Timor Leste Initiative, May 10-15, 2004

Democracy practitioners from various countries in the Community of Democracies came to Timor Leste on May 10-15, 2004 to share with local officials and civil society representatives their experiences and thoughts about democracy building and to learn about the dynamic transition in Timor Leste. Delegates came from Australia, Cape Verde, Chile, Israel, Italy, New Zealand, Portugal, the Republic of Korea, and the United States of America. Each delegate brought experience in one or more sectors of democratic governance, including elections, public defense, law and judiciary, and local governance. As fellow democrats, they came to Timor Leste committed to exchange ideas on how to overcome challenges to the further development of democracy in Timor Leste and to bring home the observations and lessons they learned from the work of Timorese people.

The Community of Democracies is a network of democratic governments dedicated to strengthening and promoting democracy globally. Timor Leste participated in the 2002 Ministerial meeting of the Community of Democracies in Seoul, Korea. Governments in the Community have expressed their belief that democratic nations have the opportunity and responsibility to share with each other their experiences and knowledge in order to support democratization throughout the world. In this regard, as the world’s then-newest democracy Timor Leste’s participation in the 2002 Ministerial was both a reminder to other democracies of the bold steps being taken in Timor Leste, as well as a welcoming reception into this network of countries that have committed to pursuing democratic principles and building democratic institutions.

Delegates met with President Gusmao, Prime Minister Alkatiri, Foreign Minister Ramos Horta, numerous ministers and other government officials, judges, parliamentarians, UN officials, and civil society representatives. They visited Becora prison, the Dili District Court, the Court of Appeals, the Commission for Truth and Reconciliation (CAVR), and many other institutions and sites in Dili. The team members traveled to Baucau and Bobonaro where they met with district officials, local non-governmental activists, and citizens.

Because delegates were not meeting with Timorese officials on behalf of their government, the views shared in this document do not reflect the official position of their respective governments. These views are solely personal reflections of the delegates, following their week-long visit to Timor Leste.

The Timorese people and officials with whom the delegates met expressed a clear vision for Timor Leste and a commitment to building democracy and respect for human rights. They showed a passion for rebuilding their society on democratic values. However, Timor Leste faces tremendous human resource challenges, including the lack of a trained cadre of democracy practitioners such as judges and lawyers, and logistical challenges given the linguistic diversity and educational disparity of Timorese citizens. Meeting the economic and infrastructural challenges faced by Timor Leste will also be essential to the continuing development of democracy in the country. While reflecting on the serious work that stands before the government and people of Timor Leste, delegates recognized the impressive progress that has been made in such a short period since independence.

Delegates highlighted the importance of building strong links among various sectors of government, including police, judiciary, and prisons, as well as with civil society. The full independence and professionalization of the judiciary remains a serious challenge. Delegates observed that more efforts and support are necessary to establish a nation-wide rule of law, which is one of the core principles of democracy, including through the unification of legal systems and professional education of law practitioners. The creation of a Provedor (Ombudsman) for Justice and Human Rights will be one of many important steps to ensure that various governmental sectors function in an accountable and transparent manner. Like the judiciary, building a professional police force and public confidence in this force, particularly given Timor Leste’s difficult past, are essential elements of democratization. Among the challenges facing the prison system is the need to develop a juvenile justice system that ensures the proper handling of children who commit crimes.

The Commission for Truth and Reconciliation (CAVR) has made a tremendous impact at the grassroots level and provides the Timorese people with an important means of dealing with past offenses. Educating citizens about democratic processes and the importance of their participation will be important elements in developing a functioning participatory democracy. The elections to be held in 2004 will help bring democracy closer to the people, although resources still need to be found to enable the Technical Secretariat for the Administration of Elections (STAE) and the National Electoral Commission (CNE) to conduct and supervise voter registration and the electoral process. Delegates were impressed by the level of women’s participation in parliament and many other sectors, and recognized the importance of continuing to build the capacity of women in all sectors.

The visiting practitioners were moved by the passion and eloquence of civil society representatives. Despite their lack of resources and – in some cases – limited experience, the non-governmental representatives were unwavering in their commitment to democracy and eager to continue the dialogue among democracy practitioners in other nations. Many inquired about the challenges delegates face in their respective countries, in order to learn from others’ experiences and apply them to Timor Leste’s unique situation.

It is clear that Timor Leste requires continued international assistance to sustain its work in democracy building. Democratic nations, along with international organizations, have a great deal to share with and learn from a country like Timor Leste, which has begun the challenging but rewarding journey toward democracy.