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United Nations Office in East Timor

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128-800: The United Nations Office in Timor-Leste (UNOTIL) supported the capacity development of critical state institutions, including the East Timor National Police (PNTL) in order to strengthen democratic governance and to help further build to peace in East Timor . A UN Police Force of Technical Advisers continues to provide the country's police, Policia Nacional de Timor-Leste (PNTL), with specialized training for rapid response and intervention units. The Technical Advisers are also responsible for providing training in specialized areas such as counter-terrorism , forensics , and transferring management skills to

256-569: A Timorese Democratic Union (UDT) coup attempt in August 1975, and unilaterally declared independence on 28 November 1975. Fearing a communist state within the Indonesian Archipelago, the Indonesian military launched an invasion of East Timor on 7 December 1975. Indonesia declared East Timor its 27th province on 17 July 1976. The United Nations Security Council opposed the invasion, and

384-426: A rai nain , who was generally associated with the primary sacred house of the kingdom. These polities were numerous and saw shifting alliances and relations, but many were stable enough that they survived from initial European documentation in the 16th century until the end of Portuguese rule. From perhaps the thirteenth century, the island exported sandalwood , which was valued both for its use in crafting and as

512-795: A semi-presidential system , with the popularly elected president sharing power with a prime minister appointed by the National Parliament . Power is centralised under the national government, although many local leaders have informal influence. The country maintains a policy of international cooperation, and is a member of the Community of Portuguese Language Countries , an observer of the Pacific Islands Forum , and an applicant for ASEAN membership. The country remains relatively poor, with an economy that relies heavily on natural resources, especially oil, and foreign aid. The total population

640-598: A President on a rotating basis and for a term of two years (usually, the Minister of the host country). The Council of Ministers ordinarily meets once a year and, extraordinarily, when requested by two-thirds of the member states. The Council of Ministers reports to the Conference of Heads of State and Government, to which it must present its reports. Decisions by the Council of Ministers are taken by consensus. The Executive Secretary

768-513: A biennial summit of heads of state and government of Lusophone countries of the world and the idea of regular meetings between ministerial counterparts of the member states. The Community of Portuguese Language Countries was officially founded on 17 July 1996 at the 1st CPLP Heads of State & Government Summit , in Lisbon , Portugal . In 2005, during a meeting in Luanda , the ministers of culture of

896-458: A five-year term. The number of seats can vary from a minimum of fifty-two to a maximum of sixty-five. Parties must achieve 3% of the vote to enter parliament, with seats for qualifying parties allocated using the D'Hondt method . Elections occur within the framework of a competitive multi-party system. Upon independence, power was held by the Fretilin political party, which was formed shortly before

1024-458: A government priority. In addition to climate change, local ecosystems are threatened by deforestation, land degradation, overfishing, and pollution. East Timor's fauna is diverse and contains a number of endemic and threatened species. The Timor and Wetar deciduous forests region, which covers the entire island, has 38 mammal species. East Timor's two endemic mammal species are the Timor shrew and

1152-631: A meeting in São Tomé and Príncipe, a small island-nation in the Gulf of Guinea , the institute's objectives, implementation and location (Cape Verde) were set. The IILP's fundamental objectives are "the promotion, the defence, the enrichment and the spread of the Portuguese language as a vehicle of culture, education, information and access to scientific and technologic knowledge and of official use in international forums". The Union of Portuguese Language Lawyers (UALP)

1280-524: A minimum of 102,800 conflict-related deaths in the period between 1974 and 1999, including approximately 18,600 killings and 84,200 excess deaths from hunger and illness. The total number of conflict-related deaths during this period is difficult to determine due to a lack of data. One estimate based on Portuguese, Indonesian, and Catholic Church data suggests it may have been as high as 200,000. Repression and restrictions counteracted improvements in health and education infrastructure and services, meaning there

1408-694: A minister, Fernando Van-Dunen (Angola) and Albertino Bragança (São Tomé and Príncipe); the musician Martinho da Vila (Brazil) and Gustavo Vaz da Conceição, president of the Angolan Basketball Federation and member of the Angola Olympic Committee. At the XV Council of Ministers, on 22 July 2010, in Luanda, Ambassador Luís Fonseca, former CPLP Executive Secretary, was appointed. In 2016, CPLP revised its cooperation protocol in defense, affirming

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1536-715: A role it shares with the National Police of East Timor . These forces remain small: 2,200 soldiers in the regular army and 80 in a naval component. A single aircraft and seven patrol boats are operated, and there are plans to expand the naval component. There is some military cooperation with Australia, Portugal, and the United States. East Timor is divided into fourteen municipalities, which in turn are subdivided into 64 administrative posts, 442 sucos (villages), and 2,225 aldeias (hamlets). The municipalities are: The existing system of municipalities and administrative posts

1664-617: A second general election in May 2018. In June 2018, former president and independence fighter, Taur Matan Ruak , became the new prime minister. José Ramos-Horta again became president on 20 May 2022 after winning the April 2022 presidential election runoff against Francisco Guterres. The political system of East Timor is semi-presidential , based upon the Portuguese system . The constitution establishes both this separation of executive powers between

1792-537: A single national district in a party-list system. One in three of all candidates presented by political parties must be women. This system promotes a diversity of political parties, but gives voters little influence over the individual candidates selected by each party. Women hold more than a third of parliamentary seats, with parties required by law to run female candidates, but they are less prominent at other levels and within party leadership. Political divisions exist along class lines and along geographical lines. There

1920-572: A single site in East Timor was 642 different fish species, ranking second out of surveyed sites after Indonesia's Raja Ampat Islands . Additionally, the reefs appeared to have suffered limited damage from coral bleaching and rising ocean temperatures compared to other sites in the Coral Triangle. However, despite being in relatively pristine condition, the reefs remain threatened by climate change and habitat destruction, especially blast fishing. It

