Prime Minister Opens V Seminar of the CPLP Sea Forum on Legal Challenges in the Management and Use of the Sea
On November 25th, 2025, Prime Minister Kay Rala Xanana Gusmão presided over in the Noble Hall of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation in Dili, the opening session of the 5th Seminar of the CPLP Countries' Sea Forum, dedicated to the theme “Legal Challenges in the Management and Use of the Sea,” emphasizing the sea as an indispensable factor for sustainable economic growth and social development in Portuguese-speaking countries. 
In his speech, the Prime Minister emphasized that, “Despite the complexity of these challenges — legal, technological, and environmental — we know that the sea is an essential factor for the sustainable economic growth and social development of our countries, both now and in the future. Inaction is not na option!” He also stressed that cooperation between CPLP countries “has never been more important than in today’s world — an era marked by uncertainty, tension and fragmentation at the global level.”
Xanana Gusmão recalled that Timor-Leste is the only CPLP country located in Southeast Asia and that it recently became the 11th member of ASEAN, a fact that represents “new opportunities for economic and political cooperation,” as well as new responsibilities in bringing Southeast Asian countries and Portuguese-speaking countries closer together. The Head of the Government also referred to the progress made by the CPLP since the approval of the CPLP Strategy for the Ocean and the Dili Action Plan in 2016, which reinforce joint governance of the maritime space, protection of the marine environment, and sustainable development of Portuguese-speaking communities.
The Prime Minister identified three priority areas for concerted action by CPLP countries: “maritime sovereignty and boundary resolution,” “promoting the Blue Economy for sustainable development,” and “projecting the CPLP’s Strategic Vision for the Ocean.” In this context, he recalled Timor-Leste's experience in the mandatory conciliation process under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea for the delimitation of maritime borders with Australia, as an example of peaceful dispute resolution in accordance with international law.
In the area of Blue Economy, Xanana Gusmão highlighted the richness of Timor-Leste's marine biodiversity, located in the Coral Triangle, and referred to the “Policy and Action Plan for the Promotion of a Resilient and Sustainable Ocean Economy in Timor-Leste, 2025-2035”, recently approved in preliminary form by the Government, as a “roadmap for the integrated and inclusive growth of the country’s coastal, marine and maritime sectors”, focusing on “diversify our economy, generate income for our people, and create employment opportunities for our young population,” while also contributing “to the broader vision for the promotion, development and conservation of marine resources and their ecosystems”.
The seminar, organized by the National Defense Institute of Timor-Leste (IDN-TL), which will assume the Executive Secretariat of the CPLP Maritime Forum for the period 2024–2025, brings together experts in maritime law, government representatives, academics, and professionals from the maritime sector of Portuguese-speaking countries. The program includes three thematic panels on the legal foundations of maritime law and relevant international instruments, maritime border issues and territorial disputes, as well as the environment, sustainability, and maritime safety, including challenges related to ecosystem protection, economic activity at sea, and the impact of climate change.
On the sidelines of the 5th Seminar of the CPLP Sea Forum, a Memorandum of Understanding was signed between the g7+ and the National Defense Institute of Timor-Leste, signed by the Secretary-General of the g7+, Helder da Costa, and the Acting Director of IDN-TL, Nuno M. Corvelo de A. Sarmento. The Memorandum establishes a partnership to strengthen collaboration on educational and training programs in areas related to peace, security, and governance, as well as for the participation of g7+ member states in higher education and training activities promoted by IDN-TL.
The opening session was attended by the Prime Minister, the Minister of Defense, Donaciano Costa Gomes, the Minister of the Interior, Francisco da Costa Guterres, the Minister of Education, Dulce de Jesus, other members of the Government, representatives of the diplomatic corps accredited in Dili, participants in the Integrated Joint Staff Course, and delegations from CPLP member states.
The 5th Seminar of the CPLP Countries' Sea Forum will take place in Dili on November 25th and 26th, 2025, in person and online, and will include, on the second day, a plenary meeting of the Forum members and the ceremony for the transfer of the Executive Secretariat to a new institutional member, ensuring the continuity of work and maritime cooperation in the Portuguese-speaking world.
