PRESIDENT OF UN GENERAL ASSEMBLY ARRIVES IN DILI

Mr. Harri Holkeri, the President of the 55th Session of the United Nations General Assembly arrived in East Timor today for a two-day visit. The purpose of the trip is to gather information about the situation on the ground. “I am also here to encourage the East Timorese, who have the backing of all Member States of the United Nations,” he said at the airport.

PLANNING AGENCY TO CARRY OUT POVERTY ASSESSMENT

The National Planning and Development Agency of the Transitional Administration has launched two new initiatives. The Agency will create a database with an inventory of development assistance by district and sector and will carry out a poverty assessment by conducting a survey in all 500 Sucos (neighborhoods) in the country. Once the inventory has been completed, the information will be taken back to the communities to obtain their response. Communities will be asked about the quality and grasp of the development assistance so far, and how it could have been done better.

In carrying out the poverty assessment, the Agency will survey 500 Sucos by March 2001 and 1,500 to 2,000 households by July, followed by a survey in 25 communities on the nature, causes and consequences of poverty. The programme will be implemented in partnership with the World Bank, the Asian Development Bank and UNDP. Emília Pires, Director of the National Planning and Development Agency, briefed the East Timor Transitional Cabinet yesterday on the initiatives and explained that they are intended to build community ownership and community participation in local development.

SRSG MEETS INDONESIAN MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT

SRSG Sergio Vieira de Mello met this morning with Rekso Ageng Herman, a member of Indonesian House of Representatives. Mr. Rekso represents PDIP, the Democratic Indonesian Party, which is part of the Government coalition. He is also a member of the Social Affairs Committee of the House of Representatives. The SRSG urged the Committee to discuss a solution of the problem of pension payments to East Timorese formerly employed by the Indonesian civil service, and measures to encourage the refugees to return to East Timor. SRSG also stressed the problem of propaganda and misinformation in the refugee camps and said that he was encouraged by some measures taken by Indonesia to disband the militia.

LICENSE PLATES TO ARRIVE

The Division of Vehicle Registration of the East Timor Transitional Administration has ordered some 6,000 license plates from Australia, expected to arrive by the end of this month. Some 150 license plates have already arrived to be used on Government vehicles. The registration of public vehicles will start as soon as the Regulation on Vehicle Registration has been approved by the National Council, which is expected to happen this month. There are an estimated 25,000 vehicles (cars, trucks and motorcycles) in East Timor, 15,000 of them circulating in Dili.

PORTUGUESE FOREIGN MINISTER TO VISIT EAST TIMOR

The Portuguese Foreign Minister Jaime Gama will arrive in Dili on Tuesday, 16 January, for a four-day visit. This is a follow-up to his visit to East Timor together with the Portuguese President in February last year. Mr. Gama will meet several UNTAET senior officials, including SRSG Sergio Vieira de Mello, Force Commander Lt. General Boonsrang Niumpradit and CivPol Commissioner José Costa e Sousa, as well as Timorese leaders, such as CNRT President Xanana Gusmão and Cabinet Members. Mr. Gama will visit the Oecussi, Aileu and Los Palos districts. On Wednesday, 17 January, the Foreign Minister will preside over the inauguration ceremony of the Portuguese Cultural Center of Dili.