YouSaid · the spoken record

Maria Helena Lopes De Jesus Pires

lines on the record: 31
first: 2017-09-24
most recent: 2018-09-24
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

“Our country has also signed the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons, and we encourage all Member States to do so. We live in a world that is different from that of the immediate post-Second World War period, when the United Nations was created. The current times are full of challenges, and we all need, more than ever, to be prepared to meet those challenges and our aspirations, as well as to defend the value of multilateralism. My country firmly believes in the United Nations and in the international system. As such, we are committed to working cooperatively towards international peace, security and prosperity for the well-being of humankind.”
2018-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 73 (2018)
“It was, once again, our historic leader and former President of the Republic and Prime Minister, His Excellency Mr. Xanana Gusmão, who successfully conducted the negotiations. We continue to have strong relations with our neighbours Indonesia and Australia. We are also deepening our cooperation with the countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, and we await patiently a decision on our request to accede to that organization. Timor-Leste remains committed to strengthening ties of friendship and cooperation with the countries of the Community of Portuguese-speaking Countries and hopes that the Portuguese language, spoken by nearly 250 million people worldwide, will also become an official language of the United Nations.”
2018-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 73 (2018)
“After a period of economic stagnation owing to the political situation, my country is resuming its development and economic growth and is on the path towards normalcy. The socioeconomic foundations that we need in order to create a prosperous and united society have already been established. With the recent adoption of the general Government budget, we hope to continue to improve our social, communications and housing infrastructure and, in turn, develop opportunities for investment and economic development. Another important step for Timor-Leste was the Government’s decision to acquire 30 per cent of the capital in the consortium that operates the Greater Sunrise gas field in the Timor Sea, which gives us the possibility of connecting a pipeline to Timorese territory and accelerating the development of the southern coast.”
2018-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 73 (2018)
“Timor-Leste also remains concerned about the economic, commercial and financial embargo imposed on Cuba for more than six decades, which has had a considerable impact on the lives of the people and the development of the country. Our region welcomes the continued dialogue for peace and reconciliation on the Korean peninsula, and we hope that the dialogue between the parties concerned will bring an end to the proliferation of nuclear weapons in our region. Allow me to take the opportunity to talk about the current situation in Timor-Leste. On 12 May, we held early legislative elections. The elections were held in a peaceful environment and resulted in a new Government led by His Excellency Mr. Taur Matan Ruak.”
2018-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 73 (2018)
“The people of Western Sahara are still being denied their right to self-determination. We welcome the appointment of Mr. Horst Köhler as Personal Envoy of the Secretary- General for Western Sahara. We also appeal to the Kingdom of Morocco and the Frente Popular para la Liberación de Saguia el-Hamra y de Río de Oro to establish a serious dialogue aimed at reaching a mutually beneficial political solution that will enable the people of Western Sahara to exercise their right to self-determination through a referendum organized by the United Nations. Timor-Leste urges the international community to redouble its efforts with the parties concerned aimed at reaching a just, peaceful and lasting solution to the question of Palestine. We reaffirm Timor-Leste’s support for the two-State solution and the urgent protection of the civilian population.”
2018-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 73 (2018)
“In order to contribute to peace operations, Timor-Leste is currently investing in the training of its police and military personnel — with a special focus on strengthening the representation of women — in order to increase its capacity and possibilities for contributing in the near future to United Nations peace missions. However, despite our shared efforts aimed at strengthening peacekeeping missions, we continue to see conflicts and war in the world, which fills us with concern. The ongoing war in Syria is a tragedy that is causing irreparable human damage and terrible suffering for the people living in that region. Timor- Leste urges the international community to do everything possible to put an end to that war and to stop the death and destruction in that country.”
2018-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 73 (2018)
“We hope that the assessment of the 2030 Agenda will take into consideration those concerns so that the fragile and vulnerable countries will not be left behind. Timor-Leste welcomes the reforms of the United Nations system under the leadership of Secretary-General António Guterres. Following the implementation of the plan to enhance the role of the United Nations resident coordinators, Timor-Leste will contribute a modest amount over the next five years. We also support, without reservations, the reforms under the peace and security pillar. We commend the Secretary- General for his initiative on Action for Peace, including the Declaration of Shared Commitments on United Nations Peacekeeping Operations, which Timor-Leste has signed.”
