YouSaid · the spoken record

Kay Rala Xanana Gusmão

lines on the record: 51
first: 2012-09-24
most recent: 2014-09-24
sittings or episodes: 2
sources: un-general-debate

Every line below is reproduced as it was said and linked to the record it came from. Nothing here is summarised or generated. Directory · Search · Corrections

“Timor-Leste wants to make an active contribution to a better world, where each country may live in tolerance, harmony and tranquillity within a true atmosphere of friendship and solidarity that promotes peace. Such peace must start in the minds and behaviours of the people at every level of society, so that they can have a positive influence on the policies of the global centres of decision-making. That is the only way for us to believe that the baby from the Marshall Islands who touched all our hearts two days ago may be certain that her future is guaranteed and that she will be able to live in those small islands that make up her country.”
2014-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 69 (2014)
“I am talking about the fear of difference, insecurity, hunger, poverty and disease, the fear of losing power or the fear of becoming a slave to power. In today’s unbalanced and unequal world, we need to have the courage to speak a language of trust and tranquillity. We need to pacify minds, encourage dialogue and free people from doubt and feelings of injustice so that they acquire greater tolerance and greater respect for differences and diversity. We need to free people from the yoke of poverty and from the deplorable conditions in which they are living so as to ensure their right to development. We still have time to write a different and more humane tale for today’s generation and future generations.”
2014-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 69 (2014)
“Indeed, that is something that will also convey a promise of peace to the entire African continent. And I cannot talk about Africa — a continent that is already wounded on the inside and ravaged by hunger and poverty — without mentioning the scourge of the Ebola virus, which is presently challenging the international health system itself. That epidemic, which is unprecedented in our time, requires a vital and urgent commitment by the international community. This morning in the Ebola campaign I found out that Timor- Leste will provide $1 million as immediate support within the spirit of solidarity that guides the Group of Seven Plus, which includes Sierra Leone, Liberia and Guinea-Conakry. Next year we will also be allocating an equal amount to help fight the epidemic. The great challenge in today’s world is liberating people from fear.”
2014-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 69 (2014)
“Within the scope of the CPLP, we want to have active collaboration with the authorities of Guinea- Bissau and with its international partners, namely the Economic Community of West African States, so as to hold an international conference on aid to Guinea- Bissau as soon as possible. The conference should start by focusing on matters of extreme urgency, such as salaries, food, security, fuel and health. Timor-Leste has already contributed $6 million, which corresponds to one month of public-sector salaries in the country. I also urge every country in attendance to join Timor- Leste and the CPLP countries, in keeping with the highest values of international solidarity, in supporting the consolidation of the achievements made so far by the people of Guinea-Bissau.”
2014-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 69 (2014)
“Still, as we all know, elections are but a starting point, and a State without the means to ensure the basic needs of its people faces countless challenges that can jeopardize the promise of peace and national cohesion. In line with the subject of the debate in the General Assembly, I must say that it is now urgent to create the conditions to enable Guinea-Bissau to move from fragility to resilience by supporting its State agencies. Guinea-Bissau needs to restore its public administration and its State agencies, as well as to reform its defence and security sector by modernizing its forces. Furthermore, Guinea-Bissau requires a financial boost in order to jump-start its economy.”
2014-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 69 (2014)
“Guinea-Bissau is a member of that community and a country with which Timor-Leste has been closely involved, including within the scope of the Group of Seven Plus, particularly once Timor-Leste realized that Guinea-Bissau had been left to its fate at the mercy of international sanctions. After a devastating cycle of coups, we felt that the people of Guinea-Bissau needed peace and stability, and we saw how their leaders were striving to achieve a collective commitment that would benefit the people and the country. Timor-Leste had the honour of providing financial support and of sending a technical team to provide assistance throughout the entire electoral process in Guinea-Bissau. That process, which involved massive democratic participation, was a success and restored constitutional order in the country.”