2048-546: A source of perfume. Timor was included in Southeast Asian, Chinese, and Indian trading networks by the fourteenth century, exporting sandalwood, honey, and wax. The island was recorded by the Majapahit Empire as a source of tribute. It was sandalwood that attracted European explorers to the island in the early sixteenth century. Early European presence was limited to trade, with the first Portuguese settlement being on

2176-542: A space for strengthening ties of cooperation, solidarity and exchange between member Parliaments, with a view to contributing to the consolidation of peace, democracy and the rule of law in the respective countries. These are the pillars on which the objectives enshrined in the Statute and Regulations are based, instruments approved right at its first meeting. The rotating presidency of the CPLP Parliamentary Assembly

2304-539: A unilateral declaration of independence and an Indonesian invasion and annexation . Resistance continued throughout Indonesian rule and in 1999, a United Nations–sponsored act of self-determination led to Indonesia relinquishing control of the territory. On 20 May 2002, as Timor-Leste , it became the first new sovereign state of the 21st century. That same year, relations with Indonesia were established and normalized, with Indonesia also supporting East Timor's accession into ASEAN . The national government runs on

2432-595: Is Timór Lorosa'e ( Lorosa'e can be literally translated as ' where the sun rises ' ). The official names under its constitution are "Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste" in English, " República Democrática de Timor-Leste " in Portuguese, and " Repúblika Demokrátika Timór-Leste " in Tetum. The official short form of the name is "Timor-Leste", and it uses the ISO codes TLS & TL. Cultural remains at Jerimalai on

2560-453: Is 14,950 square kilometres (5,770 sq mi). Dili , on the north coast of Timor, is its capital and largest city. Timor was settled by Papuan and Austronesian peoples, which are reflected in the country's diverse mix of cultures and languages, displaying links to Southeast Asia and Melanesia . East Timor came under Portuguese influence in the sixteenth century, remaining a Portuguese colony until 1975. Internal conflict preceded

2688-509: Is Bissau-Guinean Aissatu Forbs Djaló. The Parliamentary Assembly of Lusophony is the body that brings together the representations of all the Parliaments of the Member States, constituted on the basis of the respective electoral results of the legislative elections. The Parliamentary Assembly, founded on the principle of one language - the Portuguese language - and common values, constitutes

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2816-503: Is a public federal university located in Redenção , Ceará , Brazil . The major courses offered are preferentially the ones included in the mutual interest of all countries in the Community of Portuguese Language Countries. They are: Portugal , Brazil , Angola , Cape Verde , Guinea Bissau , Sao Tome and Principe , Mozambique and East Timor . Looking for international integration, 50% of

2944-425: Is a special administrative region with some autonomy. The National Police of East Timor and Timor Leste Defence Force have held a monopoly on violence since 2008 and very few guns are present outside of these organisations. While there are allegations of abuse of power, there is some judicial oversight of police and public trust in the institution has grown. An active civil society functions independently of

3072-456: Is also a member of the Community of Portuguese Language Countries . Continuing bilateral donors include Australia, Portugal, Germany, and Japan, and East Timor has a reputation for effectively and transparently using donor funds. Good relations with Australia and with Indonesia are a policy goal for the government, despite historical and more-recent tensions. These countries are important economic partners and provide most transport links to

3200-625: Is an international organization and political association of Lusophone nations across five continents , where Portuguese is an official language. The CPLP operates as a privileged, multilateral forum for the mutual cooperation of the governments, economies, non-governmental organizations , and peoples of the Lusofonia . The CPLP consists of 9 member states and 33 associate observers , located in Europe , South America , Asia , Africa and Oceania , totaling 38 countries and 4 organizations. The CPLP

3328-565: Is an international organization formed by cities in Lusophony. It was founded in Lisbon on June 28, 1985, at the Centro Cultural das Descobertas. On that date, the constitutive document was signed by the presidents of the municipalities of Lisbon ( Nuno Abecasis ), Bissau ( Francisca Pereira ), Maputo ( Alberto Massavanhane ), Praia ( Felix Gomes Monteiro ), Rio de Janeiro - that ceased being

3456-523: Is assisted in his duties by the Director General. The Statutes establish, since the Summit of Bissau in 2006, the existence of a Director General, and the position of Deputy Executive Secretary ceased with his appointment. The Director General is recruited from among the nationals of the Member States, through public examination, for a period of three years, renewable for an equal period. The Director General

3584-493: Is believed that this has most affected large marine species such as sharks; despite the diversity of the reefs, there were a significant lack of sharks recorded in the surveys of 2016. East Timor's isolation and lack of tourism are believed to have helped preserve the reefs, as opposed to tourist-heavy locales such as Bali, where the abundance of tourism has negatively affected the health of the reefs. The Timorese government and local residents of Atauro have made attempts to preserve

3712-522: Is broadly a divide between eastern and western areas of the country, stemming from differences that arose under Indonesian rule. Fretilin in particular is strongly linked to the Eastern areas. Political parties are more closely associated with prominent personalities more than with ideology. The National Congress for Timorese Reconstruction became the main opposition to Fretilin, following its establishment to allow Xanana Gusmão to run for Prime Minister in

3840-452: Is characterised by a number of coral reef systems that have been determined to be at risk. There are around 41,000 terrestrial plant species in the country. Forests covered 35% of East Timor's land in the mid-2010s. The forests of the northern coast, central uplands, and southern coast are distinct. East Timor is home to the Timor and Wetar deciduous forests ecoregion. There is some environmental protection in law, but it has not been

3968-436: Is common, with over half of children showing stunted growth . While 91% of married working age (15–49) men were employed as of 2016, only 43% of married working age women were. There are small disparities in favour of men in terms of home and land ownership and owning a bank account. The eastern three municipalities, which contain around a quarter of the population, has less poverty than the western areas, which contain 50% of

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4096-460: Is derived from timur , meaning ' east ' in Malay , thus resulting in a tautological place name meaning ' East East ' . In Indonesian , this results in the name Timor Timur (the name of the former de facto Indonesian province ; Timor Leste is used instead to refer to the country). In Portuguese, the country is called Timor-Leste ( Leste meaning ' east ' ). In Tetum , it

