REGISTRATION OF FORMER CIVIL SERVANTS
UNTAET’s office of Civil Service and Public Employment has completed the first phase of the registration of pensioners and former civil servants working for the Indonesian Administration in East Timor.
Approximately 17,500 former civil servants and 3,000 pensioners have been registered. The process is expected to be finalized next week, once the data has been cross-checked. UNTAET will, however, process any incoming registration requests.
By the end of next week, the East Timorese Transitional Administration will send a copy of the names to the Indonesian Foreign Ministry, TASPEN (the civil service pensions agency) and ASABRI (the POLRI and TNI pensions agency).
INVESTIGATION INTO THE SELECTION OF TEACHERSUNTAET’s Office of the Inspector General is conducting an investigation into the selection process of East Timorese teachers. The move follows complaints received by the Education Department from teachers and the public in Ainaro, Baucau, Dili and Viqueque about lack of transparency.
This is the first investigation done by the Inspector General, who met with CNRT officials today.
The preliminary report on the findings of the Inspector General will be presented to the Transitional Cabinet on 16 October.
EXPERTS ON RECONCILIATION COMMISSIONS VISIT EAST TIMORPriscilla Hayner from the United States and Paul van Zyl from South Africa, renowned experts on truth and reconciliation commissions, arrived in East Timor yesterday, 5 October.
They are in Dili to assist the Steering Committee on Reconciliation, tasked to look into the possibility of setting up a Peace and Reconciliation Commission.
The Steering Committee had several meetings this past week, discussing the institutional design of the body, and will hold a workshop on 9-10 October. As a result, a draft regulation on a Peace and Reconciliation Commission will be presented later this month.
The Steering Committee consists of 13 members representing East Timorese society, UNTAET, UNHCR and the International Organization for Migration.
The Committee, chaired by Father Domingos Soares from CNRT, is also working on formulating a proposal to get funding.
LAND AND PROPERTY TEAM GOES TO INDONESIAFour UNTAET Land and Property Officers left for Jakarta on Tuesday to meet with the Indonesian Land Department. The meeting is part of the on-going discussions to resolve issues arising from the transfer of authority in East Timor to the United Nations.
The team is expected to inspect documents related to land and property in East Timor.
In February, SRSG Sergio Vieira de Mello and Indonesia Foreign Minister Alwi Shihab signed a Joint Communiqué in Dili in which it was agreed that discussions would take place to resolve issues related to assets and claims, return of and protection of cultural artifacts, private property and archives, among other things.
The team will return to Dili on 14 October.
UNIFEM DIRECTOR VISITS EAST TIMORThe Director of the United Nations Fund for Women (UNIFEM), Noeleen Heyzer, is arriving in East Timor for a two-day visit on Monday, 9 October.
The visit starts with a trip to Ermera district, where Noeleen Heyzer is meeting representatives from the national women’s organization OMT and looking at micro-finance projects.
Monday’s program will also include a meeting with Acting SRSG Parameswaran.
On Tuesday, the UNIFEM Director is scheduled to meet the East Timor Women’s Network, an umbrella organization bringing together the country’s five major women’s groups.