2014-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 69 (2014)
“But what is truly intriguing is the fact that no decent country has yet advocated the need to carry out inquiries to determine the origin of the weapons used to massacre civilians, particularly those used to kill women and children, so as to identify the true beneficiaries of the world crisis — those who are selling weapons to uncontrolled gangs throughout the world. Before I conclude, I would like to inform the Assembly that this year, Timor-Leste has assumed the rotating presidency of the Community of Portuguese-speaking Countries (CPLP). In that forum, we want to use diplomacy and cooperation to nurture our joint economic potential by making use of our regional ties. We also want to spread a message of peace, human rights and social justice throughout all the forums in which we are represented.”
2014-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 69 (2014)
“Nevertheless, we want to continue believing that international mechanisms, such as the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, contribute to justice between nations and understanding between peoples, so as to defend sovereign rights and the truth. Today, those commitments are vital in order to start rebuilding trust in the world system and to prevent tensions from increasing. The strengthening of dialogue and tolerance and the promotion of a new diplomacy must be translated from a set of good intentions into actual deeds in the international arena.”
2014-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 69 (2014)
“Back in 2002, when we began to walk our own path in freedom, we saw a globalized world in which the arrogance of the powerful and the ambition of the rich, who prey upon the inexperience and ignorance of the poor and the weak to act dishonestly and in bad faith, prevailed, as a serious insult to universal values. And I must affirm that big multinationals have always played an improper and disloyal role, acting dishonestly and in bad faith when dealing with poor countries. Timor-Leste, a young, small and poor country, was caught off guard in that sophisticated culture of manipulation and deceit.”
2014-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 69 (2014)
“However, in our region, including within the scope of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, countries are cooperating and promoting peace, which has enabled the rise of the Asian region, led by China, and lifted hundreds of millions of people out of poverty. However, we cannot but be concerned by the developments in the East and South China Sea. That brings us to a key issue that is of vital importance to Timor-Leste. I am speaking of the need to set maritime borders between countries in a clear and serious manner, in line with international law.”
2014-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 69 (2014)
“Emilia Pires, the Minister of Finance of Timor-Leste, was a member of the high- level panel that advised the Secretary-General on that agenda. In 2013 and until August, Timor-Leste had the honour of assuming the presidency of the sixty-ninth session of the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP). As such, we had the privilege of presiding over the session for one year and working with ESCAP and the nations of the Asia- Pacific region in order to achieve progress and improve human development. Timor-Leste is committed to that noble ideal and to that deserving mission of helping to nurture a culture of peace in our region through the gradual and persistent reduction of social inequalities within each country and among countries.”
2014-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 69 (2014)
“Accordingly, all of us in attendance here today have a historic opportunity to share our thoughts on the enormous challenges ahead of us, so as to outline a truly transformative agenda in which no country is left behind. However, the issue that deserves our collective attention and requires urgent measures is the mitigation of the environmental threats that continue to increase and are hindering the legitimate perspectives of emerging and developing countries. Fortunately, yesterday’s summit on climate change raised expectations in relation to actual action plans being implemented in some countries. The plans will be expanded to the global level next year in Paris. Some developed countries have also committed to providing capital to the Adaptation Fund, which is vitally important to developing countries. Ms.”
2014-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 69 (2014)
“Despite the best efforts of the Secretary-General and his team at the United Nations, we are almost in 2015 and know that 2.2 billion people throughout the world are already in or are entering the ranks of the extreme poor, without even knowing what the Millennium Development Goals are. In that regard, I must draw attention to the incorrect practice on the part of international organizations to view each of the 193 States Members of the United Nations in the same manner, regardless of whether they are large or small, rich or poor, young or in a transitional period or centuries-old, developed, with emerging economies, or underdeveloped. And these development indices create scales of values that are both unfair and demotivating to the majority of the least developed countries.”
2014-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 69 (2014)
“In turn, without development there can be no room for democratic transition, since democracy is a dynamic process of assimilating principles and values, rather than a process to be measured by elections alone. And that brings us to the subject of the general debate at this sixty-ninth session of the General Assembly — the post-2015 development agenda. Inequality is increasing dangerously throughout the world, with wealth being concentrated in the hands of a few to the detriment of us all. Even after the world learned of the greed and the corruption of the international financial system that led to the global financial crisis, we are now seeing how the faltering economic recovery is benefiting only those who were responsible for the financial meltdown in the first place.”