4224-425: Is high, ranging from around 70% to 85%. The political system has wide public acceptance. The head of state of East Timor is the president of the republic , who is elected by popular vote for a five-year term, and can serve a maximum of two terms. Formally, the directly elected president holds relatively limited powers compared to those in similar systems, with no power over the appointment and dismissal of

4352-481: Is mostly cash-based, with little commercial credit available from banks. Remittances from overseas workers add up to around $ 100 million annually. Community of Portuguese Language Countries The Community of Portuguese Language Countries ( Portuguese : Comunidade dos Países de Língua Portuguesa ; abbr.  : CPLP), also known as the Lusophone Community (Portuguese: Comunidade Lusófona ),

4480-601: Is one of the most spoken languages in Andorra. In the 2018 summit with all the heads of state present, with the exception of East Timor due to national policies issues, several observers joined the organization: Luxembourg , Andorra , the United Kingdom , Argentina, Serbia , Chile , France , Italy and the Organization of Ibero-American States joined as observers. Uruguay, an observer nation since 2016, admitted in early 2018

4608-816: Is one of the official languages of the territory. Despite that, the majority of the population in Macau do not speak and understand Portuguese; rather, Cantonese is the main language. In 2006, during the II Ministerial meeting between China and Portuguese Speaking Countries, the CPLP Executive Secretary and Deputy ambassador Tadeu Soares invited the Chief Executive of the Government of the Macau Special Administrative Region , Edmund Ho , to request

4736-503: Is over 1.34 million at the 2022 census, and is heavily skewed towards young people due to a high fertility rate. Education has led to increasing literacy over the past half-century, especially in the two official languages of Portuguese and Tetum . High ethnic and linguistic diversity is reflected by the 30 indigenous languages spoken in the country. The majority of the population is Catholic , which coexists alongside strong local traditions and beliefs, especially in rural areas. "Timor"

4864-454: Is poor. The capital and largest city is Dili. The second-largest city is the eastern town of Baucau . The climate is tropical with relatively stable temperatures throughout the year. A wet season lasts from December to May throughout the country, and lasts slightly longer in the south and the interior due to the effect of a monsoon from Australia. During this period, rainfall can reach 222–252 millimetres (8.7–9.9 in) per month. In

4992-616: Is responsible, under the guidance of the Executive Secretary, for the day-to-day management, financial planning and execution, preparation, coordination and guidance of the meetings and projects activated by the Executive Secretariat. The current director general of CPLP is Armindo Brito Fernandes, from São Tomé and Príncipe, who took office on February 10, 2020. At the VI Summit of CPLP Heads of State and Government (Bissau, 2006)

5120-601: Is specified by Articles 5 and 71 of the 2002 constitution to be governed by a special administrative policy and economic regime. Law 3/2014 of 18 June 2014 implemented this constitutional provision, which went into effect in January 2015, turning Oecusse into a Special Administrative Region. The region began operating its own civil service in June 2015. In January 2022 the island of Atauro , formerly an Administrative Post of Dili, became its own municipality. Due to its small population, which

5248-462: Is strongly affected by government spending. Growth has been slow, averaging just 2.5% per year from 2011 to 2021. Most of the country is very poor, with just more than 40% living under the national poverty line. This poverty is especially prevalent in rural areas, where many are subsistence farmers or fishermen. Even in urban areas, the majority are poor. Overall, women are poorer than men, often being employed in lower-paying careers. Malnutrition

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5376-595: The CPLP Summits ) and the Organization's plan of action is approved by the Council of Foreign Ministers, which meets every year. Special summits can be requested at any time by 2/3 of the member states, usually for the purpose of pressing matters or incidents at the moment. There are also monthly meetings of the Permanent Steering Committee that follow specific initiatives and projects. The headquarters of

5504-663: The Coral Triangle biodiversity hotspot. The easternmost area of East Timor consists of the Paitchau Range and the Lake Ira Lalaro area, which contains the country's first conservation area, the Nino Konis Santana National Park . It contains the last remaining tropical dry forested area within the country. It hosts a number of unique plant and animal species and is sparsely populated. The northern coast

5632-581: The Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste , is a country in Southeast Asia . It comprises the eastern half of the island of Timor , the exclave of Oecusse on the island's north-western half, and the minor islands of Atauro and Jaco . The western half of the island of Timor is administered by Indonesia . Australia is the country's southern neighbour, separated by the Timor Sea . The country's size

5760-692: The Iris lorikeet , S. i. rubripileum . Along with the Solomon Islands , Papua New Guinea , the Philippines , Indonesia , Malaysia and Australia , East Timor is one of the countries located in the Coral Triangle , the site of the most biodiverse coral reefs in the world. In particular, Atauro Island 's coral reefs have been recognized as having the highest average fish biodiversity of any site surveyed, with reef sites off Atauro carrying an average of 253 different species. The highest number of species recorded from

5888-674: The Timorese horseshoe bat . The country's and region's largest mammal, the Javan rusa , and its only native marsupial, the Northern common cuscus , are both believed to have been introduced to the island in prehistoric times by settlers from the Lesser Sunda Islands and New Guinea , respectively. Other mammals found in East Timor include the Crab-eating macaque , a large number of species of bats, and

6016-514: The United States dollar , producing its own coins to facilitate smaller transactions. The economy is generally open to foreign investment, although a prohibition on foreigners owning land means many require a local partner in the country. Competition is limited by the small size of the economy, rather than any government barriers. There are far more imports than exports, and prices for goods are often higher than in nearby countries. Inflation

6144-464: The resignation of Indonesian President Suharto , the new President BJ Habibie , prompted by a letter from Australian Prime Minister John Howard , decided to hold a referendum on independence. A UN-sponsored agreement between Indonesia and Portugal allowed for a UN-supervised popular referendum in August 1999. A clear vote for independence was met with a punitive campaign of violence by East Timorese pro-integration militias supported by elements of

