The Minister of Social Solidarity and Inclusion (MSSI) organized a seminar on “Social Security: A Right for All” on 16 April aimed at discussing Timor-Leste’s social security system and bilateral cooperation between Timor-Leste and Portugal in the areas of social protection and social security. The seminar was held in the auditorium of the Ministry of Finance in Dili. After the event, the Bilateral Cooperation Program between the Ministry of Social Solidarity and Inclusion of Timor-Leste and the Ministry of Labor, Solidarity and Social Security of Portugal for the three-year period 2019-2022 was signed.

The event was opened by the Director General of Social Protection of the Timor-Leste MSSI, Eugénio Soares, and included interventions by the Director General of the Strategy and Planning Office of the Ministry of Labor, Solidarity and Social Security (MTSSS) of Portugal, José Luis Albuquerque, under the theme “Portugal-Timor-Leste bilateral cooperation in the field of MTSSS”, by the President of the National Institute of Social Security of Timor-Leste, Longuinhos Armando, under the theme “The Social Security System of Timor-Leste” and by the Secretary of State for Social Security of Portugal, Cláudia Joaquim, who addressed the theme “Social Security as a guarantee of Human Rights and Sustainable Development”. The closing speech was made by the Deputy Minister of Social Solidarity and Inclusion of Timor-Leste, Signi Chandrawati Verdial. The discussion sessions were moderated by the Executive Director of the Timorese National Social Security Institute, Aida Mota.

The legislation on the Social Security System for Timor-Leste began to be drafted in 2010, at the initiative of the Fourth Constitutional Government and was enacted in 2016. This law complemented the set of social protection programs and measures developed over time by Timor-Leste, in particular, the elderly and disabled support allowance (non-contributory scheme), the transitional regime to support state workers and their families in old age, disability and death, maternity and paternity leave, the Bolsa da Mãe program and funeral transport services.

Following the promulgation of Law No. 12/2016, which created the Social Security Contribution Scheme, a major campaign was launched to publicize and socialize the new law, which was attended by teams from all Ministries, Courts and Attorney General and some autonomous services and funds.

In January 2019, Longuinhos Armando was sworn in as President of the National Social Security Institute (INSS) and the other members of the Board of Directors also took office.

At the opening of the seminar, the Director General for Social Protection of the MSSI expressed the wish that this event “will allow everyone to know and discuss in more detail the political, conceptual and technical aspects that involve the construction of a social security system” and further noted that “to ensure the social protection of citizens, in addition to the Government, other Entities play a very important role: first and foremost families, but also Social Solidarity Institutions”.

The Secretary of State for Social Security of Portugal, in her speech explained the evolution of the social protection system and the characteristics of the Portuguese social security system, a model that, like the option chosen by Timor-Leste “is based on intergenerational solidarity, solidarity between the younger, the contributing, and the older, who receive pensions”.

Cláudia Joaquim stated that “a public social security system, since it is created, is always a project under construction” so that it “adapts to the social and economic changes that are occurring in each country”, however “it is very important to ensure the stability of a public social security system”.

The Portuguese Secretary of State also stressed that “a country that has a public social security system is surely a country with more conditions to develop, with lower risks of poverty, more protection for younger citizens, but also protection for the elderly or the protection of a relative in case of death”.

The Deputy Minister of Social Solidarity of Timor-Leste in her closing address to the seminar thanked the Portuguese Secretary of State for “her presence in Timor-Leste and, in particular, her willingness to participate as a keynote speaker at this seminar”.

Signi Chandrawati Verdial cited the Constitution of the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste, reaffirming that “all citizens have the right to security and social assistance” and that “despite all the difficulties, and despite being still a young democracy, Timor-Leste prides itself on having decent work and social protection as priorities it has assumed since the restoration of independence”.

The Deputy Minister explained the various social support measures and programs [implemented by Timor-Leste], “which include food distribution programs, funeral transport, technical assistance for people with disabilities, social programs and community support and protection of ex-prisoners, victims of violence and other especially vulnerable people, women’s and child protection programs, or the Bolsa da Mãe program”. She also stressed the Government’s support “from the outset, to Social Solidarity Institutions, spread throughout the country, providing direct and very important support to the population”.

During her speech, Signi Verdial considered that the creation and setting up of the Social Security Reserve Fund is essential to ensure confidence in the system, on the one hand, and sustainability, on the other.

Signi Verdial ended her speech by calling on everyone to “trust our social security system”, as citizens’ trust is fundamental for it to work properly and to guarantee the realization of the rights of all.