Government of Timor-Leste

On May 3^rd, 2025, the Government, through the Secretariat of State for Social Communication (SECOMS), in collaboration with the Press Council, marked World Press Freedom Day with a commemorative march and the holding of the ‘Freedom Fair’, dedicated to the theme ‘The Impact of Artificial Intelligence on Press Freedom’. The initiative took place between the Francisco Xavier do Amaral round about and the Largo de Lecidere garden, bringing together the Government representatives, media institutions and civil society in a demonstration of the national commitment to press freedom. 

The ceremony was attended by the Vice Prime Minister, Minister Coordinator for Economic Affairs and Minister of Tourism and Environment, Francisco Kalbuadi Lay, the Secretary of State for Social Communication, Expedito Loro Dias Ximenes, the President of the Press Council, Otelio Ote, members of the Journalists' Association, directors and editors of the country's main media organizations, as well as representatives of the F-FDTL and the journalistic community. 

 In his speech, the Vice Prime Minister said that ‘it is journalists who guide Timor-Leste's development, by taking the country to the world and bringing the world to Timor-Leste. The Secretary of State for Social Communication reinforced the Government's commitment to guaranteeing freedom of expression for all, including media professionals, emphasizing the importance of responsible journalistic practice. 

The World Press Freedom Day celebrations were also marked by the release of the 2025 World Press Freedom Index, drawn up by Reporters Without Borders, in which Timor-Leste ranks 39th out of 180 countries analyzed globally. Although this represents a drop compared to 2024, Timor-Leste is still the highest ranked country in Southeast Asia, significantly outperforming countries such as Thailand (85th), Malaysia (88th), Brunei (97th), the Philippines (116th), Singapore (123rd), Indonesia (127th), Laos (150th), Cambodia (161st), Myanmar (169th) and Vietnam (173rd). It should also be noted that in the whole of Asia, only two countries, Taiwan (24th) and Armenia (34th), are above Timor-Leste in the World Press Freedom Index. 

Within the Community of Portuguese Language Speaking Countries (CPLP), Timor-Leste ranks third, behind Portugal (8th) and Cape Verde (30th), and ahead of Brazil (63rd), Angola (100th), Mozambique (101st), Guinea-Bissau (110th) and Equatorial Guinea (118th), reinforcing its reputation as a young democracy that values freedom of expression and the role of the press in strengthening citizenship and democratic governance. END