2014-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 69 (2014)
“Nevertheless, the years of partnership have also taught us important lessons, which we have been sharing with the world, particularly the fragile States. We are encouraging them to take ownership of their processes and be committed to the future of their citizens. We have also started to be more internationally active. We have been working hard within the scope of the Group of Seven Plus, a group that brings together 20 fragile and conflict-affected countries. In addition to sharing experiences and knowledge and seeking to put the needs of those countries on the global development agenda, we continue repeating, as many leaders have been doing since yesterday, that without peace there can be no development.”
2014-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 69 (2014)
“Under the wise leadership of President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, we have witnessed the establishment of a modern democracy that harmonizes progress with the promotion of national, regional and international peace. We sincerely hope that the peaceful transition to President Joko Widodo will bring more success to that great nation. And I say this in a year when Timor-Leste is celebrating the twelfth anniversary of its independence. We have learned from our weaknesses and today we are living in an atmosphere of social and political peace. We are very familiar with the challenges that are inherent in the efforts of developing a nation and of building peace and security. We are very thankful for the support that the United Nations and all donor countries have provided to Timor-Leste.”
2014-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 69 (2014)
“Instead, it must be seen within a broader perspective, in which the Governments of the Western Powers sold sophisticated weapons like rifles, warships, fighters, ammunition, tanks and cannons to the Indonesian military, in addition to providing it with training, so that it could decimate the Timorese. That is why we Timorese and Indonesians preferred instead to record the truth of the facts, to close this painful chapter in our past and to look to the future, which required and continues to require much effort to develop both nations and improve the living conditions of both peoples. With its pluralistic and tolerant society, Indonesia is more than a close neighbour. Indeed, it is an inspiration for Timor-Leste.”
2014-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 69 (2014)
“We have also embraced Indonesia in order to achieve true and genuine reconciliation. Instead of feeding hatred and vengeance, we nurtured solidarity and tolerance between our communities. In that manner, we cultivated a sound relationship of cooperation between our States and our peoples. Western democracies are prone to paying for costly international tribunals for judging genocides. They also tend to feel shocked by the human rights violations that occur in developing countries. The issue with Indonesia cannot be seen only in terms of the actions by its military and its generals.”
2014-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 69 (2014)
“The uncertainty and the bloody anguish that surround Israel and Palestine, with those two peoples destined to live side by side, should alert us once and for all to the fact that fear and insecurity for the future lead to hate, which is the root of all evils. Timor-Leste knows only too well the consequences and the scars of war. In addition to the hundreds of thousands of Timorese killed, we also witnessed the near-complete destruction of our country. A State born without the ability to ensure and promote the fundamental rights and liberties of its citizens is a fragile State that is unable to carry out its main mission. Immediately after the war, we started to reconcile Timorese society. We wanted to achieve peace, since without peace we could not feel free.”
2014-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 69 (2014)
“We must also ensure, from the very start, that the societies emerging from the ashes of those conflicts and committed to leaving the memories of the past behind are entitled to a vital transitional period with respect to their behaviours, their ways of thinking and acting, and their own internal rules and commitments. Otherwise, we will just be sowing the seeds for new conflicts that we may end up reaping later on. The war in Iraq, which has destroyed the legacy of a centuries-old civilization, and the bloody conflicts in Afghanistan, Libya, Syria and Ukraine, should make the international community draw its conclusions about the international standards applied in those contexts.”
2014-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 69 (2014)
“The responses to the crises faced by humankind should not be weakened by the desire to end war by waging war. Instead, they must be based on the desire to build a world of peace, supported by dialogue and by an effort — herculean, if need be — to respond to the root causes of problems that lead to terrorism, racism, extremism and intolerance. When dozens of millions of people throughout the world suffer the horrors of conflict and the countless abuses perpetrated in this century of globalization, the actions by the international community should give priority to the establishment of the best mechanisms for resolving the problems of exclusion, discrimination and marginalization of groups, sects and ethnicities.”
