long-term energy security and sovereignty. And to ramp up measures to protect your people from intensifying climate disasters.But Timor-Leste cannot act alone. The international community has an obligation to support you – including through an ambitious finance outcome at COP29 this year, and by doubling adaptation finance to at least $40 billion a year by next year.We urgently need an SDG Stimulus to provide effective debt relief and scale-up resources for sustainable development.And we are pushing for reforms to Multilateral Development Banks, to substantially increase their lending capacity, and enable them to leverage far more private finance at reasonable cost to developing countries.Third, progress.The first time I visited Timor-Leste was in 2000 as Prime Minister of Portugal.Since then, this country has strived to climb higher and improve the lives of the Timorese people. Today, you are a full and active member of the global family.Making good progress on economic resilience, and joining the World Trade Organisation earlier this year.And working to become a full member of ASEAN – with the full support of the United Nations.Resolute in making progress for our global community -- this is the Timorese way.But progress is not only a matter of ambition. It relies on global institutions and frameworks for support.In September, at the Summit of the Future, countries aim to forge a new global consensus on how we cooperate and address our greatest challenges.Proposals on the table will make global decision-making more effective and inclusive, with more space for developing countries. I urge you to make your voices heard at the Summit. The world has a lot to learn from Timor-Leste.Dear President, dear friends,The United Nations and the Timorese people stood side by side as this country took its first steps towards owning and shaping its destiny.United Nations will continue to support the aspirations of the Timorese people on the journey ahead.I wish the best success for the people of Timor-Leste.Thank you.
______________________________________________Senhor Presidente
José Ramos-Horta,Caros amigos da comunicação social,Kalan Di-ak [Boa noite]É com muita alegria que me encontro hoje convosco aqui em Timor-Leste.Desejo, em primeiro lugar, expressar a minha enorme gratidão pelo caloroso acolhimento e pela maravilhosa hospitalidade com que sou recebido em Timor-Leste.
Senhor Presidente Ramos-Horta,V. Exa. é um intransigente defensor da paz e é uma honra para mim estar aqui hoje ao seu lado.Jamais esquecerei as muitas horas em que trabalhámos juntos. Os dias intermináveis, os telefonemas a altas horas da noite ou da madrugada, as longas e profundas conversas.As viagens de V. Exa. pelo mundo, recusando-se a desistir e defendendo a causa do povo timorense inspiraram líderes de todo o mundo.É-me particularmente grato ter tido a oportunidade de dar um contributo em apoio incansáveis esforços desenvolvidos por V. Exa..Considero-o um amigo, o que muito me honra.Senhoras e senhores, amigos,O lema de Timor-Leste é, e cito, “Unidade, Acção, Progresso”.Este lema é um verdadeiro reflexo do vosso percurso enquanto país e uma inspiração para o caminho a seguir.Em primeiro lugar, unidade.O aniversário da Consulta Popular apela à unidade:…na celebração do vosso passado colectivo;
…na homenagem aos que superaram as diferenças convergindo na resistência;…e na homenagem aos que sonharam com a independência, mas já não estão entre nós.A restauração da independência não foi o fim.Foi um novo começo que exigiu unidade e determinação para superar os desafios e obstáculos com que a Nação timorense se deparava no momento da edificação do Estado e de um novo País.
Hoje, menos de uma geração depois, estou aqui como testemunha de uma nação que se soube afirmar e que prevaleceu.Uma nação em paz e em harmonia com os seus vizinhos.Uma democracia consolidada, assente no respeito pelos direitos humanos e pelas liberdades fundamentais.Em segundo lugar, acção.Nos 25 anos que decorreram desde o referendo, Timor-Leste foi tomando medidas consistentes e movendo montanhas para criar uma sociedade que responde às necessidades e aspirações de todo o povo timorense.O vosso país pode não ter um território extenso, mas tem sido capaz de enfrentar alguns dos maiores desafios do nosso tempo.Timor-Leste tem feito progressos impressionantes na construção de uma sociedade democrática e na promoção de um desenvolvimento centrado nas pessoas, expandindo a educação de qualidade, especialmente nas zonas rurais, alcançando o acesso universal à eletricidade, combatendo a insegurança alimentar, a desigualdade de género, o desemprego jovem e melhorando o acesso a cuidados de saúde.Peço-vos que demonstrem igual ambição no que respeita à acção climática.
