2nd International Conference on Decentralization and Local Power
On October 30th and 31st, in Dili, the 2nd International Conference on Decentralization and Local Power was held, organized by the Secretariat of State for Administrative Decentralization (SoSAD). This year’s conference, entitled “A local government for development in Timor-Leste”, was attended by national and international speakers, aiming to analyse the work developed during last year and discuss strategies to push forward the restructuring of Local Administration, already in due course.
The Vice Prime Minister, Fernando La Sama de Araújo, delivered the opening speech, in which, according to his own words, he encouraged the continuation of the work undertaken and the efforts for the improvement of public services that are provided to the population. The Minister of State Administration, Jorge Teme, also attended the inauguration, highlighting the importance of the administrative decentralization process as an instrument for encouraging local development.
The morning of the first day also counted with four additional interventions by members of the Government. The Secretary of State for Administrative Decentralization, Tomás do Rosário Cabral, spoke about the implementation of the administrative reform, followed by the Secretary of State for Institutional Strengthening, Francisco Soares, whose speech was based on the importance of training local leaderships, with the ability to develop and implement local development policies. Samuel Mendonça, Secretary of State for Local Development addressed the evolution of the administrative decentralization process and its connection with the local development programs. The Secretary of State for Support and Promotion of the Private Sector, Veneranda Lemos Martins, closed the first part of the conference with an intervention on the strategy for development of the private sector in rural areas and its importance for the establishment of municipalities.
In the afternoon, the conference speakers had the opportunity to assist to the presentations from the representative of the State of Victoria (Australia) and from Portugal, with whom the SSAD holds cooperation protocols aiming at the establishment of Local Administration bodies in Timor-Leste.
Director Colin Morris spoke on behalf of the Local Government Department of the State of Victoria (Australia), explaining the organizational, functional and financial standard of the Local Authority of Victoria and identification of the range of services provided by local authorities that comprise it.
Carlos Carreira, spoke as a Cooperation Agent on behalf of Portugal, and presented the cooperation strategy established between the Portuguese and the Timorese municipalities, aiming at the establishment of Local Authorities.
Participants were also clarified about a few specific aspects of the Local Authority model, either from the State of Victoria or from Portugal.
The Municipal Administrators from Aileu and Liquiçá also spoke at the conference presenting the socioeconomic profile of their municipalities, aiming at the preparation of the proposals for local development strategies, which will be discussed by the Local Advisory Councils. The speakers identified the potential of their municipalities and possible strategies for its exploitation, in order to improve the living conditions of their populations and to develop their communities.
Still during the Second International Conference on Decentralization and Local Government, the Secretary of State for Administrative Decentralization, Tomás do Rosário Cabral, signed a protocol with the municipality of Porto, represented by João Paulo Cunha, Head of the Municipal Division of International Relations and Protocol from the Municipality of Porto, for the establishment of Local Government in Baucau. This protocol renews the interest of the Portuguese authorities to continue supporting the process of administrative decentralization and Local Government building in Timor-Leste, by intensifying and strengthening friendship and cooperation relationships between Baucau and Porto.
On the second and final day, thematic working groups were created, in order to discuss in a more in-depth manner and allow participants the formulation of concrete proposals on each of the themes already addressed: the development of the administrative decentralization process; strengthening leadership and Local Government; promoting local development; creation of private sector in rural areas.