2018-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 73 (2018)
“I take this opportunity to highlight the importance of active and extensive cooperation aimed at pursuing urgent and real action to deal with the threat facing small island developing States, including those in the Pacific region, which are particularly vulnerable to the effects of climate change. I also would like to emphasize a fundamental issue that also requires the attention of the entire international community, namely, global migration. Conflicts, wars, situations of inequality and climate change have resulted in an intense migratory movement throughout the world. Timor-Leste and the g7+ countries know that sustainable development cannot be achieved without peace. That is why we are aware of the fact that the 17 Sustainable Development Goals will be unattainable if we are not able to build peaceful, just and inclusive societies.”
2018-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 73 (2018)
“Timor-Leste encourages other Member States to consider that mechanism for the peaceful settlement of maritime disputes. We believe that the mechanism will play an important role in appeasing global tensions on our seas. Our world faces many challenges, which can be effectively resolved through dialogue, cooperation and on the basis of international law. One of the main challenges of our times is, without a doubt, climate change. That is an issue that Secretary-General António Guterres has identified as the defining issue of our time. Timor-Leste is confident that the international community will act as one in responding to that existential threat to our planet.”
2018-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 73 (2018)
“For the first time, a Conciliation Commission, established in 2016 under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, succeeded in the positive resolution of a long-standing dispute between Timor-Leste and Australia about the definition of our maritime boundaries. That was a process that took about a year and a half and culminated in a new maritime boundary treaty, signed in this Hall on 6 March of this year, in the presence of Secretary- General António Guterres. The new treaty has enabled us to consolidate our national sovereignty and establish an important model for the peaceful resolution of international disputes. In a time of increasing global geopolitical tensions over maritime disputes, the success of the first conciliation process in history assumes an unprecedented international significance.”
2018-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 73 (2018)
“Next year, our country will celebrate the twentieth anniversary of the popular consultation organized by the United Nations, in which our people voted courageously for independence. We cannot forget or fail to pay tribute to the then Secretary-General, our dear friend the late Kofi Annan. It was with deep sorrow and sadness that our people received the news of his death. As Secretary-General, Kofi Annan played a leading role in conducting the negotiations between Portugal and Indonesia, which culminated in the signing of the agreement of 5 May 1999, giving rise to the popular consultation in Timor- Leste. That is a significant milestone that we will also be commemorating next year. Recently, the United Nations again played a major role in Timor-Leste’s future.”
2018-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 73 (2018)
“The theme draws our attention to the need to unite peoples at a time when we are witnessing a gradual but unquestionable breakdown in the world order, which is leading to even more inequality and insecurity and further undermining faith in national and international institutions. At a time when solidarity among peoples has assumed extreme importance in the global agenda, feelings of helplessness and impotence are evident, which divides peoples and provokes hostility. That is why the theme of this session is so important and appropriate because of its focus on inclusiveness, equality and global leadership. Timor-Leste is undoubtedly the leading example of the importance of an order based on international law.”
2018-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 73 (2018)
“Taking into account the fact that this is only the fourth time in the history of the Organization that a woman is leading this important body, I believe that the President will also serve as an important role model for women and girls worldwide. I would like to assure her of Timor-Leste’s support. I would also like to extend our gratitude to His Excellency Mr. Miroslav Lajčák for all his work towards achieving sustaining peace and preventing conflict. Timor-Leste also commends the manner in which the election of the seventy-third President of the General Assembly took place under the leadership of President Lajčák, which provided an excellent precedent for future elections. We appreciate the theme chosen for this session and believe that it is most appropriate.”
2018-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 73 (2018)
“I have the honour to address the General Assembly at its seventy-third session on behalf of His Excellency Mr. Dionísio da Costa Babo Soares, Minister for Foreign Affairs and Cooperation of Timor- Leste. First of all, allow me to join our voices to those of previous speakers and present, on behalf of Timor- Leste, our deepest condolences to the people of Indonesia, particularly to the families of the victims of the earthquake and tsunami in Palu, Sulawesi. I would like to start by congratulating Her Excellency Mrs. María Fernanda Espinosa Garcés on her election as President of the General Assembly at its seventy-third session and also wish her success in this session under the theme: “Making the United Nations relevant for all people: global leadership and shared responsibility for peaceful, equitable and sustainable societies”.”
2018-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 73 (2018)
“We also hope that in these times of global complexity and uncertainty, our success in that process will set a small but positive example for the international community. “In conclusion, I would like to emphasize Timor-Leste’s commitment to the multilateral system. Timor-Leste will continue to cooperate closely and at every level with efforts to maintain regional and international security and stability. Our people greatly appreciate the support of the international community.””