6272-436: The sucos are the level of government that is linked to community identities, rather than any high level of administration. Such relationships, however, are associated specifically with the kinship groups within that land, rather than the land itself. Relationships between sucos also reflect customary practices, for example through the reciprocal exchanging of support for local initiatives. Laws passed in 2004 provided for

6400-417: The 2007 parliamentary elections . While both major parties have been relatively stable, they remain led by an "old guard" of individuals who came to prominence during the resistance against Indonesia. Politics and administration is centred in the capital Dili , with the national government responsible for most civil services. Oecusse , separated from the rest of the country by Indonesian territory,

6528-513: The 2016 summit. Uruguay has historical ties to Brazil and Portugal and has some speakers of Uruguayan Portuguese , an Uruguayan variety of Portuguese. In January 2018 and prior to the 2018 summit, Italy requested the observer status as an effort for the consolidation of bilateral relations with all of the Portuguese-speaking countries. In its request, the Italian government referred that due to

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6656-617: The 21st century, the country has cooperated with Portuguese-speaking African countries and Brazil at an educational level. At the CPLP summit of July 2004, in São Tomé and Príncipe , the member states agreed to change the statutes of the community to accept states as associate observers. Equatorial Guinea then engaged in discussion for full membership. In June 2010, Equatorial Guinea asked to be admitted as full member. At its eighth summit in Luanda in July 2010,

6784-511: The Associate Observer status for Macau . The Government of Macau has not yet formalized this request. When the CPLP was formed, Equatorial Guinea asked for observer status. Equatorial Guinea ( Portuguese : Guiné Equatorial ) was a Portuguese colony from the 15th to 18th centuries and has some territories where Portuguese-based creole languages are spoken and cultural connections with São Tomé and Príncipe and Portugal are felt. In

6912-430: The CPLP ( Portuguese : Secretário Executivo da CPLP ) is the executive head and highest representative of the CPLP. The Executive Secretary is charged with leading the Executive Secretariat ( Secretariado Executivo ), the CPLP's executive branch responsible for creating and implementing the CPLP's agenda of projects and initiatives. The Executive Secretary, who must be a high-ranking diplomat or politician from one of

7040-541: The CPLP decided to open formal negotiations with Equatorial Guinea about full membership in the CPLP. At its 10th summit in Dili in July 2014, Equatorial Guinea was admitted as CPLP member. In July 2006, during the Bissau summit, Equatorial Guinea and Mauritius were admitted as Associate Observers along with 17 International associations and organizations considered as Consultative Observers. On 23 July 2014, Equatorial Guinea

7168-548: The CPLP is in Penafiel Palace in Lisbon , Portugal, but the organization maintains dedicated bureaus in all of the foreign ministries of the CPLP member states. The CPLP is financed by its member states. CPLP is a multilateral forum created to deepen cultural, economic, and political cooperation among the Lusophone (Portuguese-speaking) nations of the world. The prime objectives of the CPLP are: The Executive Secretary of

7296-417: The Community of Portuguese Language Countries (FJCPLP) is the Community instance responsible for the protection and promotion of the rights of youth internationally. Created in 1997, its objective is to bring together representative platforms of civil society youth organizations (Youth Councils) in the Member States to strengthen the protagonism and participation of youth in the development of their countries and

7424-613: The Deputies in effective functions in the Parliaments of the member countries of the CPLP. The President belongs to the country that holds the presidency of the AP-CPLP, being currently chaired by the Brazilian Rosângela Gomes. Among the competences attributed to the functioning of this Network, the defense and promotion of gender equality and equity in social, political and economic life in the CPLP universe are distinguished; encouraging

7552-505: The Indonesian invasion and led its resistance. Given its history, Fretilin viewed itself as the natural party of government and supported a multi-party system, expecting the development of a dominant-party system . Support from the United Nations and the international community, both before and after independence, allowed the nascent political system to survive shocks such as the 2006 crisis . Candidates in parliamentary elections run in

7680-591: The Indonesian military. In response, the Indonesian government allowed a multinational peacekeeping force, INTERFET , to restore order and aid East Timorese refugees and internally displaced persons. On 25 October 1999, the administration of East Timor was taken over by the UN through the United Nations Transitional Administration in East Timor (UNTAET). INTERFET deployment ended in February 2000 with

7808-532: The Ministry of Culture. There are nine full member states of the CPLP. Seven were founding members of the CPLP: Angola , Brazil , Cabo Verde , Guinea Bissau , Mozambique , Portugal , and São Tomé and Príncipe ; Timor-Leste joined in 2002, after achieving independence, and Equatorial Guinea joined in 2014. Macau was the last Portuguese colony to be decolonized, and returned to China in 1999 after more than four centuries under Portuguese control. It still retains traces of Lusophone culture and Portuguese

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7936-540: The Portuguese Government. All programs will be broadcast in Portuguese, in their different ways of speaking and all accents. At CPLP, the proposal was discussed at the Workshop on the Television Content Sharing Platform, between Public Televisions of Portuguese Speaking Countries and CPLP TV, in Lisbon on October 16, 2007, as well as at the Round Table for a Television Content Sharing Platform between Public Television Operators from Portuguese-speaking Countries and TV CPLP, in Lisbon from March 5 to 7, 2007. It will be created by

8064-402: The UN handed over operational control of the police force to the East Timor authorities. The United Nations ended its peacekeeping mission on 31 December 2012. Francisco Guterres of the centre-left Fretilin party became president in May 2017. The leader of Fretilin, Mari Alkatiri , formed a coalition government after the July 2017 parliamentary election. This government soon fell, leading to

8192-403: The accession of Equatorial Guinea in 2014 at the 10th CPLP Summit in Dili, Timor-Leste with the issuance of the Dili Declaration. The community has grown beyond its mission in fostering cultural ties between the Portuguese language countries into facilitating trade and political cooperation between the Lusophone countries of the world, with the CPLP is the fourth-largest producer of oil in

