East Timor

After nearly 400 years as a Portuguese colony and 24 years under Indonesian occupation in 2002 East Timor was recognised as an independent nation. Almost a third of the population was killed or died of starvation and disease during the Indonesian occupation. Over 90 per cent of the country's infrastructure was destroyed and 75 per cent of the population was driven out by the Indonesian military and pro-Indonesian militia during the referendum on independence from Indonesia in 1999.

A new political and humanitarian crisis was triggered in April 2006 after internal unrest in the military. Security structures collapsed and 150 000 people fled their homes. Norway has helped stabilise the situation in both humanitarian and political terms.

The population of East Timor is now 1.1 million. If the current growth rate of 3.2 per cent continues, it will pass 2 million by 2015. 43 per cent of the population is below the age of fifteen, and the average number of children per woman is seven. Economic growth has been record high in recent years. A large part of the population still lives below the poverty line.

Goals for Norwegian support:

• Strengthening the Parliament and the judicial system
• Improving the budget spending
• Implementing the national youth policy

In cooperation with UNDP, Norway has contributed to more strategic and efficient work in the Parliament, focusing on transparency and accessibility. In addition, Norway has contributed to the training of judges, investigators, private lawyers and defence lawyers at local and national levels.

Five Norwegian Foreign Service missions will be phased out in 2011; one of these is East Timor. Norwegian interests in these countries will in future be attended to by other foreign missions in the affected regions.

Peace and reconciliation

Special Envoy Gunnar Stålsett has worked to promote reconciliation and dialogue since the autumn of 2006. A political process trying to establish ways of dealing with the past, has been taking place in the country. The process has had widespread support in the Parliament, which has passed a resolution on establishing a separate institution for implementing and following-up the recommendations from the Commission of Truth and Friendship (CTF) and the Commission for Reception, Truth and Reconciliation (CAVR) regarding injustices committed during the Indonesian occupation and the liberation.

Gunnar Stålsett ended his role as special envoy in October 2010 and received widespread recognition from the authorities in East Timor for his work, with several conferences held as part of the national reconciliation dialogue. Gunnar Stålsett has been awarded the Order of Timor-Leste for his work for peace and reconciliation in East Timor.

Transition to peace

By the turn of the year 2009/2010, 65 transit camps for refugees had been closed down. Norwegian assistance channelled through the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC), provided financial backing for the administration of five transit camps in Dili. Humanitarian assistance was provided for more than 800 internally displaced families.

NRC is completing its cooperation with East Timor with the delivery of 30 newly built schools and five education centres to the country in 2011.

The work of securing children’s rights has contributed to the following:

• All children below the age of five have received a birth certificate
• The welfare system for children and families has been improved
• Institutions designated to safeguard children's rights have been established at local level
• A Juvenile Justice Law and Children’s Code have been drafted