2014-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 69 (2014)
“Accordingly, we must reflect and think things over, because as they stand, we are merely sliding into the darkness of war, upholding the ancient principle of “an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth”. That is why I reiterate to the General Assembly that our collective efforts to preserve world peace and security must reject ill-conceived plans that are only motivated by the strategic interests of the large Powers and their will to dominate. Instead, we need a plan that is more suited to the reality of each situation and that provides a true response to the main causes of the current crisis. This common agenda should not manipulate facts to produce collective reactions, but rather admit past mistakes related to the urge to impose peace through war. Only by correcting our way of thinking and acting will we truly be giving peace a chance.”
2014-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 69 (2014)
“When faced with a threat that does not respect borders and that jeopardizes our commitment towards tolerance and peace, it is vital that we better understand the interconnectedness of problems, so as to locate the civility gap that prevents us from talking to each other and from finding consensus. We have always advocated the view that the use of military force does not establish universal values or build democracies. Misguided approaches that fail to recognize the various and diverse elements of threats or, worse still, that are based on contradictions and conflicts of interest, only serve to fuel the fire of radicalism and extremist actions.”
2014-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 69 (2014)
“We need an Organization that is more active and less stereotyped — an Organization that strengthens cooperation with other organizations, particularly regional ones, and that acts with great respect for the sovereignty and the particularities of each State. Every action carried out so far has just been a continuation of past measures that, in most cases, failed to achieve results that can be considered positive. We are witnessing an increasing loss of trust and we are faced with a crisis of values. More than trying to grasp the nature of the issues that are causing us to react, we must seek to understand the true causes of the problems.”
2014-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 69 (2014)
“Fourteen years later, little has been achieved despite the effort of the community of nations. Fragile or conflict-affected countries are the furthest from achieving the MDGs. Worse still, the challenges of the year 2000 have taken on a new path, with an increase in problems related to the rise of tensions and conflicts in many parts of the world. The Organization’s true greatness and its global leadership ability are measured in difficult times such as these, where the search for peaceful solutions through more intense dialogue may well determine the future of humankind. In order to respond to the challenges, we need an Organization that operates effectively.”
2014-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 69 (2014)
“However, other speeches made both here and at the Security Council open debate yesterday (S/PV.7272) show the other face — the more troubling one — of world problems, which is the general unquietness of spirit and the pressure to use force in order to punish. I therefore add my voice to all those who spoke before me in stating my deep concern about the particularly difficult time in which the community of nations is living. The United Nations has been the unassailable forum for approaching international issues and continues to be the hope of millions of people throughout the world. In the year 2000, the challenges came from the condition of extreme poverty, educational deficits, enormous scarcity in terms of doctors and medication and lack of food production that affected the populations of many underdeveloped countries.”
2014-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 69 (2014)
“In September 2000, before becoming an independent country and while under the administration of the United Nations Transitional Administration in East Timor, we came to the General Assembly as observers in order to familiarize ourselves with the grand designs for the new century, in the form of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). Twelve years after Timor-Leste was admitted into this prestigious Organization, here we are again to take part in a review of what has been done and of what has not been done, looking at reasons and impacts. Ultimately we want to revise the Assembly’s manner of operation and redefine plans and strategies.”
2014-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 69 (2014)
“Today we are here to ask for honest, constructive and unceasing dialogue to solve the problems that trouble the world — a dialogue encompassing problems large and small, conflicts large and small and nations large and small.”
2012-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 67 (2012)
“Timor-Leste has been walking the corridors of the United Nations for 38 years. In the beginning, we wanted to mobilize public opinion in favour of our cause and to warn the world that our fundamental rights were being violated. Today, we are informing the international community of our setbacks and achievements in the construction of a sovereign State. When we were guerrilla fighters in the mountains, we heard about a new world order. Today, many people are still oppressed because they suffer in one way or another. We are here to speak in favour of dialogue and fair decision-making. Human dignity must be at the core of decisions on problems affecting our planet. We must have an overall sense of the existence, the fears, the suffering, the despair and the fight for survival of men and women around the world.”