8320-451: The aquatic mammal, the Dugong . East Timor also has its own native horse breed, the Timor pony . East Timor's terrestrial biodiversity is most visible in its native bird species. As of 2022, a total of 289 bird species are found in East Timor. Significantly threatened bird species include the endangered Timor green pigeon and Wetar ground dove and the critically endangered Yellow-crested cockatoo . East Timor has an endemic subspecies of

8448-435: The areas of companies, immigrants, culture, promotion of the Portuguese language and urban issues such as garbage, the road system, heritage conservation, public health and water supply. Founded in 1986 in Lisbon, Portugal , the Association of Portuguese Language Universities (AULP) is an international NGO that promotes cooperation and information exchange between universities and higher institutes. With around 140 members from

8576-430: The boundary region between Asia and Oceania, along with the Lesser Sundas, Sulawesi , and the Maluku Islands . The island is surrounded by the Ombai and Wetar Straits of the rougher Banda Sea in the north, and the calmer Timor Sea in the south. East Timor shares the island with Indonesia, with Indonesian territory separating the Oecusse exclave from the rest of the country. The island of Atauro lies north of

8704-544: The build-up to the mid-year presidential elections , the process was peaceful overall and José Ramos-Horta was elected president. In June 2007, Gusmão ran in the parliamentary elections and became prime minister at the head of the National Congress for Timorese Reconstruction (CNRT) party. In February 2008, Ramos-Horta was critically injured in an attempted assassination ; Prime Minister Gusmão also faced gunfire separately but escaped unharmed. Australian reinforcements were immediately sent to help keep order. In March 2011,

8832-836: The capital of Brazil in 1960 -( Laura de Macedo ), São Tomé (Gaspar Ramos) and Macau (Carlos Algéos Ayres). Its current secretary general is the Portuguese politician Vitor Ramalho  [ pt ] . Then came the remaining capital cities of Portuguese official expression and other non-capital cities, such as Brasília - capital of Brazil since 1960 - (1986), Cacheu and Luanda (1989), Guimarães (1990), Taipa and Coloane islands (1991), Santo António do Príncipe (1993), Ilha de Moçambique (1994), Salvador (1995), Belo Horizonte (1998), Belém (1999), Bolama , Huambo , Porto Alegre and Mindelo (2000), Dili (2002), São Filipe , Oecusse (2004), Angra do Heroísmo (2013) and Santiago de Compostela (2016). The international intermunicipal association focuses on cooperation projects in

8960-481: The capital of Dili are on average better off, although they remain poor by international standards. The small size of the private sector means the government is often the customer of public businesses. A quarter of the national population works in the informal economy , with the official public and private sectors employing 9% each. Of those of working age, around 23% are in the formal sector , 21% are students, and 27% are subsistence farmers and fishers. The economy

9088-429: The civil administration. In the end, the existing districts were kept and renamed municipalities in 2009, and received very few powers. In 2016 changes were made so that each municipality is led by a civil servant appointed by the central government. This civil servant is advised by locally elected leaders. The isolated Oecusse municipality, which has a strong identity and is fully surrounded by Indonesian territory,

9216-463: The council of ministers, also holds some formal legislative powers. The judiciary operates independently, although there are instances of executive interference. Some courts shift between locations, to improve access for those in more isolated areas. Despite political rhetoric, the constitution and democratic institutions have been followed by politicians, and changes of government are peaceful. Elections are run by an independent body, and turnout

9344-746: The country from 1999. The final one, the United Nations Integrated Mission in East Timor , began after the 2006 East Timorese crisis and concluded in 2012. East Timor formally applied to join ASEAN in 2011, and was granted observer status and accepted "in principle" in November 2022. Despite the nationalist political leadership promoting closer ties with Melanesian states, the country has targeted ASEAN membership since before its independence, with its leaders stating that joining Pacific bodies would have precluded ASEAN membership. ASEAN membership

9472-495: The country. China has also increased its presence by contributing to infrastructure in Dili. The relationship with Australia was dominated from before independence by disputes over natural resources in the ocean between them , hampering the establishment of a mutually agreed border. The dominance of Australian hard power led East Timor to utilise public diplomacy and forums for international law to push their case. The dispute

9600-606: The daily dissemination of news and the organization of conferences and events. The president of the AULP is usually the vice-rector of the university elected to preside over the organization, and it is currently headed by the University of Coimbra , whose vice-rector is the Portuguese João Nuno Calvão da Silva. The International Portuguese Language Institute is the Community of Portuguese Language Countries's institute supporting

9728-476: The dry season, it drops to 12–18 millimetres (0.47–0.71 in). The country is vulnerable to flooding and landslides that occur as a result of heavy rain, especially when rainfall levels are increased by the La Niña effect. The mountainous interior is cooler than the coasts. Coastal areas are heavily dependent on groundwater , which faces pressure from mismanagement, deforestation , and climate change . While

9856-501: The eastern tip of East Timor have been dated to 42,000 years ago. The first known inhabitants are those who arrived during the Australo-Melanesian migration through the region, likely bringing the precursors to today's Papuan languages . A later migration of Austroasiatic -speakers is suspected, although no such languages remain. The arrival of Austronesian peoples brought new languages , and merged with existing cultures on

9984-445: The eight Portuguese-speaking countries ( Portugal , Brazil , Angola , Mozambique , Guinea-Bissau , Cape Verde , São Tomé and Príncipe , East Timor ) and Macau , its mission is to facilitate communication between members for the benefit of collective development of teaching and the Portuguese language in the world. It aims to stimulate research and exchange between students and teachers and also proposes continuous reflection through

10112-515: The election of some suco officials, but assigned these positions no formal powers. An updated law in 2009 established the expected mandate of these positions, although it continued to leave them outside of the formal state system, reliant on municipal governments to provide formal administration and services. Further clarification was given in 2016, which entrenched the treatment of sucos and aldeias more as communities than formal levels of administration. Despite this lack of formal association with

