Strengthening rule of law in Timor-Leste

Timorese judges presiding over a trial at Dili District Court

Since the independence of Timor-Leste in 2002, the country has faced many challenges. A new democratic system had to be built with scarce resources. The work involved establishing new institutions, building a credible police force, an independent judiciary, a stable economy and a new education system. Currently the country enjoys a high economic growth with an average of 9 % increase annually since 2008. The poverty rate has been reduced by 8 % over the past two years. However, challenges remain, as Timor-Leste charts its way from conflict to development. Together with the United Nations Integrated Mission in Timor-Leste (UNMIT) and a number of other United Nations agencies, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) is a major government partner for Timor-Leste.

In August 2010, a Joint UNDP/Department for Peacekeeping Operations (DPKO) Mission on Rule of Law, Justice and Security (Joint Mission) recognized the excellent progress made by the Timorese Government, UNDP and UNMIT in the justice sector, security sector reform and police. Through the UNDP country office, with support from UNDP’s Bureau for Crisis Prevention and Recovery and the Regional Service Center in Bangkok , capacity assistance to the government has been extended in several sectors: the return and reintegration of internally displaced persons, gender, governance and the rule of law. In the field of rule of law, the UNDP Justice System Programme (JSP) is helping strengthen Timor-Leste’s justice system by providing capacity development support to the Courts, the Prosecutor General’s Office, the Police relations with the office, the Public Defender’s Office, and the Ministry of Justice, and assisting them to uphold the rule of law and improve people’s access to justice. Among others, significant progress has been made with regards to the institutionalization of the Council of Coordination, the decision making body for the Justice sector, as well as the increase of national judiciary human resources through the legal training center.

The Justice System Programme which was launched in 2003 and will run under its current project document until 2013, is implemented by UNDP under the guidance of the Council of Coordination, comprised of the Ministry of Justice, the Chief Justice and Prosecutor-General of Timor-Leste. The Council of Coordination is the Steering Committee for the project which makes all policy and management decisions and supervises progress. UNDP is responsible for the implementation, monitoring and evaluation of project activities.

As the Chair of the International Dialogue on Peacebuilding and State Building , Timor-Leste is now on the path of peacebuilding while also moving forward on the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). These are no abstract notions for the leadership of Timor-Leste, and to make the point, the government refers to “MDG-Suku,” the achievement of MDGs at the community level. Under this concept, every child should be able to access primary education, every villager to receive primary health-care, and every woman to participate fully in economic and political life.

The Minister of Justice, Lucia Lobato praised the role of UNDP and other development partners during her discourse for the Security Council Meeting on the 16 April 2010 (S/PV.6299), where she stressed the link between Justice, Peace and Development: “ Timor-Leste has consistently prioritized the building of strong Justice Institutions, which complement the work done in policing and security sector reform.   Justice cannot be neglected in any discussion on long-term security, peace and economic development”.

Also, President José Ramos-Horta is appreciative of the support from UNDP, UNMIT, and the rest of the international community. In an interview with Yasmine Sherif, Senior Advisor and Team Leader for UNDP’s Bureau for Crisis Prevention and Recovery, he defined the meaning of justice by saying: “Justice is more than locking up a convict behind bars. […] Justice means bridging the profound gap between rich and poor. It means refusing to accept discrimination against women or persecution of those of a different ethnicity, religion or belief. And it means showing solidarity towards the marginalized and the poor.”

President Ramos-Horta continued that “this broader meaning of justice - social, economic, political and legal - can only be achieved in an environment of peace, and peace can only be won through peaceful means. To achieve justice in its broader sense we need to have compassion for our enemies and the wisdom to make peace with them.”

Timor-Leste: Cuban connection helps healthcare woes

by kanan48

Well before 8am, the reception at Bairo Formosa health centre in Dili, the capital of Timor-Leste, is bursting with people. The medical staff – a Timorese dental specialist, public doctor and six Cuban medics – see up to 600 patients a day.
Since independence in 2002, one of the biggest challenges facing Asia’s newest nation has been how to rebuild the health sector to meet the needs of one of the fastest-growing populations in the world, with women having, on average, six or seven children each.
Jaime dos Reis, chief of the health centre at Bairo Formosa, told IRIN: “In Dili, especially at this clinic, there aren’t enough Timorese doctors. The doctors cannot handle 600 patients. They just can’t.”
That is where Cuba, which prides itself on having a strong healthcare system, comes in.
As part of an agreement signed in 2003, Cuba agreed to take on hundreds of Timorese medical students whose return to Timor-Leste is hoped will relieve the strain on healthcare facilities in the fledgling nation.
The plan is to have one Timorese doctor per 1,000 of the 1.1 million population, said Diamantino de Jesus, the Ministry of Health’s national director for human resources.
“At that time we had many problems in the health sector. That is why Fidel Castro asked how Cuba can help develop the country. The president of Cuba then offered the scholarships,” he said.
Rural restrictions
In Timor Leste, about three-quarters of the population live in rural areas, where access to healthcare is often limited.
About 40 percent of people live below the poverty line and diseases such as leprosy remain endemic, the UN reports.
Illiteracy and poor sanitation are widespread, while almost half of all children under five are chronically malnourished, according to the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF).
Rui de Araujo, senior management adviser with the Ministry of Finance, says up to 75 percent of all health problems in the country – contagious diseases and illnesses related to hygiene, nutrition, access to clean water, vaccinations – could be prevented.
“That was the basic rationale of why we started to bring in many Timorese young people to be trained in the general practice, basic medicine, to focus on community health, public health and health promotion so the country can tackle these problems,” he said.
During Indonesia’s 24-year occupation of Timor-Leste, people became accustomed to obtaining primary healthcare from doctors. When the Indonesians left in 1999, so did many health professionals.
The shortage of doctors means many people often go to hospital for basic healthcare.
“The primary healthcare facilities are not providing all the answers to the community and they will take themselves into hospitals and secondary healthcare settings to solve what is supposed to be solved at the primary healthcare centres,” De Araujo said.
Skill sharing
At the moment there are 845 Timorese medical students, of whom 658 are in Cuba. They will finish their studies with internships back in Timor-Leste.
Eighteen students are already nearing the end of their studies and working in community health centres in the vicinity of one of the country’s six hospitals.
At the same time, another 250 students are studying in Timor-Leste, working under the supervision of the more than 200 Cuban health professionals in the nation. They will also study in Cuba for a year.
Within a few years, it is expected that there will be all Timorese medical teams staffing the nation’s 187 health posts, 65 community health centres and six hospitals.
Students were selected from each of the country’s sub-districts, so it is hoped they will be loyal enough to their roots to pass over the temptation of taking their newfound skills elsewhere to better-paid work.
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