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03 February 2023
People Centered Sustainable Development - Leaving No-One Behind
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24 January 2023
The world is failing 130 million girls denied education: UN experts
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21 January 2023
UN Resident Coordinator in Timor-Leste congratulates the country for becoming a member to the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities
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The Sustainable Development Goals 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:
Story
24 June 2022
ASPIRING TO MAKE A 'BIG LEAP' IN TIMOR-LESTE'S DEVELOPMENT: THE VITAL ROLE OF GENDER EQUALITY AND WOMEN'S EMPOWERMENT AND WHY WE NEED TO ACT NOW!
Since the restoration of independence on 20 May 2002, Timor-Leste has made considerable progress on socio-cultural, political and economic rights. However, the post-COVID-recovery in the wake of higher food and energy prices caused by the war in Ukraine has compounded existing gender inequalities making it imperative to centre stage women and girls to build back better. It is also clear that the country needs to maximise all its resources (human, financial, environmental and knowledge) and assets to achieve better outcomes for all, including children, the LGBTIQ persons, the elderly, and the disabled.
Despite a strong commitment to equality in Timor-Leste, violence against women and girls (VAWG) remains pervasive, with estimates from 38% to 59% of women experiencing violence in their lifetime. The 2019 Voluntary National Review (VNR) on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) indicates that the VAWG is a significant structural barrier to the country's development. In his inauguration speech, newly-elected HE President Jose Ramos Horta emphasised the importance of gender equality and women's empowerment as a fundamental prerequisite for inclusive national development and building a resilient democracy.
Timor-Leste has already made significant progress in addressing inequalities through legislation, policy development, institutional mechanisms, and raised public awareness. The second National Action Plan on Gender-based Violence, pending approval from the Council of Ministers, commits to ending gender-based violence through a multi-sectoral, comprehensive and coordinated approach. The NAP GBV has been developed following the national laws and international commitments of the Convention on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW), the International Convention on the Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), the International Covenant on Social and Economic Rights (ICSER) and the Convention on the Rights of the Children (CRC). Timor-Leste has adopted the Women's Economic Empowerment Strategy and National Social Protection Policy as fundamental policies that complement women's agency. However, the national development plan (the SDP) recognises that more remains to be done and establishes several critical priorities.
Furthermore, the draft Second NAP GBV is supported by findings of an assessment from the preceding NAP, whereby more significant action is needed to audit the gendered impact of legislative changes on the development and well-being of women. Recognising women in their multiple and intersectional socio-economic and political identities is also imperative. It would be good to know, for example, the representation of women's voices in the design of the Cesta Basica programme, the $200 levy on poorer households, the push to reduce malnutrition in the country and the Bolsa de Mae Generation Foun.
While we are looking at how women's participation and empowerment can be further championed in Timor-Leste, we must build on the good progress that has been achieved. Currently, Timor-Leste has one of the highest rates of women parliamentarians in the world and the highest in the Asian/Pacific region. The President of the National Parliament promulgated a new Village (Suco) Law in July 2016 to have at least one woman per Suco as Suco Chief. We must ensure now that the upcoming elections leverage the momentum the country has built on to prepare communities, especially aspiring women representatives. For effective implementation of policies, further strengthening the capacity of the national women's machinery and various ministries are vital, as also emphasised through the recently revised National Action Plan of Gender-Based Violence (NAP GBV).
Violence against women and girls is one of the most widespread, persistent and devastating human rights violations today. It is a significant obstacle to fulfilling women's and girls' human rights and achieving the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The United Nations in Timor-Leste remains committed to working with the Government to address the long-term impact of the pandemic and addressing existing structural barriers to gender equality through multiple interventions, including EU-UN Spotlight Initiative and Equality for All initiatives, among others. Led by the Government and together with partners, we will continue responding to all forms of VAWG, with a particular focus on domestic and family violence, sexual and gender-based violence, harmful practices, femicide, trafficking, and all forms exploitation in line with the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the principle of 'leaving no one behind.'
It would also be essential to acknowledge that gender inequality has deep socio-cultural roots and manifests in non-linear ways. Therefore, it will require a coordinated, comprehensive, multi-sectoral and lifecycle approach. Which essentially means a Whole of Government, womb to tomb approach.
It is time to consider setting up a National Women's Empowerment Fund with a 20-year plus timeline because the piecemeal approach has not worked so far. Additionally, we urgently need to focus on three key areas – implementation of legislation, social protection, and gender-responsive financing:
Laws are already there. Weaker implementation is a barrier. If the State is able to ensure the implementation of these laws, this will ultimately improve the protection of women and girls, leading to the upholding of women's rights.
A long-term social protection scheme will provide effective mechanisms to reduce the vulnerabilities of women and girls, leading to their empowerment and participation.
Gender-responsive budgeting is a critical part of the Public Financial Management agenda and will improve the social and economic situation of women and girls by ensuring a fair allocation of resources
With a gender-champion leadership at the helm of affairs in the country and in the context of Timor-Leste's bid for a bigger and better global repositioning and expansion of the economy, we have a historical opportunity to include women and girls in the much-needed sustainable economic diversification and leverage Timor-Leste's interest for regional integration, while leaving no woman and girl behind. If there was ever a better time to promote gender equality agendas and incorporate gender perspectives throughout the wide range of challenges we confront in Timor-Leste and the Pacific region, it is now!
-END-
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Story
17 May 2022
UN RESIDENT COORDINATOR AND COUNTRY TEAM WISH TIMOR-LESTE 20TH ANNIVERSARY OF RESTORATION OF INDEPENDENCE
On behalf of the UN Country Team, I offer the warmest wishes on this momentous occasion.
Today’s anniversary marks another landmark in the productive and exemplary partnership between Timor-Leste and the United Nations. For more than two decades, the United Nations has worked side-by-side with the people of Timor-Leste, supporting the country’s efforts to build a strong and resilient State and promote sustainable peace and prosperity.
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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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Story
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?
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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13 January 2023
Solar-powered UN House lights the way for a greener and more efficient Timor-Leste
The centralised nature of the local electricity supply chain has traditionally kept consumers reliant on the national grid to overcome chronic energy shortages. While more than 200,000 households have access to electricity, the distribution network is in poor condition, with excessive voltage drops and persistent service outages. The cost of electricity is also higher than in neighbouring countries, and Timor-Leste has been slow to transition from expensive diesel generation to renewables.
