ON BEHALF OF THE COMMUNITY OF PORTUGUESE SPEAKING COUNTRIES (CPLP

Mr. President,

Members of the Security Council,

Your Excellency the Special Representative of the Secretary-General,

I am addressing Your Excellencies on behalf of the Community of Portuguese-Speaking Countries (CPLP), namely Brazil, Cape Verde, Guinea-Bissau, Mozambique, Portugal, São Tome and Príncipe, Timor-Leste, and my own country, Angola, which is the current Chair of the Community.

At the outset, I would like to welcome the participation in this session of His Excellency Dr. José Ramos-Horta , President of Timor-Leste.

We would also like to take this opportunity to welcome the report by the Secretary-General on the UN Integrated Mission in Timor-Leste (UNMIT) .

It is with great pleasure that we note the progress made by Timor-Leste in recent times and how the report of the Secretary-General does justice to it. Timor-Leste is one of the scenarios where cooperation within the CPLP has proved very important for all Member States, and we sincerely hope that the result of our joint efforts is a benefit to the Timorese nation .

The installation of the Permanent Representation of the CPLP in Dili, Timor-Leste, is making progresses thanks to the invaluable support of the Timorese authorities. Moreover, the CPLP Strategic Plan for Timor should be in place soon, especially in the areas of promotion and dissemination of the Portuguese language. Thus, the reformulation of the mandate of the Permanent Representation that was agreed at the summit in Luanda, with a strong cultural component and support for the use of Portuguese in Timor-Leste, in addition to the political component, assumes a new importance .

Timor-Leste’s commitment to forging a strong relationship with the CPLP has also been demonstrated in its performance as the current President of the CPLP Parliamentary Assembly and the good results achieved in its third session, held in Dili in September 2011 .The CPLP has confidence in the country's political stability, which has been reflected in the preparation of political parties for electoral disputes, with the holding of each party’s congress in a peaceful environment. The CPLP also supports the initiatives of the Government concerning stabilization and reconciliation through institutional dialogue .

Mr. President ,

The Member States of the CPLP will remain committed to continuing the excellent cooperation so far developed with Timor-Leste to strengthen its stability, the consolidation of its institutions and the growth of its economy—a process that also contributes to the growing assertion of the country in its region, which is beneficial to the CPLP’s projection in Southeast Asia and the Pacific .

Timor Leste’s successful application for membership in ASEAN and the appointment of a working group to examine the accession process is in itself a demonstration of how the country has made progress in recent years.

We are furthermore pleased to see that Timor-Leste is taking its first steps as a country that contributes to peace and security in the world, with the integration of F-FDTL soldiers in UNIFIL in Lebanon, UNIOGBIS in Guinea-Bissau, as well as a military observer in South Sudan .

In other aspects, Timor-Leste will certainly be an example to follow for a more peaceful and more secure world—I am referring to the lessons learned and shared by Timor-Leste with regard to the peaceful demobilization of the veterans of the fight for liberation, the new military recruits, as well as the legislation concerning F-FDTL, a process of professionalization of the defense forces of Timor-Leste, which should take pride in themselves for serving the people and democracy in Timor.

Mr. President ,

The year of 2012 is of great importance for the consolidation of the Timorese democracy and the Community I represent reaffirms its confidence in the maturity of the Timorese people and leaders for the political steps that lie ahead. We are certain that the next presidential and legislative elections will take place in an environment of tranquility and security, reflecting the positive developments that have been registered in the country in recent years.

The Community of Portuguese Speaking Countries maintains its solidarity towards Timor-Leste and has confidence in the capacity of the Timorese leaders and people to maintain peace and stability, as these are essential conditions for the economic and social development that can make Timor-Leste a factor of increased stability and security in the region.

Thank you.