Pois estão na linha da frente da crise climática que ameaça a própria sobrevivência de muitos estados insulares e costeiros.Em todo o Pacífico, o caos climático está a atingir aqueles que menos fizeram para o causar.Este é o momento de agir contra as alterações climáticas.Apelo para que aproveitem os benefícios de uma transição para energias limpas – com apoio internacional – rumo à segurança e à soberania energética a longo prazo. E para que reforcem medidas que protejam o povo timorense da intensificação dos desastres climáticos.Mas Timor-Leste não pode estar só neste esforço.A comunidade internacional tem a obrigação de vos apoiar – nomeadamente através de um ambicioso resultado na COP29 deste ano em matéria de apoio financeiro, duplicando o financiamento para a adaptação para pelo menos 40 mil milhões de dólares por ano até 2025.Precisamos urgentemente de um estímulo financeiro aos ODS que proporcione um alívio eficaz da dívida e aumente os recursos destinados ao desenvolvimento sustentável.Estamos também a exercer pressão para que sejam feitas reformas nos bancos multilaterais de desenvolvimento, de modo a que aumentem substancialmente a capacidade de concessão de empréstimos, alavancando muito mais financiamento privado a um custo razoável para os países em desenvolvimento.Em terceiro lugar, progresso.A primeira vez que visitei Timor-Leste foi em 2000, enquanto Primeiro-Ministro de Portugal.Desde então, o País demonstrou empenho em atingir novos e mais ambiciosos patamares de desenvolvimento e em melhorar progressivamente a vida do povo timorense.Hoje, Timor-Leste é um membro activo e de pleno direito da comunidade internacional.Alcançou importantes progressos em matéria de resiliência económica e aderiu à Organização Mundial do Comércio no início deste ano.E trabalha para se tornar membro de pleno direito da ASEAN – com o total apoio das Nações Unidas.A determinação em contribuir para progressos que beneficiem a comunidade mundial constitui um timbre da atitude timorense.Mas o progresso não é apenas uma questão de ambição pois depende, em muito, do apoio de instituições e estruturas internacionais.Em setembro, na Cimeira do Futuro, os países serão chamados a forjar um novo consenso global sobre a forma como cooperamos e enfrentamos os nossos maiores desafios.As propostas que estão em cima da mesa tornarão mais eficaz e inclusiva a tomada de decisões globais, assegurando mais espaço para os países em desenvolvimento.Lanço o desafio para que a voz de Timor-Leste se faça ouvir na Cimeira pois o mundo tem muito a aprender com Timor-Leste.
Senhor Presidente, caros amigos,As Nações Unidas e o povo timorense estiveram lado a lado no momento em que o País assumia, nas suas próprias mãos, a construção do seu destino.As Nações Unidas continuarão a apoiar as aspirações do povo timorense na caminhada que tem pela frente.Desejo os maiores sucessos ao povo de Timor-Leste.Muito obrigado.
___________________________________________Sr. Prezidente
José Ramos-Horta,Belun doben sira hosi mídia,Kalan Di-ak [Boa noite]Ho laran ksolok tebes mak ohin ha’u hasoru imi iha ne’e iha Timor-Leste.Ha’u hakarak, uluknanai, hato’o ha’u-nia agradesimentu boot tebes ba benvindu no ospitalidade furak ne’ebé simu ha’u iha Timor-Leste.Sr. Prezidente Ramos-Horta,Exelénsia Prezidente Ramos Horta, hanesan onra ida ba ha’u atu hamriik hamutuk ho kampiaun dame ida hanesan ita.Haʼu sei la haluha oras barak neʼebé ita serbisu hamutuk. Loron sira ne'ebé laiha rohan, xamada sira iha kalan ka dadeer-saan, konversa sira ne'ebé naruk no kle'an.Ita-boot nia viajen sira, iha mundu tomak, lakohi rende no defende povu Timor nia kauza inspira ona lideransa sira iha mundu tomak.Hau orgullu hau bele fo kontribuisaun kiik ida hodi suporta ita boot sira nia esforsu.Ha'u konsidera ita hanesan belun ida, ne'ebé fó onra boot mai ha'u.Señora no señor sira, belun sira,Timor-Leste nia lema mak, no ha’u sita, “Unidade, Asaun, Progresu”.Lema ida ne’e hanesan reflesaun loloos ba ita-boot sira