10240-562: The end of World War II. Portugal began investment in the colony in the 1950s, funding education and promoting coffee exports, but the economy did not improve substantially and infrastructure improvements were limited. Yearly growth rates remained low, near 2%. Following the 1974 Portuguese revolution , Portugal effectively abandoned its colony in Timor, and civil war between East Timorese political parties broke out in 1975. The Revolutionary Front for an Independent East Timor (Fretilin) resisted

10368-513: The exercise, known as Carta (chart) took place in Cape Verde in 2016, in which the operation was planned and executed using computer networks as a war game. The Exercício Felino was established in the year 2000. The 2021 Summit in Luanda saw the creation of the CPLP Mobility , a system that seeks to facilitate the entry and permanence of citizens of one country in another. The Youth Forum of

10496-419: The first CPLP Goodwill Ambassadors were also appointed, who, according to the approved regulation, are appointed for a two-year term and must be personalities of merit. recognized and distinguished themselves in promoting the values defended by the CPLP. The chosen personalities were three former Heads of State, Jorge Sampaio (Portugal), José Sarney (Brazil) and Joaquim Chissano (Mozambique). A prime minister and

10624-649: The following Portuguese-speaking TV channels and will be broadcast by the 8 founding countries and also to other countries. As a Lusophone Content Exchange Platform, the proposal was presented in Brazil as a project by the Instituto Cultural Brasil Plus (ICBrPLus) called "TV CPLP Via Web" by a commission of the Federal Senate of Brazil and approved by Ordinance No. 416 of the Secretariat Executive of

10752-407: The formation and training of women parliamentarians; support for the candidacy of Women for the exercise of leadership; encouraging the implementation of public policies and legislation aimed at combating the feminization of poverty, sexually transmitted infections and the education of young people; the encouragement of behavior that is against practices that are likely to cause physical harm; and also,

10880-490: The government states is insufficient to elect a Municipal Assembly, there are plans to convert Atauro to a Special Economic Zone similar to Oecusse. Administration in the lowest levels of the administrative system of East Timor, the aldeias and sucos , generally reflects traditional customs, reflecting community identity and relationships between local households. Sucos generally contain 2,000 to 3,000 inhabitants. Their long persistence and links to local governance means

11008-486: The government, as do media outlets. Civil society organisations are concentrated in the capital, including student groups. Due to the structure of the economy, there are no powerful trade unions. The Catholic Church has strong influence in the country. International cooperation has always been important to East Timor; donor funds made up 80% of the budget before oil revenues began to replace them. International forces also provided security, with five UN missions sent to

11136-519: The improvement of the participation of women parliamentarians in conflict prevention and electoral processes. The Community of Portuguese Language Countries relies on six operating agencies to carry out its mandate: Universidade da Integração Internacional da Lusofonia Afro-Brasileira , União das Cidades Capitais Luso-Afro-Américo-Asiáticas, Associação das Universidades de Língua Portuguesa, Instituto Internacional da Língua Portuguesa, União dos Advogados de Língua Portuguesa and TV CPLP via Web. The UNILAB

11264-425: The increasing number of associated observers in the community, CPLP is becoming a forum for countries in various geographical regions. Earlier in January, Andorra also formalized its candidacy for the same status. Italy shares a legacy of Ancient Rome and Italy is the non-Lusophone nation with the greatest number of university chairs in the Portuguese language. Because of immigration and geographic proximity, Portuguese

11392-410: The international boundary between the successor states Indonesia and East Timor, respectively. For the Portuguese, East Timor remained little more than a neglected trading post, with minimal investment in infrastructure and education, until the late nineteenth century. Even when Portugal established actual control over the interior of its colony, investment remained minimal. Sandalwood continued to be

11520-399: The island had developed an interconnected series of polities governed by customary law. Small communities, centred around a particular sacred house, were part of wider sucos (or principalities), which were themselves part of larger kingdoms led by a liurai . Authority within these kingdoms was held by two individuals , with the worldly power of the liurai balanced by the spiritual power of

11648-420: The island. Almost half of the country has a slope of at least 40%. The south is slightly less mountainous, and has some plains near the coastline. The highest point is Tatamailau (also known as Mount Ramelau) at 2,963 metres (9,721 ft). Most rivers dry up at least partially during the dry season. Outside of some coastal areas and river valleys, the soil is shallow and prone to erosion, and its quality

11776-542: The island. Timorese origin myths recount settlers sailing around the eastern end of the island before landing in the south. These people are sometimes noted as being from the Malay Peninsula or the Minangkabau highlands of Sumatra . Austronesian migration to Timor may be associated with the development of agriculture on the island. While information is limited about the political system of Timor during this period,

11904-496: The main export crop and coffee exports became significant in the mid-nineteenth century. At the beginning of the twentieth century, a faltering domestic economy prompted the Portuguese to extract greater wealth from its colonies, which was met with East Timorese resistance. The colony was seen as an economic burden during the Great Depression and received little support or management from Portugal. During World War II, Dili

12032-407: The main force coming from Australia under Operation Astute . The mandate of UNOTIL was then again extended until 25 August 2006. This East Timor -related article is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . This United Nations –related article is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . East Timor East Timor , also known as Timor-Leste , officially

12160-471: The main land border with Indonesia is 125 kilometres (78 mi) long, and the Oecusse land border is around 100 kilometres (62 mi) long. Maritime borders exist with Australia to the south and Indonesia elsewhere. East Timor has an exclusive economic zone of 77,051 km (29,750 sq mi). The interior of the country is mountainous, with ridges of inactive volcanic mountains extending along

12288-450: The mainland, with the fourth area being the small island of Jaco . The Savu Sea lies north of Oecusse. The country is about 265 kilometres (165 mi) long and 97 kilometres (60 mi) wide, with a total land area of 14,874 square kilometres (5,743 sq mi). This territory is situated between 8′15S – 10′30S latitude and 125′50E – 127′30E longitude. The country's coastline covers around 700 kilometres (430 mi), while

