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The Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation, Bendito dos Santos Freitas, signed Timor-Leste’s Declaration of Accession to the Convention on Cluster Munitions on September 15^th, 2026, in Vientiane, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, at a ceremony held on the sidelines of the Convention’s Third Review Conference. The declaration was delivered to the President of the Conference, the Vice-Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Laos, Thongsavanh Phomvihane. 

The signing of the declaration reaffirms national commitment to humanitarian disarmament, international humanitarian law, human security, and the protection of civilians.

Adopted in Dublin in 2008 and in force since August 1^st, 2010, the Convention on Cluster Munitions prohibits the use, production, acquisition, stockpiling, and transfer of these weapons and provides for measures on stockpile destruction, clearance of cluster munition remnants, risk education, and victim assistance.

Timor-Leste participated in the Oslo Process, which led to the drafting of the Convention, and joined the consensus to adopt its text in Dublin on May 30^th, 2008. National leaders have also expressed their support for the universalisation of the Convention and for international efforts in humanitarian disarmament.

The signing took place during the Third Review Conference of the Convention on Cluster Munitions, held in Vientiane from September 14^th to 18^th, under the theme “Accelerating Progress Towards a World Free from the Threat of Cluster Munitions”.

In his address to the Conference on September 14th, Minister Bendito dos Santos Freitas reaffirmed Timor-Leste’s determination to contribute to international efforts to promote peace, human dignity, and the protection of future generations, and called for strengthened regional and international cooperation in humanitarian disarmament.

The Conference is also considering the Vientiane Action Plan 2027–2031, which is designed to guide the implementation of the Convention over the next five years.

 

The Secretary of State for General Secondary Education and Technical-Vocational Secondary Education, Domingos Lopes Lemos, paid a working visit to Sejong, the Republic of Korea, on September 8^th and 9^th, 2026, focused on cooperation in the education sector and the exchange of experiences on technical-vocational education policies and their alignment with labour market needs.

The delegation, comprising officials from the Ministry of Education and the Becora GTI-ESTV Technical-Vocational Secondary School, met with representatives from the Ministry of Education of the Republic of Korea and the Korea Research Institute for Vocational Education and Training (KRIVET), and visited a Meister High School—a technical secondary school model focused on preparing students for fields aligned with industry needs.

On September 8^th, the Secretary of State met with the Director-General of the International Education Planning Bureau, Lee Nan Young, at the headquarters of the Ministry of Education of the Republic of Korea. The meeting focused on strengthening bilateral cooperation in education, with particular emphasis on general secondary and technical-vocational secondary education.

The national delegation presented proposals for ongoing cooperation, including the establishment of an Artificial Intelligence and Digital Education Centre at the Becora technical school complex and the introduction of Korean language instruction in general and technical-vocational secondary schools.

During the meeting, Domingos Lopes Lemos noted that Timor-Leste has 33 public technical secondary schools, attended by more than 9,000 students across 19 fields of study, including information technology, mechanics, agriculture, tourism, and construction.

“Timor-Leste openly acknowledges its challenges. Our schools require modern equipment, and our teachers need to continue developing their professional skills. Korea’s experience serves as a strong reference for us, as Korea transformed the country through education in a single generation, aligned vocational training with industry, and continues to prepare its youth for the era of technology and artificial intelligence,” he stated.

Director-General Lee Nan Young expressed willingness to continue dialogue with the Ministry of Education of Timor-Leste on programmes for students in general secondary and technical-vocational secondary education.

Also on September 8^th, the delegation visited a Meister High School in Sejong, where they observed the facilities, technical equipment, and teaching and learning methods. The Meister High School model is based, among other elements, on curricula tailored to industry demand and on cooperation between schools and companies.

The following day, September 9^th, Domingos Lopes Lemos met with the President of KRIVET, Hye Won Ko, at the institute’s facilities in Sejong. The meeting focused on the Republic of Korea’s vocational education policies and on the relationship between the development of professional skills and the evolution of the industrial sector.

“This topic is of great importance to us. We all know that the success of the Republic of Korea’s economic development is closely linked to the strategic design of vocational education policies to meet the needs of the industrial sector. Korea’s experience in aligning workforce skills with the dynamics of the modern industrial sector serves as a clear example that we intend to study and understand in depth,” stated the Secretary of State.

