Joint Press Release
Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste

and the United Nations Integrated Mission in Timor-Leste

Model UN simulates historical 1999 session of the Security Council on Timor-Leste

Dili 24 October 2009 – Today a celebration of United Nations Day a Model UN conference was held in Dili, Timor-Leste. The Model UN re-created the historic Security Council session of October 1999 which took place during the security crisis which followed the historic UN-organised Popular Consultation, and which led to the formation of the United Nations Transitional Administration in East Timor (UNTAET).

Hosted by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and supported by UNMIT, 34 students from the Peace Centre at the University of Timor-Leste (UNTL) took part in the Model UN conference.

"The Model UN has been hard work, but we have learned a huge amount about the UN Security Council and about international relations," said Elsa Araujo Pinto, one of the student trainers. "As official Secretary of the Security Council session I took notes of everything the delegates said during the meeting and passed them to the President to help with making decisions," she said on her role during the Model UN.

Lucio Jesus Savio's role was as the delegate for Russia, which held the Presidency of the Security Council in 1999. "I was chairing the model UN session. As President, I needed to show leadership in the debate to pass the Resolution."

Students prepared for the Model UN for two months, with training sessions conducted by eight professional Timorese staff of UNMIT. Working in pairs, students took the role of delegations of each of the 15 Members States represented in the Security Council in October 1999, and presented their perspectives and positions on the situation in Timor-Leste at that historic moment.

"Timor-Leste has a very special relationship with the United Nations. I think that it is important for the younger generation to have knowledge of our history and to learn from the past. This Model UN is an excellent opportunity to learn about how the United Nations carries out its work and how it reacted to the dramatic events of 1999 which are still in our memories," said Zacarias Albano da Costa, Minister for Foreign Affairs.

"UNMIT and the whole United Nations family in Timor-Leste have been happy to support the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in its initiative to conduct this first Model UN," said Finn Reske-Nielsen, Acting Special Representative of the Secretary-General in Timor-Leste. " I congratulate the Ministry, and especially Minister da Costa, for the vision to foster young people's understanding of international institutions and how they work, and especially about how they can effectively benefit those in need."

Komunikadu Imprensa Konjuntu
Ministériu Negósiu Estranjeiru, Repúblika Demokrátika Timor-Leste,

nó Misaun Integrada Nasoins Unidas iha Timor-Leste

Modelu ONU halo simulasaun sesaun istóriku Konsellu Seguransa nian iha 1999 kona-ba Timor-Leste

Dili, 24 Outubru 2009 – Ohin loron, konferénsia Modelu ONU hala'o iha Dili, Timor-Leste hodi selebra Loron Nasoins Unidas nian. Modelu ONU ne'e hanesan simulasaun sesaun istóriku Konsellu Seguransa nian iha Outubru 1999, ne'ebé hala'o durante krize seguransa hafoin Konsulta Populár istóriku ne'ebé organiza husi ONU, no tuirfalimai hamosu formasaun Administrasaun Tranzitóriu Nasoins Unidas iha Timor Leste (UNTAET).

Konferénsia Modelu ONU ne'e organiza husi Ministériu Negósiu Estranjeiru ho apoiu husi UNMIT, no estudante na'in-34 husi Sentru Pás iha Universidade Nasionál Timor-Leste (UNTL) hola parte iha eventu ne'e.

"Ami serbisu maka'as hodi organiza Modelu ONU ne'e, maibé ami aprende buat barak kona-ba Konsellu Seguransa ONU nian no mós relasaun internasionál," hatete Elsa Araújo Pinto, treinadór ida ba estudante sira. "Ha'u nu'udar Sekretária Ofisiál iha sesaun Konsellu Seguransa nian, ha'u hakerek nota kona-ba buat hotu ne'ebé delegadu sira ko'alia iha enkontru nia laran, no tuirfalimai hato'o ba Prezidente hodi ajuda foti desizaun", nia hatete kona-ba ninia papél iha Modelu ONU ne'e.

Lúcio Jesus Savio nia papél mak nu'udar delegadu Rúsia nian, ne'ebé hala'o knaar nu'udar Prezidente ba Konsellu Seguransa iha 1999. "Ha'u mak prezide sesaun Modelu ONU. Nu'udar Prezidente, ha'u tenke hatudu ha'u-nia lideransa iha debate hodi aprova Rezolusaun."

Estudante sira hala'o preparasaun ba Modelu ONU durante fulan rua, no simu sesaun treinamentu husi funsionáriu profisionál na'in-8 husi UNMIT. Estudante sira forma pár, no pár ida-idak foti papél nu'udar Membru Estadu sanulu-resin-lima, ne'ebé tuur iha Konsellu Seguransa iha Outubru 1999, no hato'o sira-nia perspetiva no pozisaun kona-ba situasaun Timor-Leste nian iha momentu istóriku ne'ebá.

"Timor-Leste iha relasaun ho ONU ne'ebé espesiál tebe-tebes. Ha'u hanoin importante ba foin-sa'e sira hodi hatene kona-ba ita-nia istória no aprende husi esperiénsia iha pasadu. Modelu ONU ida-ne'e hanesan oportunidade di'ak ida hodi aprende oinsá ONU hala'o ninia servisu no oinsá responde ba akontesimentu dramátiku iha 1999, ne'ebé ita hotu sei hanoin nafatin", hatete Zacarias Labano da Costa, Ministru Negósiu Estranjeiru.