With the new UN reforms, the United Nations in Timor-Leste, under the leadership of the Resident Coordinator has now started lighting the way with its solar-powered grid which has begun to give maximum dividends.
It took almost a year – from feasibility to completion – to see the solar panel installed at the UN Timor-Leste compound.
Photo: RCO Timor-Leste
A powerful 300 kWp photovoltaic system is producing 400,000 kWh of clean electricity annually, filling critical gaps in energy supply. "It covers 75 per cent of the daytime electricity consumption of the entire UN House, which hosts 14 UN agencies in Dili and has reduced reliance on fossil fuels and generators, leading to 286.000 kg of CO2 emission saved every year," said Project Coordinator Ulderico Ze Machado.
This move comes with the UN's revised Business Operations Strategy (BOS) that guides strategic planning, management, monitoring, and reporting of the UN Country Team's joint support. The Operations Management Team started weighing the feasibility and working on a cost-efficient alternative energy solution in 2016-2017 when Timor-Leste was facing high electricity costs and increased CO2 emissions.
"In Timor-Leste, our road to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development starts at home. Our solar energy system can be a model for other UN Country Offices to show how we can jointly, sustainably and effectively tackle greenhouse emissions while reducing operational costs and scale up support across the United Nations System. Greening our business operations can help maximise efficiency, improve productivity, and in turn support the transition of the country to a more sustainable energy future," noted UN Timor-Leste Resident Coordinator Funmi Balogun. The project has already substantially reduced electricity costs, which were 40% of the entire Common Premises budget. "We now save USD 90,000 annually on electricity bills and diesel costs with the hope that a 100 per cent return on the investment will be materialised within six to seven years," added Ulderico Ze Machado.
In line with the UN's commitment to the 'Smart UN Facilities and the Sustainable Development Goals', this solar project shows how a UN Common premises can work in action, and how the the United Nations Sustainable Development Coordination Framework can be coherently implemented in countries. The infographic outlines the impact of the solar panel operations in the UN Timor-Leste compound
Photo: RCO Timor-Leste "A project like this goes beyond providing energy. It showcases a value addition to the Government, partners, and stakeholders as to how such initiatives can help create other socio-economic benefits, including employment, greener environment, cheaper energy, and sustainable lifestyles. So, the more we implement such projects, the more we empower our communities and bring impact. The project also evidences the skillset and expertise to support the country to transition to a more sustainable energy future and supporting the deployment of renewable energy technologies," said UNDP Resident Representative Munkhtuya Altangerel, who is also chair of the UN Operations Management Team.
Based on this successful experience, the UN Operations Management Team is now working on upscaling the project and making the UN House, a 100 per cent solar-energy-run compound. This story was written by Ahmed Saleem, Communications Officer, Resident Coordinator's Office Timor-Leste. Editorial support by UNDCO. For more information on the UN’s work in Timor-Leste, please visit Timorleste.un.org
Photo: RCO Timor-Leste
A powerful 300 kWp photovoltaic system is producing 400,000 kWh of clean electricity annually, filling critical gaps in energy supply. "It covers 75 per cent of the daytime electricity consumption of the entire UN House, which hosts 14 UN agencies in Dili and has reduced reliance on fossil fuels and generators, leading to 286.000 kg of CO2 emission saved every year," said Project Coordinator Ulderico Ze Machado.
This move comes with the UN's revised Business Operations Strategy (BOS) that guides strategic planning, management, monitoring, and reporting of the UN Country Team's joint support. The Operations Management Team started weighing the feasibility and working on a cost-efficient alternative energy solution in 2016-2017 when Timor-Leste was facing high electricity costs and increased CO2 emissions.
"In Timor-Leste, our road to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development starts at home. Our solar energy system can be a model for other UN Country Offices to show how we can jointly, sustainably and effectively tackle greenhouse emissions while reducing operational costs and scale up support across the United Nations System. Greening our business operations can help maximise efficiency, improve productivity, and in turn support the transition of the country to a more sustainable energy future," noted UN Timor-Leste Resident Coordinator Funmi Balogun. The project has already substantially reduced electricity costs, which were 40% of the entire Common Premises budget. "We now save USD 90,000 annually on electricity bills and diesel costs with the hope that a 100 per cent return on the investment will be materialised within six to seven years," added Ulderico Ze Machado.
In line with the UN's commitment to the 'Smart UN Facilities and the Sustainable Development Goals', this solar project shows how a UN Common premises can work in action, and how the the United Nations Sustainable Development Coordination Framework can be coherently implemented in countries. The infographic outlines the impact of the solar panel operations in the UN Timor-Leste compound
Photo: RCO Timor-Leste "A project like this goes beyond providing energy. It showcases a value addition to the Government, partners, and stakeholders as to how such initiatives can help create other socio-economic benefits, including employment, greener environment, cheaper energy, and sustainable lifestyles. So, the more we implement such projects, the more we empower our communities and bring impact. The project also evidences the skillset and expertise to support the country to transition to a more sustainable energy future and supporting the deployment of renewable energy technologies," said UNDP Resident Representative Munkhtuya Altangerel, who is also chair of the UN Operations Management Team.
Based on this successful experience, the UN Operations Management Team is now working on upscaling the project and making the UN House, a 100 per cent solar-energy-run compound. This story was written by Ahmed Saleem, Communications Officer, Resident Coordinator's Office Timor-Leste. Editorial support by UNDCO. For more information on the UN’s work in Timor-Leste, please visit Timorleste.un.org
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10 December 2022
Community healthcare gets a boost with support from UNICEF and the Government of Japan
The anxious father jumps up from his seat and rushes into the delivery room to meet his newborn daughter.
The inside of the delivery room is one of calm, as a set of a well-choreographed actions are followed by a group of nurses and midwives. A midwife gently wipes the child and places the newborn baby at the mother’s breast for early initiation of breastfeeding and skin-to-skin contact – a critical step in ensuring survival of children and a good start to proper nutrition for the child.
A midwife makes sure a newborn baby is comfortable at a hospital in Timor-Leste. CQI programme 2022/Timor-Leste/Benevides
A nurse later takes the baby to be weighed and measured for height, as a midwife checks the blood pressure of the mother and contractions to prevent post-partum hemorrhage.
