Biographical Note

NEW PERMANENT REPRESENTATIVE OF TIMOR-LESTE PRESENTS CREDENTIALS

(Based on information received from the Protocol and Liaison Service.)

Jose Luis Guterres, the New Permanent Representative of Timor-Leste to the United Nations, presented his credentials today to Secretary-General Kofi Annan.

Prior to his current appointment, Mr. Guterres was the Vice Minister for Foreign Affairs and Cooperation of Timor-Leste.

Before holding that position Mr. Guterres was involved in numerous political and international activities on behalf of the Government of East Timor and the East Timorese resistance.  In 2002 he was Head of Delegation of East Timor at the Council of Ministers Meeting in Brazil as well as the ACP/EU meeting in the Dominican Republic.  He also participated in meetings with the Indonesian first Ministerial delegation visit to East Timor.

He was a member of the National Council of Timorese Resistance and also of the Central Committee at the FRETILIN Congress.  Concerning the United Nations, he participated from 1983 to 1999 in meetings of the Subcommission on the Protection and Promotion of Human Rights, and in the Commission on Human Rights meetings in Geneva.  From 1979 to 1982, he participated in the General Assembly’s Fourth Committee and in the Committee on Decolonization.

Mr. Guterres attended the Institute of Strategic and International Studies in Portugal in 2002, and the Malaysian Institute of Diplomacy and Foreign Relations in 2000.  He holds a certificate of Economic Principles from the Western Cape University, a certificate in English language from the University of Cambridge local examinations syndicate, and a certificate in International marketing and Export Promotion from the International Trade Centre/UNCTAD/GATT.

Mr. Guterres is married and has two children.

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