"UNMIT, no família ONU tomak iha Timor-Leste, kontente tebe-tebes atu apoia Ministériu Negósiu Estranjeiru ho inisiativa ida-ne'e hodi hala'o modelu ONU ba dala uluk", hatete Sr. Finn Reske-Nielsen, Reprezentante Espesiál Sekretáriu Jerál Interinu iha Timor-Leste. "Ha'u fó parabéns ba Ministériu, liuliu ba Ministru da Costa, tanba ninia vizaun hodi haburas foin-sa'e sira-nia komprensaun kona-ba instituisaun internasionál no sira-nia funsaun, liuliu kona-ba oinsá sira bele fó benefísiu efetivu ba povu sira ne'ebé presiza."

Backgrounder

Model UN in Dili, Timor-Leste

On 24 October, 1945 – 64 years ago – the Charter of the United Nations came into effect, making this date the anniversary of the formation of the United Nations.

The UN was born in the aftermath of the Second World War, the most deadly and destructive conflict humankind ever faced. Years of war, tens of millions of deaths, untold atrocities and the Holocaust drove 51 nations to build a new international body – one that would prevent such calamities of happening ever again. Now, 192 nation-states have ratified the UN Charter: Timor-Leste was the 191st Member State, admitted by the General Assembly on 27 September 2002.

Model United Nations is an academic simulation of the United Nations that aims to educate participants about civics, effective communication, globalization and multilateral diplomacy. In standard Model UN, students take on roles as diplomats and participate in a simulated session of an intergovernmental organization. Participants research a country, take on roles as diplomats, investigate international issues, debate, deliberate, consult, and then develop solutions to world problems. More recently, simulation of other deliberative bodies has been included in model united nations, even if they are completely unrelated to the UN or international affairs as a whole.
Model UN's are events, usually organised and run by student groups around the world, which simulate a major meeting of the UN such as a General Assembly Meeting or a Security Council. Each participating student, or team of students, adopts the position of a member state of the UN and debates and votes from that perspective according to the UN meetings' rules of procedure.

The Minister for Foreign Affairs of RDTL, decided earlier this year to host a Model UN event in the Ministry as part of the 10 years anniversary of the Popular Consultation in 1999, and requested the UNMIT SRSG to assist in organising this event. The Model UN, which will be held on UN Day – 24 October 2009 – will re-create the Security Council in 199 debating the establishment of UNTAET.

Dokumentu Referénsia

Modelu ONU iha Dili, Timor-Leste

Iha loron 24 fulan Outubru, tinan 1945 – tinan 64 liubá – Karta Nasoins Unidas nian komesa vigora, halo loron ida ne'e nu'udar aniversáriu ba estabelesimentu Nasoins Unidas-nian.

Nasoins Unidas moris tanba konsekuénsia Funu Mundiál Daruak, konflitu mortál no destrutivu liu hotu ne'ebé umanidade hasoru. Funu tinan hirak nia laran, ema na'in millaun sanulu mate, atrosidade barabarak no Olokaustu dudu nasaun 51 atu harii ajénsia internasionál foun ida – ajénsia ida-ne'ebé sei prevene kalamidade hirak ne'e atu labele mosu fila fali. Agora, estadu-nasaun 192 ratifika tiha ona Karta ONU ne'e: Timor-Leste sai nu'udar Estadu Membru ba 191, admite husi Asembleia Jerál iha loron 27 fulan Setembru tinan 2002.

Modelu Nasoins Unidas nu'udar simulasaun akadémiku ida Nasoins Unidas nian ho objetivu atu eduka kona-ba sidadania, komunikasaun efetiva, globalizasaun no diplomasia multilaterál. Iha Modelu ONU, estudante sira kaer papél hanesan diplomata no partisipa iha sesaun simulada iha organizasaun intergovernmentál ida. Partisipante sira halo peskiza ba nasaun ida, kaer papél nu'udar diplomata sira, investiga problema internasionál, debate, delibera, konsulta, no tuirfalimai buka solusaun ba problema sira mundu nian. Foin daudaun, simulasaun ba instituisaun deliberativa sira seluk inklui iha modelu Nasoins Unidas, mézmuke karik sira kompletamente laiha relasaun ruma ho ONU ka asuntu internasionál.

Modelu sira ONU nu'udar eventu, ne'ebé normalmente organiza no hala'o husi grupu estudante sira iha mundu tomak, ne'ebé simula enkontru boot ruma ONU nian hanesan Reuniaun Asembleia Jerál ka Konsellu Seguransa. Kada estudante ka grupu estudante sira ne'ebé partisipa, adota pozisaun estadu membru ida husi ONU, debate no vota husi perspetiva ne'ebá tuir ONU nia regulamentu.

Ministru Negósiu Estranjeiru RDTL, deside ona iha tinan ne'e nia inísiu atu sai uma na'in ba eventu Modelu ONU iha Ministériu ida-ne'e nu'udar parte husi aniversáriu tinan dasanuluk ba Konsulta Populár ne'ebé hala'o iha tinan 1999, no husu ba RESJ UNMIT atu ajuda organiza eventu ne'e. Modelu ONU, ne'ebé sei hala'o iha Loron ONU nian – loron 24 fulan Outubru tinan 2009 – sei kria filafali Konsellu Seguransa ne'ebé halo debate kona-ba estabelesimentu UNTAET iha tinan 1999.