Government of Timor-Leste

The Minister of Social Solidarity and Inclusion (MSSI), Verónica das Dores, took part in the "ASEAN High-Level Forum on Partnerships and Inclusive Development of People with Disabilities Beyond 2025", held in Makassar, Indonesia, from October 10^th to 12^th, 2023.

This forum aimed to strengthen regional collaboration and foster the sharing of inclusive best practices, providing a crucial platform for discussing the empowerment and inclusion of persons with disabilities in the ASEAN community. ASEAN ministers, senior officials, heads of social protection and development from related sectoral bodies, ASEAN-affiliated entities, and partners attended this forum. Representatives from 13 countries attended, including nine ASEAN member countries, Timor-Leste as an observer and three ASEAN partner countries: Australia, the United States of America, and the United Kingdom. 

During the event, Minister Verónica das Dores emphasised the efforts of the Government of Timor-Leste, through the Ministry of Social Solidarity and Inclusion, as a signatory to the United Nations International Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and in "close collaboration with organisations of people with disabilities and other ministries, to promote equality and social protection for all, including citizens with disabilities, as established in Article 21 of the Constitution of the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste".

To this end, the Minister highlighted the approval of national resolutions and policies to ensure the rights of people with disabilities, led by Timor-Leste. These resolutions have allowed the Ministry of Social Solidarity and Inclusion and other relevant entities to "collaborate effectively to strengthen the inclusion of people with disabilities and ensure the implementation of activities following the government budget and programmes." 

Minister Verónica das Dores emphasised the commitment of the State of Timor-Leste to "collaborate with the international community in promoting the inclusion of people with disabilities, to build an inclusive society in the ASEAN region and globally, with the firm determination to leave no one behind".

The Minister was accompanied at the event by the Director General of Social Solidarity and Inclusion, Florêncio Dias Gonzaga, and Mateus da Silva from the National Department for the Promotion of the Rights of People with Disabilities, along with his team.