Government of Timor-Leste

The Interministerial Cybersecurity Working Group (GICS – acronym in Portuguese) met on March 10^th, 2026, at the Government Palace in Dili to conduct a detailed analysis of the contributions submitted by its member entities as part of preparing the cybersecurity legislative package. The Working Group is chaired by the Minister of the Presidency of the Council of Ministers, Agio Pereira. It includes members of the Government and heads of state institutions with responsibilities in this area. 

This meeting furthered the ongoing interministerial coordination process and the work undertaken in February 2026, during which expert contributions were collected on the legal, institutional, and operational aspects of cybersecurity. The ongoing work also builds on the preliminary presentation by the Minister of the Presidency of the Council of Ministers at the Council of Ministers meeting on March 4^th, 2026, during which a proposal was introduced to create a legislative package to strengthen the national legal and institutional framework in this area.

The cybersecurity legislative framework aims to enhance the security of networks and information systems, safeguard critical infrastructure and essential services, combat cybercrimes, and promote the safe and responsible use of cyberspace by citizens, businesses, and public institutions. The measures under consideration also include establishing institutional mechanisms dedicated to strategic coordination and operational response to cybersecurity incidents, as well as instruments for national and international cooperation in this domain.

During the meeting, the sectoral contributions submitted by the working group members were presented and systematised. The technical discussion focused on the main legal and procedural adjustments proposed, the institutional powers of the entities involved, the definition of concepts, the classification of crimes, mechanisms for international cooperation and data sharing, as well as provisions relating to the protection of whistleblowers.

The sectoral contributions will now be gathered by the Office for Strategic Public Policy Development of the Presidency of the Council of Ministers and included in the proposed cybersecurity legislative package for review and validation at the next Working Group meeting.

The GICS comprises the Minister of the Presidency of the Council of Ministers as the political leader and chair of the group, the Minister of Transport and Communications, and the Minister of Justice, with the participation of the Director-General of the National Strategic Intelligence Service as technical coordinator and the Director of TIC Timor as deputy technical coordinator, along with other national entities with expertise in security, justice, communications, and financial supervision.