2nd Meeting of the Strategic Coordination Committee of the Justice Programme
The Minister of Justice presided to the opening session of the 2nd Meeting of the Strategic Coordination Committee of the Justice Component of the Timor-Leste Support Programme to Democratic Governance, which took place at the Diplomatic Institute of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation, in Dili, on February 15th, 2016.
The meeting opened with a general presentation and evaluation of the activities of the two components of the Programme: support to the Board of Auditors and to the Scientific Police for Criminal Investigation (SPCI). Testimonies from several direct partners, Timorese and Portuguese, were presented, and the main objectives of the programme and its impact in the general framework of good governance were reviewed.
The Minister Ivo Valente emphasized that "the Scientific Police for Criminal Investigation, finally took office, progressively affirming itself as a true criminal police body, with special qualifications in relation to the 
investigation of serious, organised or complex crimes", stating also that "the existence of the forensic laboratory is not only important for the affirmation of the institution, as such, It is also fundamental to the constitutionally responsible body for exercising the penal action to have, effectively, control on the evidence trail, and finally for the Timorese courts to have, when deciding, when judging, all the essential elements, with a view to the administering material justice, when they administer justice in the name of the people".
With regard to the Board of Auditors, the Minister emphasized that this "materializes also a fundamental milestone in the reform of the public sector and good governance, ensuring the transparency of public administration, the accountability of its various services and establishing of a culture of rigor in the management of public financial resources."
During the meeting, it was announced by the Ambassador of the European Union in Timor-Leste, Sylvie Tabesse, the extension of the Justice Programme by an additional 8 months, increasing the confidence deposited in Portugal (Camões, IP, in partnership with the Board of Auditors and the General Directorate of the Portuguese Judiciary Police) to continue activities, until October 31st, 2016.
In addition to the abovementioned, the meeting was also attended by the President of the Court of Appeals, Judge Maria Natércia Gusmão, the Ambassador of Portugal, Manuel Gonçalves of Jesus, the General Public Defender, Sérgio Hornai, the National Director of SPCI, Prosecutor Vicente Fernandes e Brito, the representative of the National Authorising Officer for the European Development Fund, Maria dos Reis, the representative of the Directorate General for Judiciary Policy from Portugal, Fernando Sousa Junior, the representative of the Board of Auditors of Portugal, Luís Mota, and by the Director of Cooperation Services of Camões, IP - Institute of Cooperation and Language, Paula Barros, among others.