A nurse weighs a newborn at a community healthcare center in Timor-Leste. CQI programme 2022/Timor-Leste/Benevides
The coordinated work of nursing staff and midwives is a result of training and equipment provided through a partnership between the Ministry of Health and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF). Funding from the Government of Japan has contributed to the purchase of a range of equipment to help with the safe delivery of babies and treatment of children and mothers in 37 Community Health Centers in 6 municipalities.
Some of the essential medical supplies included gynecology tables, child and neonatal resuscitation tables with warmers and accessories, equipment sterilizers, mobile examination lights, doppler FHR (foetal heart rates) detectors, midwifery kits, electric nebulizers, hand operated resuscitators and sphygmomanometers. The equipment would enable healthcare personnel to provide regular and emergency care to newborns, babies, children and mothers.
The training and equipment are provided under UNICEF’s Continuous Quality Improvement (CQI) initiative, a framework focused on maternal, newborn and child health (MNCH) developed by the Ministry of Health with technical and financial support from UNICEF. The CQI approach ensures that healthcare is safe, effective, patient-centered, timely, efficient and equitable.
The CQI programme has been implemented by the Ministry of Health, with support from UNICEF, since 2018. The main goal of the CQI programme is to improve quality of care for improving health outcomes of communities accessing health services, including reduction of deaths.
“Since the beginning of the CQI programme, service delivery has improved at these CHCs, staff are part of processes that help identify issues and come up with solutions,” said Snra. Augusta Lopez. “We see our efforts paying off. There is an increase in visits to the health center, and more confidence in families bringing their children to receive routine vaccines and seeking healthcare.”
The CQI initiative is funded by the Government of Australia through the Australian NGO Cooperation Program (ANCP) and the procurement of equipment for six municipalities was funded by the Government of Japan.
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10 December 2022
Five ways Timor-Leste is better positioned to address long-term development challenges
I was recently asked by friends about why I believe Timor-Leste is now in many ways better positioned to address its longer-term development challenges than in 2018, when I started my role as the UN Resident Coordinator.
My starting point for responding to this is to recall the situation in the country in 2018. Timor-Leste entered that year with a ‘mini political crisis’ which saw a minority government without the full confidence of the national Parliament. In January 2018, the Parliament was dissolved, and a new election was called for May, which resulted in a coalition of three political parties who had previously been in opposition. A few months later this coalition splintered. Eventually after the President declined to appoint a new Prime Minister or call for another set of elections, a new constellation of parties formed a government in April 2020.
The result of this impasse was that development progress in the country stalled and implementation of key policies, including the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) were delayed. Since that period of political uncertainty, Timor-Leste like most countries, has faced a series of challenges, including the COVID-19 pandemic, followed by the worst-ever flooding in the history of Timor-Leste in April 2021, which exasperated economic, social, and political vulnerabilities and pushed the country into an emergency response mode for three years.
But despite these obstacles, I believe that at the end of 2022, as I prepare to complete my five-year term as Resident Coordinator, it is fair to conclude that thanks to the support of our UN country team, Timor-Leste is now better positioned to address its long-term development challenges. Why? The first reason relates to the strengthened relationship between our UN country team and the national authorities of Timor-Leste, and the improved access to the UN development system expertise which this entailed. The basis of this more robust and trusted partnership is the UN Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework (2021-2025) which was developed after a lengthy consultation process I led with the Government, civil society , private sector, academia and other development partners. The Framework set out a roadmap to guide UN activities in Timor-Leste over a 5-year period and provided a platform to focus attention on jointly tackling key development challenges, aligning priorities and avoiding duplication. Secondly, as a result of this improved coordination, the Government’s ownership of the UN’s joint work has increased – particularly through the engagement of the Cooperation Framework’s Joint Steering Committee (JSC) with membership from key line ministries, the UN and civil society. Through this mechanism, joint programming between the UN and national authorities has expanded, and the Government has taken a leading role in promoting progress across the six strategic areas of the Cooperation Framework.
To tackle the issue of malnutrition and food security example- one of Timor-Leste’s most persistent development challenges- national leaders are coming together with representatives of civil society, private sector and community groups to support the Scaling Up Nutrition movement. At the beginning of December 2022, the UN Assistant Secretary General and Co-ordinator of the movement, Ms Gerda Verburg, will visit Timor-Leste to discuss with this coalition of partners new ways of reaching nutrition targets and address the issue of stunting among children.
Timor-Leste’s positioning around the issue of education and training has also strengthened. This year, Timor-Leste together with other countries around the world participated in the Transforming Education Summit, held in New York in September 2022. For many years, there has been considerable discussion about the quality of education from early childhood development, through primary, secondary and tertiary education. Although we have yet to see how the commitments made by the Government of Timor-Leste and partners to improve the quality of education in the country will be implemented, there is ample evidence that the country now has a clear ‘plan to address this challenge’. Caption: Outgoing Resident Coordinator of Timor-Leste, Roy Trivedy, has led the UN country team in scaling up the Government's response to COVID-19, including through encouraging preventive measures like hand washing Photo: © RCO Timor-Leste Third, is Timor-Leste’s impending accession to ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) which has been greeted by leaders from all political parties in the country as a major step forward in shaping the country’s future. Agencies from across the UN country team, including UNDP and expertise from within the Resident Coordinator’s Office, have played a key role in providing practical support to the Government in the accession process. With support from other ASEAN member states, Timor-Leste can gain from and contribute to the ASEAN Economic Community - a market of US $2.3 trillion and 600 million people. The impending accession to ASEAN will enable Timor-Leste to focus much more clearly on products that it can export to (and import from) other ASEAN states in future.
