NEW YORK,
15 NOVEMBER 2004
STATEMENT BY HE Mr. GONÇALO
SANTA CLARA
GOMES, AMBASSADOR AND PERMANENT REPRESENTATIVE OF
PORTUGAL
TO THE UNITED NATIONS, TO THE SECURITY COUNCIL (Report Of The
Secretary-General On The United Nations
Mission
Of Support In Timor-Leste
)
Mr.
President,
I
would like to thank the Secretary-General for his latest report on the
situation of Timor-Leste and to welcome SRSG Sukehiro Hasegawa back to the
Council.
Portugal
subscribes to the statement the representative of the
Netherlands
will make on behalf of the European Union. I will only add
a few comments of our own.
Mr.
President,
The
Secretary-General’s report sets out clearly that Timor-Leste has made
significant advances towards self-sufficiency.
Nevertheless, major challenges remain and continuing international
assistance is essential.
Portugal
agrees with the SG that under the current circumstances we
should refrain from any change of the composition or size of UNMISET,
including those of the police and military components.
In
this context, I want to take this opportunity to add that a significant part
of the equipment utilized by the former Portuguese military contingent in
UNMISET, amounting to over 20 MUSD, was donated by
Portugal
to the Government of Timor-Leste.
Mr.
President,
Timor-Leste’s
relations with its neighbour countries continue to develop, but it is with
concern that we note that in one major aspect it has not yet resulted in any
concrete agreement - on border delineation. Stable relationships with its
neighbouring States and timely access to natural resources are essential in
paving the way for a peaceful and economically sustainable development of
Timor-Leste. But so is the
settlement of both land and maritime borders.
The
justice sector continues to show serious shortcomings and it remains an area
that needs critical assistance from the international community. In
this context, I would like to inform the Council that
Portugal
contributed with 1.2 MUSD to help the Ministry of Justice,
together with UNDP and UNMISET, launch an institution called the Judicial
Training Centre. Today, this centre provides standardised post-graduate
professional training to all judges, prosecutors and public defenders as a
condition for permanent appointment.
We
also note that while drafts of a criminal code and a criminal procedures code
are currently under consideration, it is important to move forward on this
process.
Portugal
believes that both codes will complement the legislation
on the national police.
Portugal
is also seriously concerned with the SG’s recognition
that it may not be possible for the serious crimes process to fully respond to
the need and desires for justice to all of those affected by the events of
1999. As the SG stated in his report, we also believe that the perpetrators of
the serious crimes must be brought to justice. We will support an initiative
of the SG to explore possible ways to bring about true accountability to
situations of human rights violations.
Mr.
President,
My final remarks relate to the responsibility of the international community
and of the United Nations in this important and final stretch of
Timor
’s recent history. It is important that UNMISET, a
peacekeeping operation, be terminated as planned in May 2005. But it is even
more important that Timor-Leste continues to benefit from the organized and
coherent support of the UN system after that date. We are all conscious that,
despite the gigantic steps the country has taken in institution building and
in becoming a viable State, much more remains to be done. International
support, bilateral and multilateral, must be forthcoming. We have achieved a
lot and we must safeguard that investment by ensuring that Timor-Leste keeps
benefiting from the assistance of the international community.
Portugal
believes that we must begin to envision a smooth
transition for
Timor
, without peacekeeping, but with a solid and coordinated UN
presence to support those who will remain helping Timor-Leste beyond May 2005.
Thank
you.