Kay Rala Xanana Gusmão, Minister of Planning and Strategic Investment and member of the g7+ Advisory Board, has made significant contributions to meetings held in the margins of the 70th United Nations General Assembly in New York.
On the 28th of September the Minister spoke of Timor-Leste’s development journey and of his experiences in Africa at a side event called “Implementing the New Development Framework in Countries affected by Conflict and Fragility.” This
event, organized by the International Dialogue on Peacebuilding and Statebuilding, was hosted by the Republic of Sierra Leone and the Kingdom of Sweden.
The Minister, reflecting on his recent discussions in the Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Guinea-Bissau, noted that it was important to understand the psychology that underlays conflict affected situations and explained that often the most important change to make was a change in the mindset of key actors.
Following this meeting, on the 30th of September, the Minister participated in a ceremony awarding two very special friends of Timor-Leste, acknowledging their contribution to the cause of Timor-Leste’s liberation and self-determination. On this occasion the Collar of the Order of Timor-Leste was awarded to Professor Noam Chomsky and the Medal of the Order of Timor-Leste to Ambassador Robert Van Lierop by Prime Minister, Rui Maria de Araújo.
On the 1st of October, his final day in New York, Minister Xanana Gusmão participated in an event presented by the International Peace Institute and Timor-Leste’s Maritime Boundary Office entitled “Timor-Leste’s Story: Security its Sovereignty over Land and Sea”.
The panel for this briefing event, setting out Timor-Leste’s quest to delimit its maritime boundaries, included Prime Minister, Rui Maria de Araújo, Minister Gusmão, José Ramos Horta and Chief Executive Officer of the Maritime Boundary Office, Elizabeth Exposto.
Warren Hoge, IPI’s Senior Advisor for External Relations, introduced the event and managed a question and answer session held after the Prime Minister’s keynote speech and the remarks of the panelists.
Minister Xanana Gusmão spoke passionately regarding the finalization of maritime boundaries, explaining how natural resources have shaped Timor-Leste’s relationship with it’s southern neighbor and emphasizing that until the maritimeboundaries are delimited “we have not achieved full sovereignty.”
The Minister left New York to return to Díli at midnight on the 1st of October.