The fourth reason is based on my personal experience seeing the way the national authorities are approaching the country’s graduation from “Least Developed Country (LDC)” status to “Lower Middle Income (LMIC)” status. In 2018 and 2021 when this issue was discussed by the ‘Committee for Development Policy’ (CDC), the level of preparation and engagement by the Government of Timor-Leste was variable. In contrast, this year thanks to the support from UN ESCAP and the broader UN system in Timor-Leste, we saw a much higher level of engagement and preparation by the Timorese authorities for the next time (2024) when the CDC will discuss development challenges the issue of Timor-Leste’s graduation from LDC status. The final reason I take confidence in the country’s long term development prospects, is the way in which the national authorities and UN country team came together to respond to COVID-19 and the widespread flooding. Faced with this huge test, our newly introduced development coordination framework quickly sprang into action, responding to these challenges with agility, unity and partnership. I am proud, for example, of the support we provided the Government in rapidly scaling up the COVID-19 health response, successfully rolling out the national vaccination programme, and conducting two rounds of the UN Socio-Economic Impact Assessment of COVID-19. Similarly, by joining forces to support the national emergency flood response last year, we reached more than 500,000 flood-affected people with humanitarian assistance. Caption: The UN country team have been supporting the Government of Timor-Leste overcome the issue of malnutrition and stunting- one of the country's most persistent development challenges. Photo: © RCO Timor-Leste For the five reasons outlined above, I believe that although our efforts are still ‘a work in progress’ and there is much left to be done, Timor-Leste is now in a stronger position to overcome its development challenges and rescue the Sustainable Development Goals than it was amid the uncertainty of 2018.
This progress now needs to be backed up with resources and continued implementation. The Italian philosopher Voltaire is commonly credited with the quote “Don’t let perfect be the enemy the good”. As I prepare to complete my term as Resident Coordinator in Timor-Leste, this feels a reasonable metaphor for the country’s development progress between 2018 and 2022. This blog was written by Mr. Roy Trivedy, the outgoing UN Resident Coordinator of Timor Leste. Editorial support was provided by UN DCO.
To learn more about the work of the UN in Timor Leste visit: Timorleste.un.org
My starting point for responding to this is to recall the situation in the country in 2018. Timor-Leste entered that year with a ‘mini political crisis’ which saw a minority government without the full confidence of the national Parliament. In January 2018, the Parliament was dissolved, and a new election was called for May, which resulted in a coalition of three political parties who had previously been in opposition. A few months later this coalition splintered. Eventually after the President declined to appoint a new Prime Minister or call for another set of elections, a new constellation of parties formed a government in April 2020.
The result of this impasse was that development progress in the country stalled and implementation of key policies, including the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) were delayed. Since that period of political uncertainty, Timor-Leste like most countries, has faced a series of challenges, including the COVID-19 pandemic, followed by the worst-ever flooding in the history of Timor-Leste in April 2021, which exasperated economic, social, and political vulnerabilities and pushed the country into an emergency response mode for three years.
But despite these obstacles, I believe that at the end of 2022, as I prepare to complete my five-year term as Resident Coordinator, it is fair to conclude that thanks to the support of our UN country team, Timor-Leste is now better positioned to address its long-term development challenges. Why? The first reason relates to the strengthened relationship between our UN country team and the national authorities of Timor-Leste, and the improved access to the UN development system expertise which this entailed. The basis of this more robust and trusted partnership is the UN Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework (2021-2025) which was developed after a lengthy consultation process I led with the Government, civil society , private sector, academia and other development partners. The Framework set out a roadmap to guide UN activities in Timor-Leste over a 5-year period and provided a platform to focus attention on jointly tackling key development challenges, aligning priorities and avoiding duplication. Secondly, as a result of this improved coordination, the Government’s ownership of the UN’s joint work has increased – particularly through the engagement of the Cooperation Framework’s Joint Steering Committee (JSC) with membership from key line ministries, the UN and civil society. Through this mechanism, joint programming between the UN and national authorities has expanded, and the Government has taken a leading role in promoting progress across the six strategic areas of the Cooperation Framework.
To tackle the issue of malnutrition and food security example- one of Timor-Leste’s most persistent development challenges- national leaders are coming together with representatives of civil society, private sector and community groups to support the Scaling Up Nutrition movement. At the beginning of December 2022, the UN Assistant Secretary General and Co-ordinator of the movement, Ms Gerda Verburg, will visit Timor-Leste to discuss with this coalition of partners new ways of reaching nutrition targets and address the issue of stunting among children.
Timor-Leste’s positioning around the issue of education and training has also strengthened. This year, Timor-Leste together with other countries around the world participated in the Transforming Education Summit, held in New York in September 2022. For many years, there has been considerable discussion about the quality of education from early childhood development, through primary, secondary and tertiary education. Although we have yet to see how the commitments made by the Government of Timor-Leste and partners to improve the quality of education in the country will be implemented, there is ample evidence that the country now has a clear ‘plan to address this challenge’. Caption: Outgoing Resident Coordinator of Timor-Leste, Roy Trivedy, has led the UN country team in scaling up the Government's response to COVID-19, including through encouraging preventive measures like hand washing Photo: © RCO Timor-Leste Third, is Timor-Leste’s impending accession to ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) which has been greeted by leaders from all political parties in the country as a major step forward in shaping the country’s future. Agencies from across the UN country team, including UNDP and expertise from within the Resident Coordinator’s Office, have played a key role in providing practical support to the Government in the accession process. With support from other ASEAN member states, Timor-Leste can gain from and contribute to the ASEAN Economic Community - a market of US $2.3 trillion and 600 million people. The impending accession to ASEAN will enable Timor-Leste to focus much more clearly on products that it can export to (and import from) other ASEAN states in future.
The fourth reason is based on my personal experience seeing the way the national authorities are approaching the country’s graduation from “Least Developed Country (LDC)” status to “Lower Middle Income (LMIC)” status. In 2018 and 2021 when this issue was discussed by the ‘Committee for Development Policy’ (CDC), the level of preparation and engagement by the Government of Timor-Leste was variable. In contrast, this year thanks to the support from UN ESCAP and the broader UN system in Timor-Leste, we saw a much higher level of engagement and preparation by the Timorese authorities for the next time (2024) when the CDC will discuss development challenges the issue of Timor-Leste’s graduation from LDC status. The final reason I take confidence in the country’s long term development prospects, is the way in which the national authorities and UN country team came together to respond to COVID-19 and the widespread flooding. Faced with this huge test, our newly introduced development coordination framework quickly sprang into action, responding to these challenges with agility, unity and partnership. I am proud, for example, of the support we provided the Government in rapidly scaling up the COVID-19 health response, successfully rolling out the national vaccination programme, and conducting two rounds of the UN Socio-Economic Impact Assessment of COVID-19. Similarly, by joining forces to support the national emergency flood response last year, we reached more than 500,000 flood-affected people with humanitarian assistance. Caption: The UN country team have been supporting the Government of Timor-Leste overcome the issue of malnutrition and stunting- one of the country's most persistent development challenges. Photo: © RCO Timor-Leste For the five reasons outlined above, I believe that although our efforts are still ‘a work in progress’ and there is much left to be done, Timor-Leste is now in a stronger position to overcome its development challenges and rescue the Sustainable Development Goals than it was amid the uncertainty of 2018.