12416-567: The member states declared the 5 May as the Lusophone Culture Day  [ pt ] ( Dia da Cultura Lusófona in Portuguese). Through successive enlargements, the Union has grown from the seven founding states— Angola , Brazil , Cape Verde , Guinea-Bissau , Mozambique , Portugal , and São Tomé and Príncipe —to the current nine, with the self-determination of Timor-Leste in 2002 and

12544-423: The member states, is elected for a mandate of two years at the biennial CPLP Summit, and can be reelected once to a second term. The Executive Secretariat is headquartered at Penafiel Palace in Lisbon , Portugal . The Council of Ministers is made up of the ministers of Foreign Affairs of the nine Member States. The powers of the Council of Ministers are: The Council of Ministers elects, from among its members,

12672-666: The national police in all districts of Timor-Leste. Following up on UNMISET, the Security Council passed Resolution 1599 authorising peace-building activities by establishing the United Nations Office in Timor Leste (UNOTIL). UNOTIL commenced on 20 May 2005 and was mandated for one year until 19 May 2006. United Nations Security Council Resolution 1677 extended UNOTIL's mandate one month past expiration while forces from former INTERFET countries came to provide peacekeeping,

12800-490: The nearby island of Solor . Early Portuguese presence on Timor was very limited; trade was directed through Portuguese settlements on nearby islands. Only in the 17th century did they establish a more direct presence on the island, a consequence of being driven out of other islands by the Dutch. After Solor was lost in 1613, the Portuguese moved to Flores . In 1646, the capital moved to Kupang on Timor's west, before Kupang too

12928-477: The organization in the promotion of peace and security. The 2017 Exercício Felino military exercise taking place in Academia Militar das Agulhas Negras , Resende , in the state of Rio de Janeiro , Brazil, aims for the increased interoperability of the armed forces of Angola, Brazil, Cape Verde, Equatorial Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Mozambique, Portugal, São Tomé and Príncipe, and Timor-Leste. The first phase of

13056-439: The population. Sixty-six per cent of families are in part supported by subsistence activities; however, the country as a whole does not produce enough food to be self-sustaining, and thus relies on imports. Agricultural work carries the implication of poverty, and the sector receives little investment from the government. Ninety-four per cent of domestic fish catch comes from the ocean, especially coastal fisheries. Those in

13184-489: The president and the prime minister; and the separation of powers between the executive, legislature, and judiciary. Individuals are not allowed to participate in both the legislature and the executive branch. The legislature is intended to provide a check on the executive; in practice the executive has maintained control of the legislature under all political parties, reflecting the dominance of individual leaders within political parties and coalitions. The executive, through

13312-415: The prime minister and the council of ministers. However, as they are directly elected, past presidents have wielded great informal power and influence. The president does have the power to veto government legislation, initiate referendums, and to dissolve parliament in the event that it is unable to form a government or pass a budget. If the president vetoes a legislative action, the parliament can overturn

13440-400: The reefs through education of local citizens, rejecting harmful development projects, and placing emphasis on traditional laws of preserving nature, called Tara Bandu . The economy of East Timor is a market economy , although it is dependent upon the export of a few commodities and has a large public sector. Internally, market operations are limited by widespread poverty. The country uses

13568-631: The seats in the University are for international students from those countries. The UNILAB is a private postgraduate institution that trains managers and high-level trainers in areas that are a priority for development in Lusophone Africa , but also includes Timor-Leste and Macau. Its political-pedagogical project is innovative, as are those of Unila and Uniam, aiming at international integration. The Union of Luso-Afro-Americo-Asian Capital Cities (União das Cidades Capitais Luso-Afro-Américo-Asiáticas, UCCLA)

13696-532: The spread and popularity of the Portuguese language in the world. The institute's headquarters is located in Praia, Cabo Verde. Its history starts in 1989 when the countries of Portuguese language gathered in São Luís do Maranhão in Brazil to create a base for a Portuguese language community. The Brazilian president, José Sarney , proposed the idea of an international institute to promote the language. Only 10 years later in

13824-579: The state, suco leaders hold great influence and are often seen by their community as representatives of the state. They have responsibilities usually associated with civic administration. Located between Southeast Asia and the South Pacific, the island of Timor is the largest of the Lesser Sunda Islands , which lie within the Malay Archipelago . As such, Timor forms part of the Wallacea region,

13952-556: The status of Associate Observers. Japan has had historical contacts with the Portuguese language in the 16th and 17th century, and today has connections to the Lusophone world through Japanese Brazilians in Brazil and Japan. Namibia has had extensive contact with the Lusophone world due to its location just south of Angola. Three European nations, the Czech Republic, Hungary, and Slovakia, were admitted as observers along with Uruguay at

14080-400: The temperature is thought to have experienced a small increase due to climate change, there has been little change in annual rainfall. Coastal ecosystems around the country are diverse and varied, with vary spatially between the north and south coastlines, as well as between the eastern tip and areas more to the west. These ecosystems include coral reefs , as the country's waters are part of

14208-498: The territory's nominal status in the UN remained as "non-self-governing territory under Portuguese administration". Fretilin resisted the invasion, initially as an army, holding territory until November 1978, and then as a guerrilla resistance. The Indonesian occupation of Timor was marked by violence and brutality. A detailed statistical report prepared for the Commission for Reception, Truth and Reconciliation in East Timor cited

14336-648: The transfer of military command to the UN. On 30 August 2001, the East Timorese voted in their first election organised by the UN to elect members of the Constituent Assembly. On 22 March 2002, the Constituent Assembly approved the Constitution. By May 2002, more than 205,000 refugees had returned. On 20 May 2002, the Constitution of the Democratic Republic of East Timor came into force and East Timor

14464-411: The veto with a two-thirds majority. The prime minister is chosen by the parliament, with the president appointing the leader of the majority party or coalition as prime minister of East Timor and the cabinet on the proposal of the latter. As head of government , the prime minister presides over the cabinet. Representatives in the unicameral National Parliament are elected by popular vote to