nia viajen nu’udar nasaun no inspirasaun ba dalan ne’ebé atu tuir mai.Primeiru, unidade.Aniversáriu Konsulta Populár nian bolu unidade:...iha selebrasaun ba ita-boot nia pasadu koletivu;...iha onra ba sira ne'ebé maka ultrapasa diferensa sira hodi konverje iha rezisténsia;...no hodi fó onra ba sira ne'ebé mehi ba independénsia, maibé la iha ona iha ita-nia leet.Restaurasaun independénsia la'ós ona rohan.Ida-ne'e nu'udar inísiu foun ida ne'ebé ezije unidade no determinasaun atu ultrapasa dezafiu no obstákulu sira ne'ebé Nasaun Timorense hasoru bainhira harii Estadu no Nasaun foun ida.Ohin, la to'o jerasaun ida, ha'u iha ne'e nu'udar sasin ba nasaun ida ne'ebé hatene oinsá atu afirma nia-an no ne'ebé maka manán.Nasaun ida ne’ebé hakmatek no harmonia ho nia viziñu sira.Demokrasia konsolidada ida, bazeia ba respeitu ba direitus umanus no liberdade fundamentál sira.Segundu, asaun.Iha tinan 25 dezde referendu, Timor-Leste foti ona medida konsistente no muda hodi kria sosiedade ida ne’ebé responde ba nesesidade no aspirasaun povu Timor tomak nian.Ita-boot nia nasaun bele kiik, maibé konsege hasoru dezafiu boot sira iha ita-nia tempu.Timor-Leste halo ona progresu impresivu hodi harii sosiedade demokrátiku no promove dezenvolvimentu ne’ebé sentradu iha ema, habelar edukasaun ho kualidade, liuliu iha área rurál, hetan asesu universál ba eletrisidade, kombate inseguransa ai-han, dezigualdade jéneru , dezempregu juventude no hadi’a asesu ba kuidadu saúde.Ha'u husu ba ita-boot atu hatudu ambisaun hanesan bainhira ko'alia kona-ba asaun klimátika.Tanba sira iha liña oin hosi krize klimátika ne'ebé ameasa sobrevivénsia hosi estadu illa no tasi-ibun barak.Iha Pasífiku tomak, kaos klimátiku kona sira ne'ebé maka ladún hamosu ida-ne'e.Ida-ne'e maka tempu atu atua hasoru mudansa klimátika.Ha'u husu ba sira atu aproveita benefísiu sira hosi tranzisaun enerjia moos nian – ho apoiu internasionál – ba seguransa no soberania enerjétika ba tempu naruk. No atu reforsa medida sira ne’ebé proteje povu timoroan husi intensifikasaun dezastre klimátiku sira.Maibé Timor-Leste labele mesak iha esforsu ne’e.Komunidade internasionál iha obrigasaun atu apoia ita-boot sira – liuliu liuhosi rezultadu ambisiozu ida iha COP29 tinan ida-ne'e nian iha termu apoiu finanseiru, duplika finansiamentu ba adaptasaun ba pelumenus US$40 billoens kada tinan to'o 2025.Ita presiza tebes estímulu finanseiru ODS nian ne'ebé fornese hamenus dívida ne'ebé efetivu no aumenta rekursu sira ba dezenvolvimentu sustentável.Ita mós dudu hela reforma sira iha banku dezenvolvimentu multilaterál sira hodi aumenta substansialmente sira nia kapasidade empréstimu nian, hodi aproveita finansiamentu privadu barak liután ho kustu ne'ebé razoavel ba nasaun sira ne'ebé dezenvolve hela.Terseiru, progresu.Dala uluk ha’u vizita Timor-Leste iha tinan 2000, enkuantu Primeiru Ministru Portugál.Hahú husi ne’ebá, nasaun ne’e hatudu ona kompromisu atu to’o iha nível foun no ambisiozu liután kona-ba dezenvolvimentu no progresivamente hadi’a povu timoroan nia moris.Ohin loron, Timor-Leste nu’udar membru ida ne’ebé ativu no nakonu iha komunidade internasionál.Ida-ne'e halo ona progresu importante sira kona-ba reziliénsia ekonómika no tama iha Organizasaun Mundiál Komérsiu nian iha inísiu tinan ida-ne'e.No ida-ne'e serbisu atu sai membru tomak ASEAN nian – ho apoiu tomak hosi Nasoins Unidas.Determinasaun atu kontribui ba progresu ne’ebé fó benefísiu ba komunidade mundiál nu’udar marka atitude timoroan nian.Maibé progresu la'ós de'it kestaun ida kona-ba ambisaun tanba ida-ne'e depende liu ba apoiu hosi instituisaun no estrutura internasionál sira.Setembru ida-ne'e, iha Simeira Futuru nian, nasaun sira sei hetan bolu atu harii konsensu globál foun ida kona-ba oinsá ita koopera no hasoru ita-nia dezafiu boot sira.Proposta sira iha meza sei halo foti desizaun globál sai efetivu no inkluzivu liu, hodi garante espasu barak liután ba nasaun sira ne'ebé sei dezenvolve hela.Ha’u lansa dezafiu atu Timor-Leste nia lian bele rona iha Simeira tanba mundu iha buat barak atu aprende husi Timor-Leste.Sr. Prezidente, belun doben sira,Nasoens Unidas no povu Timor hamriik sorin-sorin iha tempu ne’ebé nasaun ne’e foti konstrusaun ninia destinu iha ninia liman rasik.Organizasaun Nasoins Unidas sei kontinua fó apoiu ba aspirasaun povu Timor nian iha viajen oin mai.Ha’u dezeja susesu ba povu Timor-Leste.Obrigado barak.

