UN mission makes progress in building East Timor's institutions,
Security Council told
25 May -- The newly independent territory of East Timor has made progress in building institutions and delivering basic services with the help of the United Nations mission in that country, the Security Council was told today by a UN peacekeeping official.
Briefing the Council on the situation in East Timor, Assistant Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations, Hédi Annabi, said that, since his last update on 27 April, the number of civil servants had continued to rise, reaching more than 4,500 employees of which almost one half were teachers. The number of students enrolled in schools also rose -- by 23,000 -- to reach over 163,000.
In the health sector, an Interim Health Authority had been fully established and was presently staffed with 29 East Timorese professionals, 13 district health officers and 7 international staff, Mr. Annabi said. The first office of the East Timor Postal Service had also opened in Dili on 29 April, followed by a branch in Baucau the following day.
Although the overall security situation remained stable, with a decrease in militia activity along the border with West Timor, law and order remained a concern, Mr. Annabi said.
"Crime is still high, and considerable effort is required to contain the readiness of some East Timorese to resort to violence," he said, adding that after an outbreak of violence involving youth groups on 30 April, the UN mission had authorized its international police force to carry side arms.
"Crime is still high, and considerable effort is required to contain the readiness of some East Timorese to resort to violence," he said, adding that after an outbreak of violence involving youth groups on 30 April, the UN mission had authorized its international police force to carry side arms.
In terms of the economy, the number of private businesses also rose over the past few weeks, from 1,200 in April to over 2,000 this month, which has created new employment opportunities for the East Timorese, the Assistant Secretary-General said. Private sector loans were also being made to prospective small business through a World Bank-funded project, while the UN mission's "quick impact projects" had employed almost 4,500 people throughout the territory.
