The Presidency of the Council of Ministers (PCM) was represented at the opening of the advanced training in the Law-Making sector, which involved 15 Timorese jurists, an important initiative to update the human resources’ knowledge in Draft Law production. It was up to the Secretary of State for the Council of Ministers, Avelino Maria Coelho, accompanied by the Director General of the Presidency of the Council of Ministers, Victor Maia, to open the proceedings, on October 17^th, in the Auditorium Hall of the Government Palace.

The Secretary of State Avelino Coelho, in his speech, stressed that “PCM’s initiative to develop and implement the advanced training course in the Law-Making sector aims to improve the work of all jurists and support this Government in making legislation.”

 “The National Parliament has the competence to create laws, but the Government has the competence to present Draft Laws to the National Parliament, and it is for the National Parliament to approve them. The Government approves, within the Council of Ministers, Decree-Laws and Government Decrees which it intends to send to Parliament for discussion, as well as Resolutions” mentioned Avelino Coelho.

The Director General of the PCM, Victor Maia, referred that this training had also been held in Portugal. The first course lasted two weeks at the University of Lisbon, and covered a limited number of trainees. This second course, as it is held in Dili, allows to involve all Ministries.

Victor Maia stated that “we have to train the Timorese jurists, to help them to deepen their knowledge and thus support the members of the Government in implementing its policy. The Presidency of the Council of Ministers intends to develop programmes to upgrade the skills of Timorese jurists in their daily work.” 

The PCM has taken the initiative to make an agreement with the University of Lisbon on training in the Law-Making sector for jurists working in the Legal Support Unit, also taking the opportunity to involve jurists from other Ministries. This training lasts for 10 days, from October 17^th to 21^st and will be continued on November 7^th, 2016.

The 15 jurists who have followed this Law-Making course came from the Prime Minister’s Office and from several Ministries: Presidency of the Council of Ministers, Social Affairs and Education, Economic Affairs and Agriculture and Fisheries, State Administration and Justice, Foreign Affairs and Cooperation, Finance, Justice, Health, Social Solidarity, Commerce, Industry and Environment, Tourism, Art and Culture, and also Petroleum and Mineral Resources.