The Prime Minister, Rui Maria de Araújo, and senior members of Government, met with the Secretary-General of the United Nations, Ban Ki-moon, on the 24th of September at the United Nations Headquarters, in New York City.
In their private meeting the Prime Minister conveyed Timor-Leste’s deep appreciation for the Secretary-General’s support during his ten years in office and expressed his belief that Mr. Ban Ki-moon’s leadership will leave a lasting legacy.
Prime Minister Araújo emphasized the value the Timorese Government places on the United Nations which played a key role in the restoration of Timor-Leste’s sovereignty in 2002 and today is also playing a part to assist in the resolution of Timor’s maritime sovereignty through the Conciliation process now underway constituted under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.
In the Secretary-General’s summary of the meeting he “expressedappreciation for Timor-Leste taking a leading role in shaping the 2030Sustainable Development Agenda and its Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 16 on peaceful and inclusive societies, access to justiceand transparent and accountable institutions.”
He also noted the role of Timor-Leste in the development of the g7+ group and welcomed the commitment of Timor-Leste to hold peaceful and inclusive elections in 2017.
Prime Minister Araújo was accompanied by the Minister of Planning and Strategic Investment, Kay Rala Xanana Gusmão, the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation, Hernâni Coelho and Timor-Leste’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Ambassador Milena Pires.
Ban Ki-moon, who finishes his mandate as Secretary-General later this year, visited Timor-Leste in 2007 and 2012.