This progress now needs to be backed up with resources and continued implementation. The Italian philosopher Voltaire is commonly credited with the quote “Don’t let perfect be the enemy the good”. As I prepare to complete my term as Resident Coordinator in Timor-Leste, this feels a reasonable metaphor for the country’s development progress between 2018 and 2022. This blog was written by Mr. Roy Trivedy, the outgoing UN Resident Coordinator of Timor Leste. Editorial support was provided by UN DCO.
To learn more about the work of the UN in Timor Leste visit: Timorleste.un.org
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Story
16 November 2022
Timor-Leste: Targeting soil transmitted infection, one deworming tablet at a time
A day after a Mass Drug Administration (MDA) drive was held at the EB Alpha Primary School in Timor-Leste’s capital city Dili, seven-year-old Rizky Martins Pinto, a grade one student, passed a long worm. “It looks like a snake,” Rizky told his father that morning.
Rizky is among the 90,000 school aged children who received the deworming tablet albendazole during the three week long MDA drive that covered three municipalities and 251 schools in October 2022. The drive targeted soil transmitted helminths (STH), the intestinal worms that infect humans through contaminated soil and are associated with anemia, malnutrition, growth and cognitive impairment, and decreased productivity among children.
Rizky Martins Pinto (7). WHO Photo/ Emilia “Rizky had a poor appetite since very long time, but I can already feel that he is eating well since the deworming,” said Rizky’s father Octavio Pinto. “I am sure that his health will benefit further, and he will become more active in school,” he said adding that the worm Rizky passed was almost 15 cm long. Many of Rizky’s schoolmates had similar stories to tell. The school’s coordinator Liliana Maria Gaio said that the “worms” have been a topic of discussion among the children since the deworming drive. “With so many children passing worms, it is evident that the infection is widespread, and the deworming drive definitely seems to have helped,” said Gaio adding that the parents were informed about the drive in advance through a letter. “We told them about the benefits of the deworming tablet,” she said.
Rizky with his father Octavio Pinto. WHO Photo/Emilia STH infection is one of the neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) with high prevalence in Timor-Leste. A national level parasite survey carried out in 2012 had estimated the prevalence of STH ranging between 4% to 55% in various municipalities of the country. The Ministry of Health with support from the World Health Organization has conducted several rounds of MDA to reduce the prevalence. A large-scale Transmission Assessment Survey (TAS) conducted between 2020-2021 showed that the prevalence of STH ranged between 2% to 50% in various areas. “The high prevalence of STH remains a cause of concern,” said Dr Arvind Mathur, WHO representative to Timor-Leste. “Over the past few years, we have intensified our efforts to support the Ministry of Health and tackle these infections through various programmes. The latest MDA drive was held under the school health and nutrition programme called Say No To 5S,” he said. The Say No to 5S programme aims at improving the health and nutrition of Timorese children by tackling Starvation, Soil-transmitted Helminthiasis, Skin diseases, Smoking and Sugary/Alcoholic Drinks. The project, a collaboration between WHO and the World Food Programme (WFP), is funded by the Korean International Cooperation Agency (KOICA). These efforts undertaken in Timor-Leste are important considering that nearly 47 percent of children under five years of age in the country are stunted, 8.6 percent suffer from acute malnutrition, and 23 percent of women of reproductive age (15 -49 years) are anaemic, according to data collated by the WFP.
Distribution of deworming tablets at a primary school in Fatumeta in Dili during the MDA drive in October 2022. WHO Photo/Cirilo According to Dr Mathur, the WHO will continue to plan MDA drives over the coming months, especially in areas with high prevalence of STH and other NTDs that can be curbed through preventive chemotherapy. MDA (also referred to as preventive chemotherapy) is one of the WHO’s recommended strategies to control and eliminate several NTDs. The other strategies include individual case management, vector control, veterinary public health and water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH).
Rizky Martins Pinto (7). WHO Photo/ Emilia “Rizky had a poor appetite since very long time, but I can already feel that he is eating well since the deworming,” said Rizky’s father Octavio Pinto. “I am sure that his health will benefit further, and he will become more active in school,” he said adding that the worm Rizky passed was almost 15 cm long. Many of Rizky’s schoolmates had similar stories to tell. The school’s coordinator Liliana Maria Gaio said that the “worms” have been a topic of discussion among the children since the deworming drive. “With so many children passing worms, it is evident that the infection is widespread, and the deworming drive definitely seems to have helped,” said Gaio adding that the parents were informed about the drive in advance through a letter. “We told them about the benefits of the deworming tablet,” she said.
Rizky with his father Octavio Pinto. WHO Photo/Emilia STH infection is one of the neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) with high prevalence in Timor-Leste. A national level parasite survey carried out in 2012 had estimated the prevalence of STH ranging between 4% to 55% in various municipalities of the country. The Ministry of Health with support from the World Health Organization has conducted several rounds of MDA to reduce the prevalence. A large-scale Transmission Assessment Survey (TAS) conducted between 2020-2021 showed that the prevalence of STH ranged between 2% to 50% in various areas. “The high prevalence of STH remains a cause of concern,” said Dr Arvind Mathur, WHO representative to Timor-Leste. “Over the past few years, we have intensified our efforts to support the Ministry of Health and tackle these infections through various programmes. The latest MDA drive was held under the school health and nutrition programme called Say No To 5S,” he said. The Say No to 5S programme aims at improving the health and nutrition of Timorese children by tackling Starvation, Soil-transmitted Helminthiasis, Skin diseases, Smoking and Sugary/Alcoholic Drinks. The project, a collaboration between WHO and the World Food Programme (WFP), is funded by the Korean International Cooperation Agency (KOICA). These efforts undertaken in Timor-Leste are important considering that nearly 47 percent of children under five years of age in the country are stunted, 8.6 percent suffer from acute malnutrition, and 23 percent of women of reproductive age (15 -49 years) are anaemic, according to data collated by the WFP.
