PORTUGUESE PARLIAMENTARY DELEGATION VISITS EAST TIMOR

A Portuguese parliamentary delegation to East Timor is arriving in Dili on Saturday, 3 March for a five-day visit. The five-strong delegation is scheduled to meet several UNTAET senior officials, including the Deputy SRSG Jean Christian Cady, CNRT/CN President Xanana Gusmão, Bishop Carlos Ximenes Belo and leaders of political parties and National Council members. The delegation visited Australia and Indonesia, where it met high officials of both Governments, and went to refugee camps in West Timor, Indonesia.

CAPACITY BUILDING ON MANAGMENT

Six newly hired East Timorese civil servants from the Investment Institute and Division of Agriculture of the East Timor Transitional Administration (ETTA) are attending an intensive English course and receive training on management in Queensland, Australia. The three months English course is being conducted at Griffith University of Queensland, while Queensland Department of State provides the training on management. Since April last year, the Civil Service Academy in Dili has organized 25 capacity building courses involving more than 1,500 East Timorese civil servants. In addition, hundreds of East Timorese have been sent abroad for various seminars, workshops and training in areas from diplomacy to early childhood education and computers. Also, UNTAET’s Language and Training Unit courses have been attended by more than 3,000 people.