2012-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 67 (2012)
“Our collective efforts to preserve peace, security and human dignity must be translated from altruistic idealism to a more interventionist plan. That in turn means replacing a reactive agenda with a proactive one. It also means reducing the dominance of political and economic interests in favour of social and humanitarian interests. That requires the mobilization of public opinion around the world through dialogue about the values of peace and harmony among civilizations and cultures, mutual respect among societies, and tolerance among groups. We can also start with the reform of the Security Council, which should be more representative. There is an imperative need to renew mindsets by the incorporation of new members, so as to energize new commitments and responsibilities reflecting the current situations in today’s world.”
2012-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 67 (2012)
“In several parts of the world we see an immoral increase in inequality, with a rich and powerful elite dominating the globe with impunity while the poor become even poorer and eternally dependent on wasteful assistance. What is more, it is difficult to know from where that assistance will come. In order to meet these challenges, we need a strong and efficient United Nations that cooperates more effectively with international and regional organizations and that operates with great respect for the sovereignty of each State. The United Nations, which consists of all of us here today, has a duty to humanity. We should all acknowledge that we are the privileged agents of the necessary collective change to a better and safer world.”
2012-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 67 (2012)
“I also commend the leaders of Myanmar for their courage in making changes in the country. On behalf of the people of Timor-Leste, I also salute the people of Myanmar and wish them prosperity, and I appeal for dialogue, reconciliation and tolerance. Today’s world faces very serious problems and is sliding towards an increasingly dangerous lack of control. In addition to a recent atmosphere of regional instability, environmental threats continue to grow, hindering the legitimate aspirations of emerging and developing countries to benefit from their natural resources. In the Pacific region, some island States see their very survival at risk. Food security concerns are also coming to the foreground as a further result of climate changes, requiring careful thought and an immediate and broad strategy.”
2012-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 67 (2012)
“Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, the President of the Republic of Indonesia, has been hosting the Bali Democracy Forum, which has been attracting greater interest each year, along with an increasing number of participating countries. We have always maintained in that Forum that democracy cannot be imposed upon people, for the same reasons that solar panels cannot be imposed on homes without food, which therefore have no prospect of sustainability. Democracy must be an internal process. The process is sometimes long, but it is vital for a lasting solution. The most recent, dynamic and inspirational example comes from Myanmar. I commend Aung San Suu Kyi, a woman with an unshakeable character, a born leader, a resolute democrat and a defender of peaceful solutions, who is today an advocate for internal reconciliation.”
2012-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 67 (2012)
“We have seen how intolerance causes irreparable destruction in several parts of the world, particularly in the daily lives of innocent people. The brunt of the impact is borne by women, mothers, children and the elderly, making them even more vulnerable. Intolerance breeds hatred and the desire for vengeance. The world is not changing so much as it is destroying itself. Consolidating the gains of the Arab Spring is proving to be difficult. Syria is a terrible example of internal conflict. Iraq and Afghanistan do not present better perspectives of being able to solve their internal differences, which are becoming deeper. My good friend Mr.”
2012-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 67 (2012)
“Those are the same reasons why we are advocating the New Deal, which seeks to ensure better coordination and ownership of international assistance by recipient countries. We want assistance to have genuine impacts on the people and to correspond better to the true needs of the beneficiary populations. Timor-Leste is fully committed to leading the g7+, bringing the same commitment it showed when moving from a situation of conflict and fragility to a situation of social and political peace and stability. We want to contribute in a way that is sound and based on actual experiences in the g7+ itself. We are a small country that is still fragile in some aspects, but we share the same huge concerns of the 17 nations that make up our group, with a total population of more than 300 million people.”
2012-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 67 (2012)
“Countries complain of the lack of an accountability system in relation to the money that is actually spent on the poor, compared to the amounts spent to improve the well-being of those who manage the projects and those who manage the reports on the projects, long documents that are irrelevant because they are out of touch with the reality on the ground. For those reasons, in a true spirit of openness and sharing, with a common desire to improve the living conditions of their people and to contribute to sustainable peace and development, fragile countries created the g7+ as an international group through which they could speak with one voice. Yes, we say one voice. Speaking as one, we will be able to demand responsibility from the leaders of beneficiary countries and also accountability to the taxpayers of the donor countries.”
