International Conference on the Post-2015 Development Agenda begins in Díli
Minister of State and of the Presidency of the Council of Ministers and
Official Spokesperson for the Government of Timor-Leste
Díli, February 25, 2013
International Conference on the Post-2015 Development Agenda begins in Díli
In the next days over two hundred people will fly into Timor-Leste to discuss the World Development Agenda for 2015 and beyond. Delegates attending will represent more than 45 countries around the globe and include the President of Kiribati, His Excellency Anote Tong, the Prime Minister of the Solomon Islands, His Excellency Gordon Darcy Lilo, chairman of the Group of 77, Foreign Minister of Fiji, His Excellency Ratu Inoke Kubuabola and many other Ministers of Government. Academics and leaders in development will also visit to make their contribution to this important discussion.
The special envoys of the President of Indonesia, the President of Liberia and the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom will attend and report back to these three leaders who are the co-chairs of the Panel advising the Secretary General of the United Nations, Mr. Ban Ki-moon. A video message to convention delegates from the Secretary General will be played during the opening session.
We have a special friendship with many of these visitors to our shores as they are from our g7+ family. Others are close to us as they are our regional neighbours from the Pacific Islands with whom we share much in common.
The strong participation of many representatives of Timorese society will characterize the event with representatives from Government, Parliament, Civil Society, the Church, Academia and the Private Sector all sharing in the gathering at the Díli Convention Centre. This will be a unique opportunity to share lessons learned and to learn from the experience of others.
The coming week actually contains three main meetings. On Tuesday the 26th of February delegates of the Pacific Island States will hold their own Post-2015 Development Consultation. That evening the Dili International Conference, entitled Development for all: Stop conflict, build states and eradicate poverty, will begin with a dinner at the Presidential Palace hosted by the President of Timor-Leste, His Excellency Taur Matan Ruak. The following day and a half will be packed with meetings and presentations at the Díli Convention Centre discussing the Post-2015 Development Agenda. At 12:30 on Thursday the 28th of February the closing session will begin with the announcement of the Dili Consensus by the Prime Minister of the Solomon Islands, His Excellency Gordon Darcy Lilo.
The Conference will then be closed by His Excellency Kay Rala Xanana Gusmão and a press conference convened with the Minister of Finance, Her Excellency Emília Pires and Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations and Executive Secretary of ESCAP, Dr. Noeleen Heyzer.
On the following days, the 1st and 2nd of March, the g7+ will hold their own Technical Meetings to consolidate their plans for 2013 and develop action plans for the work ahead.
Spokesperson for the Fifth Constitutional Government, His Excellency Ágio Pereira noted “Timor-Leste is proud to host this conference with the generous support of the Pacific Institute of Public Policy, United Nations ESCAP, AusAID and the g7+. In this conference we stand in solidarity with our g7+ family and our pacific neighbours, working together to ensure the challenges and vulnerabilities of our countries are addressed in the Post-2015 Development Agenda. At the same time we introduce many visitors to Timor-Leste and do work that helps us improve our capacities for our place in ASEAN. To all visitors to Timor-Leste, in a spirit of true friendship, we offer you a warm welcome!”