The session enabled the delegation to learn about experiences in formulating technical-vocational education policies, developing curricula aligned with industry needs, fostering cooperation between training institutions and the private sector, and utilising new technologies in education.

“This information will serve as an important reference for our efforts to build a resilient secondary and vocational education ecosystem in Timor-Leste,” Domingos Lopes Lemos added.

The working visit enabled the continuation of dialogue between Timor-Leste and the Republic of Korea on the development of technical-vocational secondary education, professional skills training, and the preparation of young people for the labour market.

The Minister of the Interior, Francisco da Costa Guterres, paid a visit to the People’s Republic of China from September 8^th to 10^th, 2026, where he participated in the Global Public Security Cooperation Forum in Lianyungang and held meetings with Chinese officials to strengthen cooperation on public security, combating transnational crime, border management and surveillance, and Timor-Leste’s preparations for the ASEAN Chairmanship in 2029.

The Global Public Security Cooperation Forum, held in Lianyungang, Jiangsu Province, brought together more than 2,100 representatives from 139 countries, territories, and international organisations. This year’s edition included sessions dedicated, among other matters, to migration management, combating drug trafficking, counter-terrorism, cybersecurity, police training, and technology applied to public security.

On the sidelines of the Forum on September 8^th, Minister Francisco da Costa Guterres met with the Executive Vice-Minister of Public Security of the People’s Republic of China, Qi Yanjun. Both sides reviewed bilateral security cooperation, including support for capacity-building within the Timor-Leste National Police and the sharing of knowledge and experience to prepare for security operations associated with Timor-Leste’s ASEAN Chairmanship in 2029.

The meeting also addressed cooperation between the authorities of both countries in combating transnational crime and financial and cyber fraud. In this context, cooperation was discussed regarding the repatriation of Chinese nationals involved in illicit activities at fraud centres in Timor-Leste, following the completion of applicable judicial procedures, to enable the competent authorities to continue their investigations.

During the visit, the Minister of the Interior also met the Vice-President of China Electronics Technology Corporation (CETC), Cao Hongxing, to explore opportunities for cooperation in border management and surveillance, particularly through technologies designed to monitor the movement of people at entry and exit points throughout the territory.

The national delegation also visited CETC’s facilities, a Chinese state-owned enterprise that develops technological equipment and solutions, where they were introduced to various systems and equipment used for security and border surveillance.

On 9 September in Lianyungang, Minister Francisco da Costa Guterres received an official invitation from Guan Zhao, Deputy Director-General of the Ministry of Public Security of China, for Timor-Leste to participate in the International Police Cooperation Forum on Big Data between China, ASEAN and Neighbouring Countries, scheduled for September 29^th and 30^th, in Guiyang, Guizhou Province.

The Minister confirmed Timor-Leste’s participation in the Forum, which will feature topics including international cooperation to combat fraud, telecommunications-related crimes, and financial and digital scams.

Cooperation in these areas aligns with Timor-Leste’s participation in ASEAN mechanisms dedicated to combating transnational crime, including the ASEAN Plan of Action to Combat Transnational Crime 2026–2035, which aims to strengthen regional cooperation among police and security authorities.

The Minister of the Interior was accompanied by the Ambassador of Timor-Leste to the People’s Republic of China, Maubere Lorosae da Silva Horta; Timor-Leste’s Migration Attaché in China, Mariano dos Santos; and other members of the Timorese delegation.

 

Presidency of the Council of Ministers

Spokesperson of the Government of Timor-Leste

Ninth Constitutional Government

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Press Release

Meeting of the Council of Ministers on September 16th, 2026

The Council of Ministers met at the Government Palace in Dili and began the meeting with presentations by the Governor of the Central Bank of Timor-Leste (BCTL), Hélder Lopes, on the Petroleum Fund’s performance for the first half of 2026, the Economic Review for the first half of 2026, and the findings of the Mutual Evaluation Report on measures to combat money laundering and terrorist financing in Timor-Leste.

