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The Minister of the Presidency of the Council of Ministers, Agio Pereira, met on September 24th, 2026, at the Government Palace in Dili with Australian Electoral Commissioner Jeff Pope—accompanied by Australia’s Ambassador to Timor-Leste, Caitlin Wilson—to discuss the organisation of elections and the new challenges associated with democratic processes, and to examine opportunities to strengthen cooperation between the two countries in this area.
The meeting took place during Jeff Pope’s visit to Timor-Leste from September 21st to 24th, during which the Australian Electoral Commissioner met with representatives of Timorese institutions to discuss election organisation.
During the meeting, the Australian Electoral Commissioner congratulated Timor-Leste on successfully holding successive elections and highlighted the high level of citizen participation. Jeff Pope stated that Timor-Leste should be proud of the results achieved and emphasised that the Timorese democratic experience serves as a positive example for other countries, particularly those emerging from conflict.
Minister Agio Pereira emphasised the importance of institutional preparedness and adopting appropriate responses to the challenges posed by rapid technological evolution.
Disinformation, social media, and artificial intelligence were among the key topics addressed. The parties analysed the challenges these technologies and platforms pose to democratic processes in various countries, including the rapid spread of false or manipulated information, the use of fake identities, and the creation—via artificial intelligence—of images, audio, and video that can be presented as authentic. They also analysed challenges related to social media monitoring, information verification, and the capacity of institutions to respond to disinformation in a timely manner.
In this context, the parties exchanged experiences on ways to strengthen civic and electoral education, as well as digital and media literacy, to help citizens critically evaluate information before accepting or sharing it. The role of independent media in providing credible information on electoral processes was also emphasised.
The Minister also addressed Timor-Leste’s preparations for the upcoming municipal elections, including institutional readiness, civic education, and citizen participation. In this context, the parties explored opportunities for cooperation and the exchange of experiences between the two countries.
Women’s political participation was another topic addressed, with reference to measures adopted by Timor-Leste to promote female representation and to the challenges posed by abuse, threats, and reputational attacks on digital platforms, which can discourage participation in public life.
Jeff Pope expressed a willingness to continue cooperation in areas of mutual interest, and both parties agreed to maintain dialogue and share experiences on electoral processes, civic education, and the challenges arising from the evolution of digital technologies.
Representatives from the Office of the Minister of the Presidency of the Council of Ministers and from the Australian Embassy also attended the meeting.
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The Vice-Minister for Hospital Operations, Flávio Brandão Mendes de Araújo, attended the ceremony marking the 21st anniversary of the Timor-Leste Medical Association (AMTL) on September 19th, 2026, at Lahane Noble Palace in Dili, where a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between AMTL and the Malaysian Medical Association (MMA).
The ceremony, themed “Establishment of the Timor-Leste Medical Council for quality and excellence in healthcare”, brought together AMTL members, representatives of national institutions, and health-sector partners.
In his address, the Vice-Minister, on behalf of the Ministry of Health, congratulated AMTL on its 21st anniversary and highlighted the contributions of its leaders and members to strengthening the health system and medical services throughout the country.
Flávio Brandão Mendes de Araújo also reaffirmed the Ministry of Health’s support for establishing the Medical Council of Timor-Leste as an instrument to strengthen service quality, professionalisation, and regulation of the medical profession.
As part of the anniversary celebrations, AMTL President Herculano Seixas dos Santos and Thirunaavavukarasu Rajoo, former President of the Malaysian Medical Association, signed a Memorandum of Understanding to strengthen cooperation between the two organisations.
The agreement covers areas including the education and capacity-building of members, professional exchanges, research, and primary healthcare services.
The World Health Organization Representative in Timor-Leste, Arvind Mathur, members of the National Parliament, representatives of the Office of the Ombudsman for Human Rights and Justice, representatives of the Malaysian Medical Association, AMTL leaders and members, and other guests also attended the ceremony.
The Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation, Bendito dos Santos Freitas, is accompanying the President of the Republic, José Ramos-Horta, during Timor-Leste’s participation in the High-Level Week of the 81st Session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA 81) in New York. The agenda includes the General Debate, high-level and bilateral meetings, and side events dedicated to major international challenges.
The Timor-Leste delegation also comprises the Minister of Health, Élia dos Reis Amaral; the Vice-Minister for ASEAN Affairs, Milena Rangel; the Secretary of State for Equality, Elvina Sousa; the Timor-Leste Ambassador for Climate Change Affairs, Adão Barbosa; and Timor-Leste’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Ambassador Dionísio Babo Soares.
On September 22nd, Minister Bendito Freitas accompanied the Head of State to the opening of the General Debate of UNGA 81, at the United Nations Headquarters, which brought together Heads of State and Government and representatives of Member States to present and discuss their respective positions on the main challenges on the international agenda.
As part of Timor-Leste’s participation in high-level activities, President José Ramos-Horta also addressed the meeting “Beyond 2030: Renewing the Global Commitment to Eradicate Poverty in All Its Dimensions”, organised by the Kingdom of Bhutan, the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific, and the Multidimensional Poverty Peer Network.
The meeting brought together Heads of State, government representatives, leaders of international organisations, and development partners to review progress in reducing poverty and to discuss ways to keep its eradication at the centre of the international development agenda beyond 2030. The debate focused in particular on multidimensional approaches to poverty and on policies in the areas of health, education, employment, nutrition, and living conditions.
On September 21st, the President of the Republic also attended a high-level event on social businesses, youth and technology, held at the United Nations Headquarters in the context of the 50th anniversary of microcredit. The meeting brought together political leaders and international officials, including Professor Muhammad Yunus, to debate the contributions of social businesses, youth participation, and new technologies to sustainable development.
During the High-Level Week, Minister Bendito Freitas also took part in various meetings and events as part of Timor-Leste’s diplomatic agenda. Among these, he attended the Partners for Multilateralism Summit and a high-level debate on the Law of the Sea and straits used for international navigation, organised by Singapore and Norway.
The Minister also held bilateral meetings with the Ministers of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, Andrii Sybiha, and of the Maldives, Iruthisham Adam, during which they discussed bilateral relations, cooperation across sectors, and coordination in multilateral forums.
Timor-Leste’s agenda in New York also includes bilateral meetings between the President of the Republic and representatives of various countries and international organisations. On September 22nd, José Ramos-Horta met with the President of Vietnam, Tô Lâm, to discuss bilateral relations and opportunities to deepen cooperation between the two countries.
Timor-Leste’s participation in UNGA 81 continues with the President of the Republic’s address to the General Assembly, in which he will present the country’s positions on key international issues, and with the delegation’s participation in bilateral meetings, high-level sessions, and side events throughout the High-Level Week.