On 22 July 2024, Elizabeth Exposto, Chief of Staff to the Prime Minister and CEO of the Land and Maritime Boundary Office, on behalf of the Government of Timor-Leste, deposited the instrument of accession to the 1907 Convention for the Pacific Settlement of International Disputes with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands. Timor-Leste will formally become the 124th Contracting Party to the Convention on 20 September 2024, in accordance with Article 95 of the Convention.

This accession demonstrates Timor-Leste’s commitment to peace and stability, and to upholding international law. 

It also supports the role of the Permanent Court of Arbitration in assisting States in resolving their disputes peacefully.

Timor-Leste has previously relied on the Permanent Court of Arbitration as the Secretariat for our disputes, including in the pursuit of maritime boundary delimitation with Australia through Compulsory Conciliation under Annex V of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.

During the 125th Anniversary Conference of the establishment of the Permanent Court of Arbitration in Singapore on July 25th 2024, a small ceremony was held to commemorate Timor-Leste’s accession.