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At the end of June 2026, the Petroleum Fund had a balance of approximately US$18.43 billion, compared with US$18.31 billion at the end of the first quarter. In the second quarter, the Fund’s investments generated a return of approximately US$719 million, driven mainly by equity performance. In the first half of the year, the Fund transferred US$800 million to finance expenditure under the General State Budget. The presentation also highlighted the decline in oil revenues and the growing importance of investment income for sustaining and preserving the Fund’s assets.

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Next, the results of the Mutual Evaluation carried out by the Asia-Pacific Group on Money Laundering (APG) were presented; this assessed the extent to which Timor-Leste complies with international standards on combating money laundering and the financing of terrorism.

The assessment concluded that Timor-Leste fully or largely complies with 22 of the 40 recommendations of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), whilst a further 12 are partially complied with. Areas requiring strengthening were also identified, particularly in supervision, prevention, investigation, asset recovery and confiscation, and the imposition of financial sanctions. In this context, measures to address the assessment’s recommendations were also discussed, including strengthening the legal and institutional framework, updating the national risk assessment, improving coordination between the relevant authorities, and implementing a national strategic plan.

Following the presentation, the Council of Ministers endorsed the recommendations of the National Commission for the Implementation of Measures to Combat Money Laundering and the Financing of Terrorism (CNCBC), led by the Minister of Justice, Sérgio de Jesus Fernandes da Costa Hornai, regarding the adoption of the 2024 Mutual Evaluation Report on Timor, the National Strategic Plan 2025–2028, and the 2025 National Risk Assessment Report and its annexes, as well as authorising the publication of the latter.

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With regard to the performance of the national economy, the presentation highlighted a favourable growth outlook, with real non-oil GDP projected to grow by 5 per cent in 2026, supported by public consumption and investment, household consumption, and the gradual recovery of private investment. Inflation remained low, at 0.5 per cent in June, whilst lending to the private sector continued to grow. Non-oil revenue increased by 9.2 per cent in the first half of the year, compared with the same period last year, to around US$130 million, with income tax revenues accounting for 85.5 per cent of domestic revenue. Challenges were also highlighted, including high dependence on imports, limited domestic production capacity, and the current account deficit, which reached US$374.1 million in the first half of the year.

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The Council of Ministers has endorsed the publication of the Summary Report on Poverty in Timor-Leste, presented by the Vice-Minister of Finance, Regina de Jesus. The report, drawn up on the basis of the findings of the 2024 Timor-Leste Living Standards Survey (TLSLS), provides up-to-date data on the incidence and characteristics of poverty in the country.

The results indicate that the national poverty rate fell from 41.8 per cent in 2014 to 37 per cent in 2024, a reduction of 4.8 percentage points over the last decade. Poverty remains more prevalent in rural areas, where it affects 45.5 per cent of the population, compared with 18.4 per cent in urban areas; differences are also evident across municipalities.

Following the publication of the summary report, INETL, IP and the Ministry of Finance, with support from the World Bank, will conduct a Poverty and Equity Assessment, based on data from the TLSLS 2024, to deepen the analysis of the factors contributing to poverty reduction and to support the formulation of evidence-based public policies geared towards more inclusive and resilient economic growth.

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The Council of Ministers has approved the draft Decree-Law, presented by Agio Pereira, Minister of the Presidency of the Council of Ministers, on the System for the Selection and Appointment of Lawyers to Represent the State in Legal Proceedings.

This Decree-Law sets out the procedure for selecting and appointing a lawyer or law firm to ensure the State’s legal representation and defence before the courts and arbitral tribunals, particularly in cases where the particular complexity or significance to the State warrants the use of specialist legal representation.

These include, amongst others, cases of high factual or technical complexity; those involving highly specialised matters; those before foreign courts, arbitral tribunals, or international bodies; those that may have a significant financial impact on the General State Budget; or those involving classified, confidential, or sensitive information. The classification of a case as being of particular complexity or significance is made by a reasoned order of the Prime Minister, following a proposal from the member of the Government who assists him in the Presidency of the Council of Ministers, the member of the Government responsible for the relevant area, or the entity with an interest in the case.

The lawyer to be engaged must have at least five years’ experience in the subject matter of the case and be proficient in at least one of the official languages. In cases taking place abroad or conducted in a foreign language, they must be proficient in the language used in the proceedings. The legislation also sets out rules to prevent conflicts of interest in the engagement process.

