Government of Timor-Leste

Presidency of the Council of Ministers

Spokesperson of the Government of Timor-Leste

Ninth Constitutional Government

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Press Release

Meeting of the Council of Ministers on June 19^th, 2024

The Council of Ministers met at the Government Palace in Dili and approved the draft Government Resolution, presented by the Minister of Higher Education, Science and Culture, José Honório da Costa Pereira Jerónimo, for the appointment of the members of the General Council of the Universidade Nacional Timor Lorosa’e (UNTL) within the competence of the Council of Ministers.

Given the passing of Engineer João Baptista Fernandes Alves, until then President of the General Council of the Universidade Nacional Timor Lorosa’e, appointed as a member representing the private sector under Government Resolution no. 36/2022 of December 28^th, it is necessary to appoint a new representative of the private sector and a new President of the General Council.

Therefore, the Government resolves, under Article 19 of Decree-Law no. 16/2010, of October 20^th, to appoint:

• Dulce de Jesus Soares, Minister of Education, as a member of the UNTL General Council, representing the Government;

• Alberto Carvalho Araújo, as a member of the UNTL General Council, as a personality of merit and recognised in the private sector;

• Reverend Father Acácio Domingos de Castro, SDB, as the President of the General Council of the UNTL.

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The draft Decree-Law for the first amendment to Decree-Law no.10/2020, of March 25^th, the new regime for the training activities of the Legal and Judicial Training Centre (CFJJ – acronym in Portuguese), presented by the Prime Minister and the former Minister of Justice and Coordinator of the Working Group for the Reform of the Justice Sector, Lúcia Lobato, was also approved.

In line with the objectives of the 9th Constitutional Government and the recommendations of the report “Towards a Better Justice,” presented to the Government by the same Working Group, this reform aims to transform the CFJJ into a centre of excellence for judicial sector professionals.

This law has brought about many changes, including a change in the composition of the selection board for entry applications, which will now have five members, including CFJJ trainers. This measure allows magistrates and public defenders to be freed from recruitment tasks and to concentrate on carrying out their duties.

The proposed changes also aim to promote professional training and mastery of the Portuguese language. School and practical training phases will be carried out in Portuguese-speaking countries in cooperation with foreign organisations. The school phase is reorganised to emphasise essential legal subjects, including an eliminatory mid-term assessment after twelve months.

The final classification of the training phases has been redefined, with 60 per cent going to the school phase and 40 per cent to the practical phase. In addition, extraordinary applications during the entry courses are possible to meet human resource needs in the judiciary and public defence careers.

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The Council of Ministers also approved the draft Resolution Proposal to the National Parliament, presented by the Minister of Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries and Forestry, Marcos da Cruz, to ratify accession to the World Trade Organisation (WTO) Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies ("2022 Fisheries Protocol"), signed in Geneva on June 17^th, 2022.

The agreement aims to eliminate harmful subsidies contributing to overfishing, overcapacity, and illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing. Its adoption is crucial to ensuring the sustainability of global marine resources, promoting responsible fishing practices, and protecting the marine environment.

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Lastly, the draft Law Proposal for the establishment of the Recovery and Insolvency Code, presented by the Vice Prime Minister, Coordinating Minister of Economic Affairs and Minister of Tourism and Environment, Francisco Kalbuadi Lay, and the Governor of the Central Bank of Timor-Leste, Hélder Lopes, was approved.

Establishing this code aims to promote investment and transform and modernise the national economy. This legislation will provide investors, creditors, and entrepreneurs with security and guarantees regarding recovery and insolvency mechanisms. It also aims to meet the demands of integration into ASEAN and the WTO with a legislative framework that responds to the country's needs and international commitments. END