Distribution of deworming tablets at a primary school in Fatumeta in Dili during the MDA drive in October 2022. WHO Photo/Cirilo According to Dr Mathur, the WHO will continue to plan MDA drives over the coming months, especially in areas with high prevalence of STH and other NTDs that can be curbed through preventive chemotherapy. MDA (also referred to as preventive chemotherapy) is one of the WHO’s recommended strategies to control and eliminate several NTDs. The other strategies include individual case management, vector control, veterinary public health and water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH).
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Story
10 November 2022
Improving quality of life of lymphatic filariasis patients through follow-up
In the last week of October, the farmer based in Viqueque district of Timor-Leste, had a visit from a health team following up known LF patients for Morbidity Management and Disability Prevention (MMDP). When one of the healthcare workers began cleaning his left leg, he found a one-inch metal thumb tack lodged into his foot.
“I didn’t feel it all this while,” Fernando told the health worker who pulled out the metal pin and cleaned the wound. “I don’t know how long the nail was lodged there,” he added.
Eighty-one-year-old Fernando Ximenes during the Morbidity Management and Disability Prevention (MMDP) follow up on 26 October 2022. WHO Photo/Cirilo LF, commonly known as elephantiasis, is a neglected tropical disease (NTD) caused by infection with parasites classified as nematodes (roundworms). The infection occurs when filarial parasites are transmitted to humans through mosquitoes. Usually, the infection is acquired in the childhood, but its lasting impact occurs in adults who not only struggle with physical disability, but also stigma and poverty. Fernando was diagnosed with LF when he was 39-year-old. In the records of the Ministry of Health’s NTD team, Fernando is described as a stage 2 patient with swelling in both lower limbs below the knee. He is also suffering from loss of sensation due to the swelling. During the follow up, the health team assessed his condition, told him about alleviation exercises to reduce the swelling and provided tips on wound care and hygiene along with some medication and ointments.
Members of the WHO and MoH team examine a patient during the seventh round of MMDP follow up held between 25 October to 10 November 2022. WHO Photo/Cirilo Timor-Leste has 435 confirmed LF patients who are currently on follow-up. The country has not detected a new LF case since 2019, and it has set focus on eliminating the disease by adopting two strategies under the WHO’s Global Programme to Eliminate Lymphatic Filariasis (GPELF)- stopping the spread of infection through large-scale annual treatment of all eligible people in an area or region where infection is present; and alleviating the suffering caused by lymphatic filariasis through provision of the recommended essential package of care. “The WHO country office in Timor-Leste has been providing the required technical support to the Ministry of Health to strengthen their measures to eliminate LF as well as all other NTDs in the country,” said WHO representative Dr Arvind Mathur. “We will continue these efforts on a war-footing,” he said adding that the country signed the Kigali Declaration on NTDs on 13 June 2022 attesting its commitment toward the cause. Timor-Leste has emphasized on stronger surveillance to identify new cases of LF and every municipality has a focal point to provide health services including the Morbidity Management and Disability Prevention (MMDP) service. For patient’s like Ximenes, the MMDP service helps in reducing acute episodes of pain and fever, managing the swelling, and remaining active despite if the physical discomfort. “MMDP is a crucial part of the programme as it improves the quality of life of the known LF patients,” said Dr Debashish Kundu, technical officer (communicable diseases), WHO Timor-Leste. “This is the seventh follow-up round for MMDP and overall monitoring of the programme in the country. Teams consisting of WHO and MoH staff are covering several municipalities to reach out to as many patients as possible,” he said.
Eighty-one-year-old Fernando Ximenes during the Morbidity Management and Disability Prevention (MMDP) follow up on 26 October 2022. WHO Photo/Cirilo LF, commonly known as elephantiasis, is a neglected tropical disease (NTD) caused by infection with parasites classified as nematodes (roundworms). The infection occurs when filarial parasites are transmitted to humans through mosquitoes. Usually, the infection is acquired in the childhood, but its lasting impact occurs in adults who not only struggle with physical disability, but also stigma and poverty. Fernando was diagnosed with LF when he was 39-year-old. In the records of the Ministry of Health’s NTD team, Fernando is described as a stage 2 patient with swelling in both lower limbs below the knee. He is also suffering from loss of sensation due to the swelling. During the follow up, the health team assessed his condition, told him about alleviation exercises to reduce the swelling and provided tips on wound care and hygiene along with some medication and ointments.
Members of the WHO and MoH team examine a patient during the seventh round of MMDP follow up held between 25 October to 10 November 2022. WHO Photo/Cirilo Timor-Leste has 435 confirmed LF patients who are currently on follow-up. The country has not detected a new LF case since 2019, and it has set focus on eliminating the disease by adopting two strategies under the WHO’s Global Programme to Eliminate Lymphatic Filariasis (GPELF)- stopping the spread of infection through large-scale annual treatment of all eligible people in an area or region where infection is present; and alleviating the suffering caused by lymphatic filariasis through provision of the recommended essential package of care. “The WHO country office in Timor-Leste has been providing the required technical support to the Ministry of Health to strengthen their measures to eliminate LF as well as all other NTDs in the country,” said WHO representative Dr Arvind Mathur. “We will continue these efforts on a war-footing,” he said adding that the country signed the Kigali Declaration on NTDs on 13 June 2022 attesting its commitment toward the cause. Timor-Leste has emphasized on stronger surveillance to identify new cases of LF and every municipality has a focal point to provide health services including the Morbidity Management and Disability Prevention (MMDP) service. For patient’s like Ximenes, the MMDP service helps in reducing acute episodes of pain and fever, managing the swelling, and remaining active despite if the physical discomfort. “MMDP is a crucial part of the programme as it improves the quality of life of the known LF patients,” said Dr Debashish Kundu, technical officer (communicable diseases), WHO Timor-Leste. “This is the seventh follow-up round for MMDP and overall monitoring of the programme in the country. Teams consisting of WHO and MoH staff are covering several municipalities to reach out to as many patients as possible,” he said.
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Press Release
24 January 2023
The world is failing 130 million girls denied education: UN experts
“The world is failing 130 million girls denied the human right to education – a fundamental, transformative, and empowering right for every human being.