The Prime Minister appoints the legal representative by reasoned order and may delegate this power to the member of the Government who assists him in the Presidency of the Council of Ministers. In urgent cases, that member of the Government may make the appointment and shall inform the Prime Minister thereof. With the adoption of this legislation, Decree-Law No. 16/2012 of April 4^th, on the Representation of the State in Court, is hereby repealed.

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The Vice Minister for ASEAN Affairs, Milena Rangel, gave a presentation to the Council of Ministers on the outcomes of the ASEAN Senior Officials’ Meeting (SOM), held on September 9^th, 2026, in the Philippines, and on the current status of Timor-Leste’s preparations to assume the ASEAN Chair in 2029. During the meeting, nine Member States expressly expressed their support for Timor-Leste’s Chairmanship in 2029; the matter is to be submitted to the ASEAN Coordinating Council for consideration at the 49th ASEAN Summit in Manila in November. The presentation also addressed national preparations in terms of infrastructure, logistics and human resource capacity-building, as well as the measures required to mobilise investment and strengthen national preparations for the Chairmanship.

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Following Vice Minister Milena Rangel’s presentation, the Council of Ministers resolved to endorse the strategic use of Artificial Intelligence, Knowledge Graphs, Digital Twins and Predictive Intelligence as tools to support Timor-Leste’s preparation for and exercise of the ASEAN Chairmanship in 2029. Authorisation was also granted for a pilot project for the Anunnai platform, designed to integrate and analyse information on Chairmanship preparations, support the monitoring of projects and outcomes, identify risks and potential delays, and provide information to support decision-making.

The ASEAN Chair National Organising Committee (ACNOC), through the National ASEAN Secretariat (NAS), will be responsible for coordinating the pilot project, in collaboration with the relevant authorities, as part of preparatory measures in the field of Artificial Intelligence, including the AI Readiness Task Force. The project will be implemented in phases and will be subject to governance, cybersecurity, data protection, and human oversight mechanisms. The results, costs, benefits, and risks of the pilot project will be assessed prior to any potential expansion, with the AI Readiness Task Force responsible for presenting the findings and recommendations for the next phase to ACNOC. END

9.00 am, Government Palace

Timor-Leste was admitted as the 182nd Member State of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) on September 14^th, 2026, during the opening of the organisation’s 70^th General Conference in Vienna, Austria. The national delegation was led by the Vice-Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation, Jesuína Maria Ferreira Gomes, accompanied by Ambassador António da Conceição and other national representatives. 

The admission was approved by the General Conference and acknowledged by the IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi in his opening address, during which he welcomed Timor-Leste as the Agency’s 182nd Member State.

In the national statement delivered after the announcement, Vice-Minister Jesuína Maria Ferreira Gomes expressed her appreciation to the Board of Governors, the General Conference, the Director-General, and Member States, particularly partners from the Asia-Pacific region, for their support throughout the accession process.

The Vice-Minister stated that Timor-Leste’s accession to the IAEA reflects its commitment to multilateralism, nuclear non-proliferation, and the peaceful use of nuclear science and technology.

This process is also underpinned by the safeguards framework established between Timor-Leste and the IAEA. The Comprehensive Safeguards Agreement, concluded under the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, together with its Additional Protocol and Small Quantities Protocol, entered into force on September 25^th, 2024.

In her address, the Vice-Minister also highlighted the areas in which Timor-Leste intends to develop cooperation with the IAEA, namely water resources management, agriculture, health, energy, and the strengthening of national regulatory capacities.

Membership will enable Timor-Leste to strengthen technical cooperation with the Agency and to gain greater access to the peaceful applications of nuclear science and technology, including in areas related to sustainable development and to the strengthening of national institutional and technical capacities.

During the General Conference, Timor-Leste received congratulations on its accession, including from the IAEA Director General and Member State representatives. In the United States of America’s national statement, Secretary of Energy Chris Wright congratulated Timor-Leste on joining the organisation and expressed his country’s readiness to work with the new Member State.

The 70th session of the IAEA General Conference is being held in Vienna from September 14^th to 18^th, 2026, bringing together representatives of Member States to review the Agency’s programme and activities in the peaceful uses of nuclear science and technology, technical cooperation, safety, and safeguards.