Dili, 06 April 2010 - The Government of Timor-Leste will host three major international events this week, at the newly refurbished conference centre in capital city's old market place.
Prime Minister Xanana Gusmão will present a summary of the national strategic development plan on 7 April at the annual Timor-Leste Development Partners' Meeting. The meeting, dubbed with the theme "Goodbye Conflict, Welcome Development," will provide a forum for development partners to listen to Government on its priorities and to share ideas as to how best to meet the challenges. Ameerah Haq, Special Representative of the UN Secretary General for Timor-Leste, will address the meeting to lead into a discussion of the strategic plan outlined by the Prime Minister.
On 8 April, 'g7+' countries known as 'Fragile States' gather to share experiences of emerging from conflict. The Government of Timor-Leste plays host to six other countries, Afghanistan, Sierra Leone, Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of Congo, Haiti and Ivory Coast. The meeting focuses on what these 'g7+' countries require from international partners to make progress in their peacebuilding and statebuilding goals. Prime Minister Gusmão will deliver the keynote address, focussing on the development of leadership in Timor-Leste and the need for a strong national determination to end conflict. Several delegations will be led by Ministers, Vice Ministers or State Ministers responsible for Finance, Economy and Planning.
On 9-10 April, Timor-Leste plays host to a wider International Dialogue on Peacebuilding and Statebuilding.This meeting, between fragile states and major development partners, will build on ongoing global consultative processes on peace-building and statebuilding. Dr José Ramos-Horta, President of Timor-Leste and Nobel Peace Laureate, will deliver the keynote address on peacebuilding and statebuilding. In addition to the countries participating in the 'g7+' meetings, perspectives will be shared by Southern Sudan, Burundi, and Liberia, and participants will come from other countries such as the Solomon Islands. The Dialogue is expected to make a final statement, to be known as the Dili Declaration, which will signal how this dialogue can feed into other ongoing international policy processes such as the UN Review of the Millenium Development Goals.
High-level DID participants will include: Jordan Ryan, Director of the UNDP Bureau for Crisis Prevention and Recovery, Ambassador Peter Wittig of Germany, Chairman of the UN Peacebuilding Commission, Lawrence Greenwood, Vice President of the Asian Development Bank, and Jim Adams, Regional Vice President of the World Bank.
"This is a big week for Timor-Leste. The Government and the people of Timor-Leste are showing great leadership in hosting the international dialogue on peacebuilding and statebuilding," said Ameerah Haq. "I am sure that Timorese leaders will have valuable lessons to share about their ten years of hard work since the people voted for independence, and that with representatives of other countries emerging from conflict they will hold a dialogue which results in important ideas to improve all of our work in the future."
United Nations Police will work with the Polícia Nacional de Timor-Leste to provide security for the events and the many VIPs attending.
*******
UN
United Nations Peacekeeping
