The United Nations Integrated Mission in Timor-Leste (UNMIT) was established by Security Council resolution 1704 of 25 August 2006. By that resolution, the Council mandated UNMIT, among other things, to:
- Support the Government and relevant institutions with a view to consolidating stability, enhancing a culture of democratic governance and facilitating political dialogue;
- Support Timor-Leste in all aspects of the 2007 presidential and parliamentary electoral process;
- Provide support to the national police and assist in conducting a comprehensive review of the role and needs of the security sector;
- Assist in further strengthening the national capacity for the monitoring, promotion and protection of human rights;
- Cooperate and coordinate with United Nations agencies, funds and programmes and all relevant partners with a view to making maximum use of assistance in post conflict peacebuilding and capacity-building.
By its resolution 1802 of 25 February 2008, which was adopted after the attacks on the President and the Prime Minister of Timor-Leste on 11 February 2008 and attempts to destabilize the country, the Security Council also requested UNMIT to:
- Continue its efforts to enhance the effectiveness of the judiciary system;
- Support the Government of Timor-Leste in its efforts to coordinate donor cooperation in areas of institutional capacity-building;
- Intensify its efforts, working with partners, to assist with further training, mentoring, institutional development and strengthening of the PNTL.
Further, by its resolution 1867 of 26 February 2009, the Security Council entrusted UNMIT a number of additional tasks, including extending the necessary support, within its current mandate, for local elections planned for 2009, in response to the request from the Government of Timor-Leste.
By its resolution 1912 of 26 February 2010, the Security Council requested UNMIT to extend the necessary support for municipal elections, if requested by the Government of Timor-Leste, and encouraged the international community to assist in this process. The Council endorsed the Secretary-General’s intention to reconfigure the UNMIT police component, including its drawdown, in accordance with the phased resumption process of policing responsibilities by the PNTL, and requested the Secretary-General to include in his next report his review of this process.
On 24 February 2011, the Security Council adopted resolution 1969 (2011) by which it requested UNMIT to support, within its current mandate, the preparation of parliamentary and presidential elections planned for 2012, as requested by Timorese authorities, and encouraged the international community to assist in the process as well. It reaffirmed the importance of completing capacity-building and reform of the PNTL, including its resumption of primary policing responsibility, as well as ensuring the credibility and integrity of the force, including the resolution of any outstanding disciplinary and criminal charges faced by PNTL officers. It requested UNMIT to support the force’s further institutional development and capacity-building. By the text, the Council also reaffirmed the importance of UNMIT support to the Government of Timor-Leste in further building and reforming the justice sector, coordinating international assistance, reducing poverty, improving education and other areas.
The mandate of UNMIT was completed on 31 December 2012 in accordance with Security Council resolution 2037 adopted on 22 February 2012.