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Press Release

08 February 2024

UN Secretary-General’s Special Envoy for Road Safety mission in Timor-Leste (8 -10 February 2024) to call for accrued mobilization for safer mobility.

The new World Health Organization (WHO) Global status report on road safety 2023, highlights that 28% of all road traffic fatalities occur in South-East Asia. The Region reported 16.1 deaths per 100 000 population due to road traffic crashes, three times higher than the European average of 5/100,000 (WHO 2023). According to the World Health Organization, the mortality rate in Timor-Leste is 12 per 100,000 inhabitants (WHO 2023). The country saw a 25% decline in fatalities since 2018 (WHO 2023), but road crashes still represent one of the main cause of fatalities in the country, especially among the young generations and men (WHO 2019). “Despite progress in the region, road crashes remain the main killers of kids worldwide, so it is time to act to protect the most vulnerable on the road. Going to Timor-Leste, my role, as UN Secretary-General's Special Envoy for Road safety, is to support President José Manuel Ramos-Horta, his government, and stakeholders in their work to build safer and sustainable roads for all », highlights the Special Envoy. Road crashes are a public health issue… In Timor-Leste, there are still important areas to work on to improve road safety, such as limiting the speed at 30KM/h in urban areas or around schools, offering the population safe alternatives to motorized vehicles, or promoting the use of helmets responding to the UN minimum safety standards, which can reduce the risk of brain injury in case of crash by up to 74%. Timor-Leste is also highly vulnerable to natural hazards, which contribute to damage an already strained road infrastructure. In addition, the last full traffic survey in the country dates back 10 years, making precise planning difficult due to the lack of accurate data. … and an economic and development issue Poor road safety conditions affect the world's poorest people the most, especially women and youth, and deprive them of access to education, work, health, basic and cultural services. In that perspective, the UN system supported the Government of Timor-Leste in the establishment and rehabilitation of approximately 320 km of rural roads in 2021 (UN Timor-Leste 2022 Annual Report). This rehabilitation provided economic opportunities, access to markets, and social services to more than 17,000 individuals living in rural areas. In addition to the human tragedy, road crashes trap countries into a vicious circle of poverty. Some estimates put the global macroeconomic cost of road traffic injuries as high as US$ $1.8 trillion (WHO 2023). According to the World Bank, the cost of road crashes represents 4,4 % of GDP (WB 2016) in Timor-Leste. --------------------- Media Contact: Secretariat of the UN Secretary-General's Special Envoy for Road Safety: Priti Gautam priti.gautam@un.org Stephanie Schumacher stephanie.schumacher@un.org ----------------- Notes to Editors: The United Nations has invested significantly in tackling the problem of road safety globally. Following the “Decade of Action for Road Safety 2011-2020”, the UN General Assembly in August 2020 adopted a resolution on “Improving Road Safety”, that reconfirmed its commitment to halving the number of global traffic deaths and injuries and to providing access to safe, affordable, accessible, and sustainable transport systems for all by 2030. In October 2021, the World Health Organization and the United Nations Regional Commissions, in cooperation with partners in the United Nations Road Safety Collaboration and other stakeholders, developed the Global Plan for the Decade of Action for Road Safety 2021-2030, as a guiding document to support the implementation of the Decade of Action 2021–2030 and its objectives. In July 2022, the road safety community met in New York City for the first ever High-Level Meeting on Improving Global Road Safety at the United Nations General Assembly, unanimously adopting a text titled: “Political declaration of the high-level meeting on improving global road safety”. To galvanize intersectoral actions and raise the visibility of road safety, the UN Secretary-General, Ban Ki-moon, appointed in 2015 Jean Todt as his Special Envoy for Road Safety. He was reconfirmed in this role by the new UN Secretary-General, António Guterres, in 2017 and in 2021. In 2018, together with 14 UN organizations, the Special Envoy launched the UN Road Safety Fund (UNRSF). In his role as UN Special Envoy, Mr. Todt contributes, among other things, to mobilize sustained political commitment to make road safety a priority; to advocate and raise awareness of UN legal instruments on road safety; to share established good practices in this area; to striving to generate adequate funding through strategic partnerships between the public, private and non-governmental sectors. Special Envoy brochure and Twitter account. UNECE acts as the secretariat for the Special Envoy for Road Safety. UNECE is the custodian of the United Nations road safety legal instruments applicable worldwide, such as the Convention on Road Traffic, the Convention on Road Signs and Signals, and the 1958, 1997 and 1998 Vehicle Regulations Agreements. UNECE services the ECOSOC Committee of Experts on Transport of Dangerous Goods, as well as the only permanent United Nations intergovernmental forum on road safety (Working Party on Road Traffic Safety) and the World Forum for Harmonization of Vehicle Regulations, both in the framework of the Inland Transport Committee, which is the only permanent UN forum specialized in inland modes of transport.

