TIMOR-LESTE AT ‘CRITICAL JUNCTURE’, NEEDS STEADFAST INTERNATIONAL ASSISTANCE, SAYS SECRETARY-GENERAL IN MESSAGE TO DILI MEETING

TIMOR-LESTE AT ‘CRITICAL JUNCTURE’, NEEDS STEADFAST INTERNATIONAL ASSISTANCE,

SAYS SECRETARY-GENERAL IN MESSAGE TO DILI MEETING

Following is UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan’s message to the Timor-Leste and development partners meeting -– “Redefining Partnerships to Ensure a Better Future” –- in Dili, 25 to 26 April:

Since the first development partners’ conference on Timor-Leste was held in December 1999, the international community has actively supported the country’s efforts to reconstruct a shattered society, build the institutions of State from scratch, and lay the groundwork for sustainable development.  This international assistance, together with the dedication of the Timorese people and their leadership, has enabled the world’s newest nation to embark firmly on the path of development.

I am proud that the United Nations has contributed to creating conditions for peace and stability in Timor-Leste, without which its development efforts could not have proceeded successfully.  As I said in my speech to the opening session of the donors’ meeting in Norway in December 2001, "helping the Timorese people has been one of most formidable responsibilities ever given to the United Nations".

Today, I thank all the development partners, including the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund, the Asian Development Bank and non-governmental organizations, for their steadfast support since 1999.  The United Nations would not have been able to carry out its mission in Timor-Leste without that support.  And I call on the international community again to play its part.  With UNMISET current mandate due to end soon, we find ourselves at a critical juncture.  As Timor-Leste transitions from a peacekeeping into a peacebuilding phase, I hope you will assist capacity-building efforts with a view to ensuring viable and stable administrative structures.

I trust your deliberations at this conference will contribute further to building better lives for the people of Timor-Leste.  The challenges before us are daunting, but with your help, I am confident that they can be overcome.

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