Reconciliation and Collaboration: Key to Timor-Leste’s Peacebuilding Success
New York, 22 March 2024 – At the PBC Ambassadorial-level meeting on National Efforts for Prevention and Peacebuilding, Timor-Leste shared its lessons learnt and experience on national efforts to prevent violence and conflict and to build sustainable peace.
In his briefing, the Permanent Representative of Timor-Leste to the UN, H.E. Ambassador Dionisio Babo Soares, reiterated President José Ramos Horta’s previous remarks—that Timor-Leste’s peacebuilding experience owed very much to the role of leadership of the country. Yet, it is the people’s own resilience and willingness to move away from the turbulent past that have made peacebuilding and state-building possible, as well as through the assistance of the UN Peacekeeping and Special Political Missions, UN Agencies and International Organizations operating under humanitarian Missions during the transition period. Today, Timor-Leste enjoys peace, stability, and tranquillity.
Timor-Leste believes that by concentrating on prevention and sustaining peace, there can be solid foundation for lasting peace and stability and in turn accelerating development. Timor-Leste’s efforts include promoting reconciliation at the community level; working closely with Indonesia to forge a new relationship and seek for a model of healing the wounds of the past; and forging strong relations with countries in Southeast Asia to ensure stability in the region.
