H.E. Kay Rala Xanana Gusmão meets with UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon as Timor-Leste initiates Compulsory Conciliation under UNCLOS
Minister of State and of the Presidency of the Council of Ministers and
Official Spokesperson for the Government of Timor-Leste
Dili, April 14th, 2016
H.E. Kay Rala Xanana Gusmão meets with UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon as Timor-Leste initiates Compulsory Conciliation under UNCLOS
On the 13th of April, at the headquarters of the United Nations in New York City, the Minister of Planning and Strategic Investment, and Timor-Leste’s Chief Negotiator for Maritime Boundaries, H.E. Kay Rala Xanana Gusmão, met with the Secretary-General of the United Nations Mr. Ban Ki-moon.
The meeting followed Timor-Leste’s launch of Compulsory Conciliation under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea earlier this week.
Timor-Leste gave notice to the Government of Australia on Monday morning advising that Timor-Leste had initiated this procedure to engage both countries in a formal process conducted by an independent panel of experts, known as the Conciliation Commission.
The United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea requires parties to seek to negotiate and settle permanent maritime boundaries.
Minister Gusmão said “This process allows for the Commission to assist our two countries to reach an amicable solution on permanent maritime boundaries”.
Spokesperson for the Sixth Constitutional Government, Minister of State Agio Pereira noted “Timor-Leste is a strong believer in the United Nations and the international system. International law offers a way to resolve disputes in a peaceful manner and to protect the rights of small nations. With Australia’s reluctance to negotiate maritime boundaries directly with Timor-Leste, the Compulsory Conciliation offers an option that assists both nations to fullfil our obligations under UNCLOS to move forward to the delimitation of maritime boundaries.”