2017-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 72 (2017)
““I am very pleased to inform the General Assembly that Timor-Leste and Australia have made important and decisive progress in the talks on the demarcation of our shared maritime border. Timor- Leste initiated the settlement process required under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea in April of last year. This mechanism, initiated for the first time in history, has enabled both countries to recently agree in principle on the central elements of the delimitation of the maritime borders of the Timor Sea. It has reaffirmed our faith in the ability of the international legal system, and in particular the United Nations, to support all States. We want to point out that thanks to the United Nations and its procedures, it will now be possible for us to take one of our final steps towards achieving full sovereignty.”
2017-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 72 (2017)
“We must also tackle the root of the problem by increasing development opportunities in depressed regions and reducing the drivers of migration flows. “Ensuring that the people of Western Sahara can finally exercise their right to self-determination continues to be postponed. For 26 years, the Sahrawi have been peacefully waiting for the parties to comply with the relevant United Nations resolutions. I call for dialogue between the Kingdom of Morocco, the legitimate representatives of the Sahrawi people and the United Nations aimed at arriving at a solution as soon as possible that can ensure the holding of a referendum on the self- determination of the people of Western Sahara. I also call for the lifting of the embargo on the Republic of Cuba, an anachronistic situation that the international community has broadly rejected.”
2017-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 72 (2017)
“Timor-Leste calls on all the parties to fully respect the relevant international conventions and Security Council resolutions. In particular, I call for dialogue and negotiation to help defuse the tensions and promote a peaceful settlement of the conflict on the Korean peninsula. Timor- Leste supports non-proliferation and nuclear disarmament and is in the process of signing and ratifying the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, which it expects to conclude in the near future. “My country welcomes the prospect of the holding of an intergovernmental conference on migration next year and considers it urgent to improve the coordination of the international community and the quality of the shelter for these massive movements of migrants and refugees.”
2017-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 72 (2017)
“In that context, I would like to express Timor- Leste’s full support for the ongoing reform process led by the Secretary-General, particularly with regard to the United Nations development system and its management of areas such as peacekeeping, security, gender parity and strategies against sexual exploitation and abuse, as well as his recent establishment of a High-level Advisory Board on Mediation and the Office of Counter-Terrorism “The world is currently confronting two huge threats to international peace, the hotbeds of war in the Middle East and the nuclearization of the Korean peninsula and escalating tensions there. My country urges all the parties involved, in both regions, to show the greatest possible restraint inorder to avoid any steps that could aggravate the situation.”
2017-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 72 (2017)
““International cooperation in the fight against transnational crime at all levels is a top priority for Timor-Leste. We, the international community, have an inalienable duty to work to realize the values of civilization enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations and its conventions. Timor-Leste is a participant in a number of important multilateral processes for regional and international stability and security, and we will continue to expand and deepen that participation. “The world is facing threats that were unimaginable when the United Nations was first established. The Organization must be capable of responding to the new challenges facing humankind.”
2017-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 72 (2017)
“Only through dialogue, negotiation, multilateral cooperation and respect for democracy can we meet the ambitious goals we have established for 2030. “Today the international community is facing unprecedented challenge that require multilateral cooperation and a global response. Climate change is already having a growing impact on the development conditions for society and on the future of the planet. The effect on food security, among other things, is central to our concerns and has been the target of several Government measures, including within the scope of multilateral cooperation in the Community of Portuguese-speaking Countries, which we recently had the honour of presidi ng over. For small island developing States, the effects of climate change represent an existential issue that requires attention and effort from us all.”
2017-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 72 (2017)
“Many of the member States of the g7+ have also hosted or are hosting United Nations peacekeeping missions, putting them in the privileged position of being able to share their valuable experience with regard to areas of peacekeeping that have been successful and those that need improvement. “Our national experience has taught us to value multilateralism as an important instrument for responding to challenges within the international system, but that is not the only reason we value it. Another is the 2030 Agenda, which embodies multilateralism’s potential for improving the planet and the well-being of its peoples. The 2030 Agenda has benefited from the overall experience of the process of the Millennium Development Goals, and its success will benefit the many millions who have been deprived of basic human rights through poverty.”
2017-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 72 (2017)
“We believe that there can be no development without peace, and the importance of peace for development is a priority for us that has been reflected in Timor- Leste’s commitment to establishing the g7+ since 2009. The g7+ brings together a couple of dozen States that are emerging from conflict or in a situation of fragility. The Group’s action has had tangible, positive results in relationships with development partners and in bilateral and multilateral cooperation. We have seen these mutual advantages in the cooperation that has resulted among fragile States in relevant areas such as peace and reconciliation, the management of natural resources and the stewardship of public finances.”