14592-566: The way of practicing law and the relevant legislation applicable to lawyers, as well as the sharing of experiences in the scope of management, organization of events and forms of contact and participation of lawyers registered with the respective Orders and Associations. Its current president is the Angolan lawyer Luís Paulo Monteiro. TV CPLP is a proposal for a television channel made within the Community of Portuguese Language Countries to be broadcast internationally. Its costs will be borne by UNESCO and

14720-403: The world are formally interested in associate observer status. The idea of a type of international community or political union of Portuguese language countries had been proposed and studied numerous times in history. However, the idea for what would become the CPLP came about in 1983, during a state visit to Cabo Verde by Jaime Gama , Foreign Minister of Portugal , when he first proposed

14848-504: The world and its citizens totalling more than 270 million people. In 2017, in Brasilia , the nine-member states agreed to enlarge cooperation in matters of the seas, tourism, economy and more ambitious defense and cooperation mechanisms. More rights to the observer states were also approved, which Argentina planned to join. The CPLP's guidelines and priorities are established by a biannual Conference of Heads of State and Government (known as

14976-650: The world. For its intervention, the Conference instituted as anchor activities the CPLP Sports Games and the CPLP Young Creators Biennial, to be held interpolated each year. In addition to these activities, sectorial Action Plans for two years are instituted, which seek to meet the priorities identified for the period in question. As part of its action, the Conference establishes partnerships with national or international organizations for activities in areas of clear interest to members. Its current president

15104-553: Was recognised as independent by the UN. The Constituent Assembly was renamed the National Parliament, and Xanana Gusmão was elected as the country's first president. On 27 September 2002 the country became a UN member state. In 2006, a crisis of unrest and factional fighting forced 155,000 people to flee their homes; the United Nations sent in security forces to restore order. The following year, Gusmão declined to run for another term. While there were minor incidents in

15232-549: Was admitted as a CPLP member. Mauritius , which was discovered by Portuguese explorers and maintains strong connections with Mozambique , is an Associate Observer. In 2008, Senegal , with historical connections to Portuguese colonisation in Casamance , was admitted as Associate Observer. In July 2014, during the Dili summit, the Heads of State and Government approved a resolution that grants Georgia , Japan , Namibia and Turkey

15360-479: Was assumed in July 2021 by Guinea-Bissau, whose executive secretary is Cipriano Cassamá . The Network of Women Parliamentarians of the AP-CPLP (RM-AP-CPLP) is an organism of the Parliamentary Assembly considered a space for consultation and cooperation that watches over issues of gender equality and equity, with specific objectives and competences. This body is governed by its own Statute and integrates all

15488-552: Was created in 2002 under the designation of “Association of Bar Associations and Lawyers of Portuguese Speaking Countries", thus formalizing the alliance that existed between the lawyers of Angola, Brazil, Cape Verde, Guinea- Bissau, Macau, Mozambique, Portugal, São Tomé and Príncipe and East Timor. The designation of UALP was adopted in 2005. Currently, the UALP represents more than a million lawyers. The UALP's main vectors of action are centered on cooperation in terms of training, internships,

15616-593: Was established during Portuguese rule. While decentralisation is mentioned in the constitution, administrative powers generally remain with the national government operating out of Dili. Upon independence there was debate about how to implement decentralisation; various proposed models would create different levels of administration between the sucos and the central government. In most proposals, there were no specific provisions for suco -level governance, and they were expected to continue to exist as mostly traditional spaces, identifying communities rather than being part of

15744-644: Was founded in 1996, in Lisbon , by Angola , Brazil , Cabo Verde , Guinea Bissau , Mozambique , Portugal , and São Tomé and Príncipe , nearly two decades after the beginning of the decolonization of the Portuguese Empire . Following the independence of Timor-Leste in 2002 and the application by Equatorial Guinea in 2014, both of those countries became members of the CPLP. Macau (a Special Administrative Region of China ), Galicia (an Autonomous Community of Spain ), and Uruguay are formally interested in full membership and another 17 countries across

15872-512: Was little overall improvement in living standards; economic growth mostly benefited immigrants from elsewhere in Indonesia. A huge expansion of education was intended to increase Indonesian language use and internal security as much as it was for development. The 1991 massacre of more than 200 demonstrators by the Indonesian military was a turning point for the independence cause, and brought increased international pressure on Indonesia. Following

16000-488: Was lost to the Dutch in 1652. The Portuguese then moved to Lifau , in what is now East Timor's Oecusse exclave. Effective European occupation in the east of the island only began in 1769, when the city of Dili was founded, although actual control remained highly limited. A definitive border between the Dutch and Portuguese parts of the island was established by the Permanent Court of Arbitration in 1914 and remains

16128-755: Was occupied by the Allies in 1941, and later by the Japanese beginning in 1942. The mountainous interior of the colony became the scene of a guerrilla campaign , known as the Battle of Timor . Waged by East Timorese volunteers and Allied forces against the Japanese, the struggle killed between 40,000 and 70,000 East Timorese civilians. The Japanese eventually drove the last of the Australian and Allied forces out in early 1943. Portuguese control resumed, however, after Japanese surrender at

16256-479: Was resolved in 2018 following conciliation procedures before the Permanent Court of Arbitration , when the two states established by treaty a maritime boundary between them along with an agreement on natural resource revenues. The Timor Leste Defence Force (F-FDTL) was established in 2001, replacing Falintil , and was restructured following the events of 2006. It is responsible not only for safeguarding against external threats, but also for addressing violent crime,

16384-522: Was sought for economic and security reasons, including to improve the relationship with Indonesia. Nonetheless, the process has been slow due to a lack of support from some ASEAN states. East Timor is thus an observer to the Pacific Islands Forum and the Melanesian Spearhead Group . More broadly, the country is a leader within the Group of Seven Plus (g7+) , an organisation of fragile states . It

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