DONORS PLEDGE TO CONTINUE SUPPORT FOR EAST TIMOR

The Donor’s Conference on East Timor ended in Oslo, Norway, yesterday with participating countries expressing appreciation for East Timor’s progress and of the need to sustain the momentum of the achievements realized thus far.

In closing statements, Jemal-ud-din Kassum, the World Bank’s Vice President of East Asia and Pacific region, said delegates had welcomed the comprehensiveness of the budget plan set out by the East Timorese government.

“Our task, as East Timor’s development partners, will be to help the government meet this challenge, and focus our assistance on consolidating progress made so far and helping East Timor build a strong and viable economy,” he said.

At the conference East Timor’s Minister of Finance Fernanda Borges outlined the government’s broad macroeconomic policy objectives, in particular to achieve fiscal self-sufficiency by 2006; to increase savings and develop non-oil sectors to achieve a long-term annual non-oil growth rate of 5-6 percent; and to invest oil revenues for the benefit of future generations.

The Donors noted the Government’s request for budgetary support for the next three years and agreed to continue the discussion on the modalities and will indicate their support, at the latest, by the time of East Timor’s independence in May.

Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Chile, China, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Indonesia, Ireland, Japan, Korea, Luxembourg, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, Sweden, Thailand, United Kingdom and the United States participated in the two-day conference.

CONSTITUENT ASSEMBLY VOTES TO EXTEND DELIBERATIONS

The Constituent Assembly today voted in favor of extending its deliberations on East Timor’s draft Constitution.

The motion, passed by a wide majority this morning, extends the deadline for passing the Constitution from the original 15 December deadline to 25 January.

The assembly members, who began debating the draft Constitution on 3 December, have so far passed 18 of its 151 articles.

In the past two days the assembly has approved articles relating to East Timor’s national flag; the universal rights of the citizen; gender equality and child protection.

The fiercest debate in the past two days was centered on paragraph two of Article 16, which reads: “No one shall be discriminated against on grounds of colour, race, gender, sexual orientation, ethnical origin, social or economic status, political or idelogical conviction, religion, education, and physical or mental condition.”

After a lengthy debate, 52 of the assembly’s 88 members voted in favor of removing the “sexual orientation” provision from the article.

However, a proposal to include marital status in the article passed by 57 votes. Article 16’s second clause now reads: “No one shall be discriminated against on grounds of colour, race, gender, marital status, ethnic origin, social or economic status, political or ideological conviction, religion, education and physical or mental condition.”

DEPUTY SRSG CALLS FOR DONORS TO SUPPORT JUSTICE SECTOR

Deputy SRSG Dennis McNamara today called on the international community to give strong support to East Timor’s justice sector, while at the same time pledging that UNTAET is committed to creating a more effective justice system.

Speaking to the press in Dili, McNamara praised the Special Panel on Serious Crimes for completing East Timor’s first Crimes Against Humanity trial earlier this week, and said that the imminent creation of a Commission on Reception, Truth, and Reconciliation would help promote community-based justice for the perpetrators of less serious crimes.

McNamara said the Commission – whose seven national members will likely be announced next week – would blend traditional and contemporary systems and be an important complement to the justice system now in place.

“We hope the Commission on Reception, Truth and Reconciliation will start functioning in early 2002, but it needs strong international support,” he said.

The Commission is to operate for a period of up to two years, with a possible six-month extension of operations, and will need donor support of US$4 million in order to carry out its work.

SUPREME COMMANDER OF THAI ARMY ARRIVES IN EAST TIMOR

The Supreme Commander of the Royal Thai Armed Forces arrived in East Timor today to visit the Thai Battalion based in Baucau district and to meet with UNTAET officials in Dili.

Admiral Narong Yuthavong and his delegation landed in Baucau this morning and, after a inspection of the Thai battalion’s activities, flew to Dili to meet with Deputy SRSG Dennis McNamara.

During his meeting with Admiral Narong, the Deputy SRSG explained issues relating to the UNTAET successor mission and the future economic needs of East Timor. Admiral Narong spoke of Thailand’s role in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations and ways the regional organization could continue to support East Timor.

Admiral Narong and his delegation are scheduled to return to Thailand tomorrow.