2012-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 67 (2012)
“However, it will require the courage to break with the old way of handling things. We need new action paradigms and new coordination mechanisms so that programmes may truly benefit the people of the more affected countries. The g7+ was created in April 2010 in Dili, during the preparation for the International Dialogue on Peacebuilding and Statebuilding, which took place in Timor-Leste. Prior to the creation of the g7+, there was no mechanism whereby fragile States with common concerns about peace and development could discuss such matters in a less subservient way than in their relationships with donors and development agencies. It is quite common for recipient countries to consider that the international assistance they receive is not the most appropriate to meet their real needs.”
2012-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 67 (2012)
“For that reason, it was very timely of the Secretary- General to create a high-level panel to help establish new guidelines for beyond 2015. Here, I must confess that we were proud to see a Timorese woman — our Minister of Finance, Emilia Pires — deservingly chosen as a panel member. Timor-Leste wants to contribute to the debate on that issue in a clear and constructive manner. It is urgent to address the structural factors that have hindered the efforts that so many people of goodwill have made without obtaining tangible results. We have a historical opportunity to change things. We can learn from the lessons of the Millennium Development Goals process, analysing what worked and what did not, in order to do better in the future. Strengthening the role of the United Nations is essential.”
2012-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 67 (2012)
“We want to be a prosperous and safe nation with a healthy and educated population, a country that provides skilled employment for all. However, in the short term, by 2015, Timor-Leste will not meet the Millennium Development Goals. The current major challenge for Timor-Leste is the fight against poverty — a challenge that we share with over one billion people in our planet. Regrettably, around 20 per cent of the world’s population live in conditions of extreme poverty. Hunger and the lack of access to water sources will remain insurmountable challenges. Mothers and children throughout the world will continue to die tragically due to lack of access to services to meet the most basic needs. Unfortunately, those are the current projections for 2015.”
2012-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 67 (2012)
“We will encourage the growth of the private sector, both local and foreign. We will continue our efforts to consolidate the institutional framework so as to improve the functioning, management and implementation of programmes. That includes a strong public sector, good governance and a credible system of justice. Meanwhile, we will improve the social programmes that cater to our most vulnerable citizens, including the disabled, the elderly, and women and children at risk, in order to ensure that no Timorese citizen is marginalized or socially excluded. We will also continue to dignify our veterans. Today we have a plan, a vision and a goal: to transform Timor-Leste from a low-income country to a medium-high-income one by 2030.”
2012-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 67 (2012)
“Consequently, the Government’s programme for the 2012-2017 mandate, which has already been endorsed by Parliament, establishes short- term — five years — activities, lists sectors where activities can be started in order to have impacts in the medium term of 5 to 10 years, and includes objectives for the long term of 10 to 20 years , to be implemented according to priorities and execution time. We will continue to invest in social capital with the aim of building capacity and of dignifying Timorese citizens by maximizing the quality of and access to health, education, professional training, information, social justice and culture. We will invest in basic infrastructures, which will be the driving force of the country’s development. We will develop the economic sector to make better use of our potential and to create employment.”
2012-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 67 (2012)
“However, we want to maintain strong ties with the United Nations and other partners under a new cooperation framework, taking as a starting point the current needs of the country in both institutional strengthening and in the development sector. Based on the principles of the New Deal, which are advocated by the group of seven plus (g7+), we hope to see relationships of cooperation being established in an innovative, dynamic and effective manner. After overcoming the main obstacles in terms of State-building, Timor-Leste is now looking to the future with optimism.”
2012-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 67 (2012)
“Throughout the past four years, our people have clearly said no to conflict in order to fully embrace the aspirations of their own development. The Timorese people were also able to display a high degree of political maturity by expressing, in a peaceful and constructive manner, renewed confidence in their elected leaders and in State institutions. All of this is essential for reaffirming that, today more than ever, we are ready to continue leading the national development process, including the full establishment of our democratic State under the rule of law and the gradual implementation of the Strategic Development Plan 2011-2030.”
