Timor-Leste knows ‘all too well’ price of war, Prime Minister says at UN
“Timor-Leste, as a country that experienced conflict, knows all too well the high price of war and how we must do everything to avoid it, through preventive diplomacy and by strengthening the institutions of the State,” Prime Minister Rui Maria de Araújo told the Assembly’s annual debate. “Timor-Leste can serve as an example and a source of hope as a country that emerged from a conflict situation and became a peaceful country, with security and stability, where all benefit from the dividends of peace,” he said.
A number of UN operations or missions were in Timor-Leste from 1999 to 2012, including the UN Transitional Administration in East Timor (UNTAET), which exercised administrative authority over East Timor during the transition from special autonomy within Indonesia to independence in 2002.
“We are well aware of the importance of peace for development, and development for peace, which is a concept that we endeavoured to include in Goal 16 of the 2030 Agenda that we approved one year ago,” the Prime Minister said in the debate. “There must be no doubt: without peace and stability, we cannot think of development and vice versa,” he added.
He went on to note that Timor-Leste joined a group of another eight countries that wish to serve as models for the implementation of the Agenda by sharing good practices and experiences. Within a year, he said, they formed an inter-ministerial Working Group that mapped indicators for the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and selected 20 targets that will allow them to monitor implementation based on measurable results.
Even when countries emerge from conflict situations, there may remain issues of security, such as terrorism and organized crimes. In order to combat these threats and safeguard economic potential, “we must also protect our borders and ensure maritime security,” he said.
Even after 14 years since Timor-Leste became the 191st UN Member State, the country has yet to define maritime borders with Indonesia and Australia. “The delimitation of our maritime borders will ensure our sovereign rights and give us certainty with respect to what belongs to us, thus ensuring our economic stability, and even our self-sufficiency, and a better future for our people and our nation,” he said.
UN Photo/Cia Pak
Source: www.justearthnews.com
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