2017-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 72 (2017)
“In particular, we have improved development conditions for small and medium-sized enterprises and the private sector, and we are promoting the diversification of the non-oil economy. This year we also strengthened democracy through our most recent presidential and legislative elections, which were organized entirely by the Timorese people. “We believe that a key condition for the development of the country is ensuring stable and solid institutions that provide quality public services. This is why my country supported the inclusion in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development of Sustainable Development Goal 16 on peace, justice and strong institutions.”
2017-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 72 (2017)
“Peace and reconciliation have been made possible thanks to the vision of our national leaders and the courage of Timorese society as a whole to reject vengeance and genuinely adhere to that vision. “We have established solid relations of friendship and close cooperation with Indonesia and Australia. We are working to further strengthen our relations with our neighbours in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, to which we have submitted our application for membership. Strengthening Timor-Leste’s regional integration is a key priority of our foreign policy.“In Timor-Leste, now that peace and stability have been achieved, we are putting our efforts into creating better conditions for economic and social development.”
2017-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 72 (2017)
““The State of Timor-Leste has also undertaken initiatives to increase women’s participation in and contribution to the process of social and economic development, including by enacting legal measures against discrimination. Many East Timorese women occupy important positions in Government, the justice system, other public institutions and civil society. A third of the members of Timor- Leste’s national Parliament are women. However, ensuring that women are protected against exploitation and violence, as well as giving full recognition to their role in society, still requires the Government’s attention. “The Timorese people’s most important achievement during the past 15 years has been in building peace and reconciliation at both the national and international levels.”
2017-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 72 (2017)
“My country has been declared leprosy-free by the World Health Organization for the first time in centuries. In 2002, life expectancy at birth was 60 years; today it has reached 68.5. “We consider education, like health care, a key priority. Our primary-education enrolment rates stand at nearly 100 per cent of school-age children and youth. We have recently introduced a new curriculum at the primary-school level and we given special priority in the past few years to building new schools and improving school equipment, with the primary objective of these and many other measures being improving the quality of public schools. “The progress we have made is reflected in the United Nations Development Programme’s Human Development Index, in which our score during the past six years has averaged 0.610. In 2002, it was 0.375.”
2017-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 72 (2017)
“This year Timor- Leste is celebrating the fifteenth anniversary of the restoration of its independence, on 20 May 2002. Over the past 15 years, the partnerships we have established with the United Nations and its specialized agencies and development partners have produced important and inspiring results. We have achieved what few thought possible. “The mortality rates of children under the age of 5 have fallen by half. According to the World Health Organization, Timor-Leste succeeded in reducing malaria rates from 220 out of 1,000 cases in 2006 to one in 1,000 in 2012. In 2002 there were 19 doctors in Timor-Leste; today we have nearly 1,000, trained thanks to the cooperation and solidarity of the people and the Government of Cuba. We have doctors in every village and several new hospitals.”
2017-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 72 (2017)
““Another happy coincidence is that there is another key player in the process that led to the self-determination of the Timorese people among us today — Secretary-General Antonio Guterres. The determined efforts of Mr. Guterres, then Prime Minister of Portugal, guided by his values and ethical imperatives, were decisive in ensuring that today Timor-Leste is considered a joint success story for the Timorese people and the United Nations. “The history of Timor-Leste is a vivid reminder that when the values of civilization, on which the very existence of the United Nations is founded, lead us and inspire our decisions on the international scene, the United Nations and international law become powerful and decisive forces for settling conflicts and restoring peace.”
2017-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 72 (2017)
““It is a happy coincidence that I have been given the opportunity to address the General Assembly today, the same day on which, 18 years ago, the first members of the International Force in East Timor arrived in my country from Australia and New Zealand. The arrival on 20 September 1999 of that United Nations-mandated Force paved the way for our attainment of national independence, which a majority of the Timorese people voted for in a referendum on self-determination held under United Nations supervision. On behalf of the Timorese people, I reiterate my gratitude to the United Nations and to all the civilians and military officers under the flag of the United Nations who protect innocent people and save lives.”
2017-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 72 (2017)
“I have the honour to deliver this statement on behalf of His Excellency Mr. Francisco Guterres Lu-Olo, President of the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste. “At the outset, I would like to congratulate President Miroslav Lajcak on his election and wish him every success in carrying out his duties. I welcome the theme of the seventy-second session of the General Assembly, ‘Focusing on people: Striving for peace and a decent life for all on a sustainable planet’. Conflict prevention and peacebuilding are without a doubt the tasks of our generation. I am confident that the President’s capable leadership, together with that of Secretary- General Antonio Guterres, will encourage and inspire our strong commitment and help us succeed in our common objective.”
2017-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 72 (2017)