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Press Release

02 February 2024

UN Allocates US$2 Million to Respond to El Niño Impacts in Timor-Leste

The rapid response grant is part of the United Nations Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) and will be implemented through three UN agencies: the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), United Nations Children’s Fund, (UNICEF), and the World Food Programme (WFP). "The grant will directly support 45,000 individuals and benefit an additional 241,000 people facing acute food and nutrition insecurity, water scarcity, and lean crop yields." The grant covers six municipalities, ranging from Lautem in the east to Bobonaro on the western border, including Liquica, Ermera, Manufahi, and Covalima. These areas are among those with the highest rates of child stunting and food insecurity. Over the next six months, the grant will provide essential foods, including rice, pulses, and oil, ensure access to clean water, and support farmers with drought-resistant seeds, livestock vaccines, and home gardening inputs. Over 1,000 pregnant and breastfeeding women will receive special nutritious food to prevent malnutrition. Additionally, 55,000 children aged 0-5 years will be screened, and those requiring treatment will receive care for severe acute malnutrition. Announcing the grant, UN Resident Coordinator in Timor-Leste Funmi Balogun remarked, "The CERF grant embodies the United Nations contribution to Timor-Leste’s El Niño mitigation efforts. It is a strategic intervention designed to offer immediate relief to vulnerable households, including pregnant and breastfeeding women, as well as farmers, ensuring they receive the necessary support to withstand the negative impacts of El Niño.” As a small island nation, Timor-Leste relies heavily on rain-fed agriculture and imported food. Since September 2023, an ongoing El Niño weather event has led to drought-like conditions, delayed rainfall, and flash floods during the country’s main planting season. This disruption has affected crop production and agricultural income, significantly impacting food access and availability for many vulnerable people in rural areas. The CERF allocation will not only support vital short-term interventions and highlight ongoing vulnerabilities in these municipalities but also align with the United Nations Strategic Development Cooperation Framework. It aims to support the Government of Timor-Leste in targeting their development activities more effectively and achieving the Sustainable Development Goals in the country. -END- Notes to Editors: The United Nations Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) is one of the fastest and most effective ways to ensure urgently needed humanitarian assistance reaches people caught up in crises. Established by the United Nations General Assembly in 2005 as the global emergency response fund, CERF enables humanitarian responders to deliver life-saving assistance whenever and wherever crises strike. In Timor-Leste, the CERF allocation aims to prevent or reduce the negative impacts of the anticipated drought due to El Niño and meet the most urgent anticipated food and WASH needs of communities projected to be most at-risk. The El Niño weather event is expected to significantly reduce rainfall from November 2023, with drought anticipated in early 2024. This will intensify food insecurity, acute water scarcity, and malnutrition, expected to worsen from March to April 2024. Even before the El Niño event, 44 percent of families already faced severe and moderate food insecurity, with 54 percent of households experiencing water scarcity at least once in a 6-month period. In some municipalities, this figure rises as high as 70 percent (2022 National Census; Food Security Assessment, WFP, 2023). With one of the highest rates of stunting in the world at 47 percent, and given the supply and demand dynamics affecting both availability and affordability of food, there is an urgent need to mitigate the complete deterioration of food security as El Niño is expected to exacerbate already concerning food security conditions. For more information, contact: - Imogen Wilson (WFP): imogen.wilson@wfp.org - Pedro Soares (FAO): Pedro.Soares@fao.org - Tapuwa Mutseyekwa (UNICEF): tmutseyekwa@unicef.org - Ahmed Saleem (UN RCO): mohammed.saleem@un.org

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