2012-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 67 (2012)
“The President of the Republic, Taur Matan Ruak, has asked me to make public that on 20 May 2013 the Timorese State will be honouring, with the highest insignia of Timor-Leste, all countries and parties that have taken part in missions in Timor-Leste, starting with the General Assembly and the Security Council. For our people, that will be an act of profound recognition, expressing the wish that from now on the United Nations will pay more attention to our brothers and sisters in need. The success of Timor-Leste belongs to everyone — to the international community for their dedicated support and solidarity, and to the Timorese people for the courage to acknowledge their mistakes and for their firmness and determination in correcting them.”
2012-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 67 (2012)
“Those events are even more important given that UNMIT and the International Stabilization Force will withdraw by the end of 2012. That will mark the end of peacekeeping operations in Timor-Leste. All this has instilled in the hearts of the Timorese people a very special feeling of accomplishment and national pride. I would like to convey that feeling of joy and thankfulness to all countries Members of the United Nations and to the various international organizations that have provided us with ongoing support in terms of consolidating peace, democracy and human rights.”
2012-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 67 (2012)
“His visit was a magnificent gesture of support by a man with a broad vision of peace and development, a vision that is shared by the Timorese people. The Secretary- General acknowledged the progress made and spoke words of encouragement regarding the strengthening of the ties of cooperation between the United Nations and Timor-Leste in an important undertaking, Education First, which is part of his global education initiative. More recently, we also had the pleasure of hosting the United States Secretary of State, Mrs. Hillary Clinton. That was the first time that a senior representative of the United States Government had visited our young country. Mrs. Clinton also conveyed an important message of confidence and solidarity, praising the strong commitment by Timor-Leste to the values and principles of democracy and good governance.”
2012-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 67 (2012)
“Consequently, on 8 August the Fifth Constitutional Government was sworn in and given the mission of continuing to consolidate the vital institutions of a peaceful and democratic nation. In that way, we will also be continuing the work done by the previous Government, which consisted of a five-party coalition and undoubtedly sowed the seeds for national peace and stability, in addition to boosting our economy. During the course of this year, we have also been honoured with visits by several eminent personalities, including two high-level dignitaries: in August, the Secretary-General, His Excellency Ban Ki-moon, decided to see for himself the changes that had taken place in our country since his last visit five years ago.”
2012-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 67 (2012)
“In May, we had the pleasure of hosting five heads of State and many delegations from friendly countries to celebrate with us the tenth anniversary of the restoration of our independence. That took place within an atmosphere of peace, stability and confidence in the future. The landmark moment of the celebrations was the constitutional transfer of power from the then President of the Republic, Mr. José Ramos-Horta, to the new head of State, in a highly dignified manner for our young democracy. On 7 July, the Timorese people were called to vote once again, and on 30 July, the new Parliament took office. As a result of those elections, three parties were chosen to ensure the governance of Timor-Leste from 2012 to 2017.”
2012-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 67 (2012)
“We have come to understand — along with several countries — that peace and stability are essential prerequisites for State-building. This year, 2012, therefore marks not exactly the end of a chapter in our history of peacebuilding but, more particularly, the start of a new one — a chapter of ongoing institutional strengthening with the goal of boosting national development. After two rounds of presidential elections, in March and April, our people elected as the third President of the Republic Major-General Taur Matan Ruak, a historic figure in the struggle for liberation, who has been serving the motherland since 1975. Taur Matan Ruak led the armed resistance and became Chief of Defence Forces in 1999.”
2012-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 67 (2012)
“As such, after the United Nations Mission in East Timor, we had missions such as the United Nations Transitional Administration in East Timor, the United Nations Mission of Support in East Timor, the United Nations Office in Timor-Leste and the United Nations Integrated Mission in Timor-Leste (UNMIT) accompanying us in this crucial journey of State-building, as well as in the creation of an atmosphere of reconciliation and harmony, with a view to achieving peace and stability. In our still-brief existence as a State, we have been trying to learn from the errors of the past. Today I can say that we have decisively moved away from the difficult circumstances that characterize post-conflict countries or, in other words, countries with recent histories of conflict and violence.”
2012-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 67 (2012)