Universal access to quality education enables individuals, communities, countries and the world to build wellbeing and prosperity for all. All States have made commitments to realise the right to education for all, but fewer than half of the world’s countries have achieved gender parity in primary education. Denying girls and other vulnerable groups their fundamental right to education is discrimination at its most debilitating. It impoverishes our world as it deprives us of the creativity, ingenuity and contributions of more than half of humanity.
Today, our thoughts are with the women and girls of Afghanistan in particular, as it is the only country in the world that prohibits education beyond primary level for women and girls. We condemn the discriminatory policies of the de facto authorities in Afghanistan who have barred women’s and girls’ access to secondary schools, universities, and other centres of learning, and repeat our call to the authorities to urgently end these illegal restrictions. They amount to abuse that not only harm women and girls, but are also seriously damaging the country and its future. We urge the international community to do everything in its power to have these policies reversed.
Education is a life-long learning process that actively contributes to building just, peaceful and sustainable societies.
On this International Day of Education, we call upon all States to take concrete steps to rectify gender and other disparities that prevent the enjoyment of this fundamental right for all.”
ENDS
*The experts: Ms. Farida Shaheed took office as Special Rapporteur on the right to education on 1 August 2022 following her appointment by the Human Rights Council. She is the Executive Director of Pakistan’s leading gender justice organization, Shirkat Gah - Women’s Resource Centre. She also served as a member of Pakistan’s National Commission on the Status of Women, and as the first Special Rapporteur in the field of cultural rights from 2009 to 2015.
Mr. Richard Bennett is the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Afghanistan. He officially assumed duties on 1 May 2022. He has served in Afghanistan on several occasions in different capacities including as the Chief of the Human Rights Service with the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA).
Ms. Dorothy Estrada-Tanck (Chair), Ms. Elizabeth Broderick, Ms. Ivana Radačić (Vice-Chair), Ms. Meskerem Geset Techane and Ms. Melissa Upreti, Working Group on discrimination against women and girls. The UN Working Group on discrimination against women and girls was created by the Human Rights Council in 2010 to intensify efforts to eliminate all forms of discrimination against women and girls throughout the world in collaboration with all concerned stakeholders. The Working Group is composed of the five aforementioned independent experts.
The Special Rapporteurs, Independent Experts and Working Groups are part of what is known as the Special Procedures of the Human Rights Council. Special Procedures, the largest body of independent experts in the UN Human Rights system, is the general name of the Council’s independent fact-finding and monitoring mechanisms that address either specific country situations or thematic issues in all parts of the world. Special Procedures’ experts work on a voluntary basis; they are not UN staff and do not receive a salary for their work. They are independent from any government or organization and serve in their individual capacity.
For inquiries and media requests, please contact: Mylène Bidault (mylene.bidaultabdulle@un.org)
For media inquiries related to other UN independent experts please contact Maya Derouaz (maya.derouaz@un.org) or Dharisha Indraguptha (dharisha.indraguptha@un.org)
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Press Release
21 January 2023
UN Resident Coordinator in Timor-Leste congratulates the country for becoming a member to the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities
“It is an important decision of the Government of Timor-Leste as the Convention underlines the universality of all human rights and fundamental freedoms, and the right of persons with disabilities to the equal and effective enjoyment of these legal guarantees, in a way that is respectful and accommodating of their differences, including recognizing sex/gender-based differences” said Funmi Balogun, UN Resident Coordinator in Timor-Leste. “Persons with disabilities are not ‘objects’ of charity, medical treatment and social protection. Instead, they must be viewed as ‘subjects’ with rights, agency and who can claim those rights and make decisions for their lives based on their free and informed consent, as well as being active members of society,” Ms. Balogun added.
The UN Country Team in Timor-Leste hopes that the accession to the Convention will provide a strong legal basis for the guarantee of equal opportunities for persons with disabilities in Timor-Leste through the elimination of all those barriers which exclude or restrict their full participation. “The United Nations in Timor-Leste stands ready to assist the Government in this regard, as well as to support persons with disabilities and the civil society organizations that represent them, to promote inclusion and advocate for the implementation of the provisions enshrined in the Convention, now that it has entered into effect in Timor-Leste,” UN Resident Coordinator noted.
-END-
FOR MEDIA INQUIRIES
Ahmed Saleem
Head of Communications, UN Resident Coordinator's Office
Email: Mohammed.saleem@un.org
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Press Release
15 December 2022
NEWLY APPOINTED UN RESIDENT COORDINATOR MS FUNMI BALOGUN PRESENTS CREDENTIALS
Dili, TIMOR-LESTE, 15 December 2022 - The newly appointed UN Resident Coordinator (RC), Ms Funmi Balogun, presented her letter of credence to Her Excellency Adaljiza Magno, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation, in a meeting held at the Minister's Office earlier today.
Ms Adaljiza welcomed Ms Balogun to Timor-Leste and congratulated her on the appointment. The Foreign Minister expressed confidence that Timor-Leste & UN relations will further deepen under her leadership. She thanked the UN System for its continued support of implementing the country's development priorities and achieving Sustainable Development Goals.
During the meeting, the new Resident Coordinator expressed her honour to have been designated by the UN Secretary-General to represent the UN System in a country. "It is indeed a privilege that I have been assigned to serve Timor-Leste, which has hugely contributed to peace, democracy, human rights, and freedom of expression as one of the world's youngest countries," noted the UN Resident Coordinator. Ms Balogun added that she was looking forward to supporting the country and fostering an 'enabling environment' for a new era of 'national ownership & leadership' of sustainable development.
The UN presence in Timor-Leste consists of 21 resident and non-resident agencies.
Ms Olufunmilayo Abosede Balogun-Alexander has more than 30 years of experience working on and leading sustainable development, peace, and humanitarian portfolios at a senior level within the United Nations and international organisations.
-END-
BACKGROUND NOTE FOR THE EDITOR
Prior to her appointment as United Nations Resident Coordinator, Ms Balogun-Alexander served as Head of Humanitarian Normative and Coordination Action, UN Women, where she led UN Women's global response to humanitarian crises and supported UN Women Country Offices to strengthen gender mainstreaming in UN-led Humanitarian Coordinated response in crisis-affected countries.
Before that, she worked as UN Women Country Representative to UN Women, Deputy Representative, UN Women Ethiopia, Director, External Relations and Advocacy, International Planned Parenthood Federation, Africa Region and Kenya Programme Manager for the UN Development Fund for Women.
Ms Balogun-Alexander led and supported multi-functional teams at the country level to be fit for purpose and to achieve impact and results, particularly on the humanitarian-development-peace nexus. She led UN inter-agency coordination to coordinate joint assessments and develop and implement joint UN programmes on gender-based violence, governance and protection from sexual exploitation and abuse.
She has coordinated national support and government priorities for development and social policy funding, including co-creating and driving solutions around pressing challenges, including gender equality, sexual and reproductive health and rights, and minority groups, to ensure that no one is left behind in achieving the SDGs. Ms Olufunmilayo Abosede Balogun-Alexander has established and maintained strategic partnerships with governments, intergovernmental commissions, bilateral donors, media and the private sector for innovative funding and programmes.
Ms Balogun-Alexander has a master's degree in Gender and Development from the Institute of Development Studies, University of Sussex, UK and a bachelor of arts degree in English from the University of Lagos, Nigeria.
She has two children.
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Press Release
02 December 2022
Secretary-General appoints Ms. Olufunmilayo Abosede Balogun-Alexander of Nigeria as the United Nations Resident Coordinator in Timor-Leste
Olufunmilayo Abosede Balogun-Alexander has more than 30 years of experience working on and leading humanitarian, peace and development projects at a senior level within the United Nations and international NGOs.
Prior to her appointment as United Nations Resident Coordinator, Ms. Balogun-Alexander served as Head, Humanitarian Normative and Coordination Action, UN Women, where she led UN Women’s global response to humanitarian crises and supported UN Women Country Offices to strengthen gender mainstreaming in UN-led Humanitarian Coordinated response in crisis-affected countries.
Before that, she worked as UN Women Country Representative to UN Women, Deputy Representative, UN Women Ethiopia, Director, External Relations and Advocacy, International Planned Parenthood Federation, Africa Region and Kenya Programme Manager for the UN Development Fund for Women.
Ms. Balogun-Alexander led and supported multi-functional teams at the country level to be fit for purpose and to achieve impact and results, particularly on the humanitarian-development-peace nexus. She led UN inter-agency coordination to coordinate joint assessments, develop and implement joint UN programmes, including on gender-based violence, governance and protection from sexual exploitation and abuse.
She has coordinated national support and government priorities for development and social policy funding, including co-creating and driving solutions, including on contentious issues of gender equality, sexual and reproductive health and rights, and minority groups, to ensure that no one is left behind in achieving the SDGs. Olufunmilayo Abosede Balogun-Alexander has established and maintained strategic partnerships with governments, intergovernmental commissions, bilateral donors, media and the private sector for innovative funding and programmes.
Ms. Balogun-Alexander has a master’s degree in Gender and Development from the Institute of Development Studies, University of Sussex, UK and a bachelor of arts degree in English from University of Lagos, Nigeria.
She has two children.
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Press Release
30 November 2022
Timor-Leste to host WHO’s regional meeting on family planning and comprehensive abortion care
Komunikadu Imprensa
Dili, 29 Novembru 2022 - Sorumutuk Tékniku Rejionál OMS Sudeste Aziátiku nian kona-ba Planeamentu Família no Kuidadu Abortu Kompreeensivu hodi Aselera Redusaun Mortalidade Inan sei organiza iha Timor-Leste husi 30 Novembru to'o 2 Dezembru. Sorumutuk nivél aas ho partisipasaun husi nasaun membru 10 husi rejiaun Sudeste Aziátiku nian ne’e, sei inaugura husi S.E. Prezidente Republika Dr. José Ramos Horta iha loron Kuarta-feira iha Salaun Mahoka iha Dili.
Intervensaun planeamentu familiár iha papél signifikante iha redusaun mortalidade inan no oan. Uzu ba métodu kontraseptivu sira bele hamenus isin-rua ne'ebé la ho intensaun liuhusi fó espasu no limita partus.
"Saúde inan no oan nu'udar pilár importante ida husi pilár rejionál ualu OMS nian iha rejiaun Sudeste Aziátiku, no OMS Timor-Leste iha onra atu sai hanesan uma-na'in ba sorumutuk importante iha nasaun ida nee," dehan Dr. Arvind Mathur, Reprezentante OMS nian ba Timor-Leste. "Sorumutuk Rejionál ne'e sei halibur péritu sira husi nasaun membru sira hotu atu halo deliberasaun no halo revizaun ba servisu planeamentu familiár sira iha sira-nia nasaun no rejiaun no halo planu ida atu kobre nesesidade sira ne'ebé la konsege kobre no rezolve dezafiu sira iha futuru," hatutan Dr. Mathur.
Sorumutuk Rejionál ida ne'e sei halibur hamutuk ekipa programa OMS nian, ofisiál sira husi Ministériu Saúde no parseiru relevante sira seluk ne'ebé la hasoru malu durante pandemia COVID-19 tinan rua nia laran. Tópiku sira husi sesaun téknika ne'ebé planeia durante loron tolu ne'e sei inklui progresu globál iha saúde seksuál no reprodutiva, progresu rejionál iha saúde inan no reprodutiva, instrumentu planeamentu familiár ne'ebé atualiza ona, intervensaun auto-care iha saúde seksuál reprodutiva no seluk tán.
Sorumutuk ne'e mós sei fornese plataforma ida ba nasaun membru sira atu hatudu materiál sira kona-ba sira-nia aprosimasaun advokásia nian, susesu no intervensaun sira seluk ne'ebé halo ona mudansa ba iha área planeamentu familiár nian.
Iha loron 1 Dezembru, delegadu sira-ne'e sei hamutuk ho komunidade iha Timor-Leste hodi hala'o diskursu, liuhusi komemora Loron Mundiál ba AIDS no subliña importánsia husi servisu planeamentu familiár ba feto no adolesenti sira ne'ebé iha risku aas ba HIV.
"Sorumutuk Rejionál ne'e hanesan sorumutuk tékniku nivel aas dahuluk ne'ebé sei organiza iha Timor-Leste. Ida ne'e fó oportunidade di'ak ba Governu Timor-Leste no Ministériu Saúde atu hatudu sira-nia susesu no fó sai sira-nia kompromisu iha plataforma rejionál OMS nian," dehan Dr. Mathur.
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