On October 11^th, 2024, the Ministry of Social Solidarity and Inclusion (MSSI), through the National Directorate for Community Reintegration, organised an awareness-raising seminar on the Law for the Protection of Children and Young People in Danger at the Lautém Administrative Post, Lautém Municipality. This seminar, on the theme of “Ensuring the Protection and Promotion of Children and Young People in Timor-Leste”, was officially opened by the Vice Minister of Social Solidarity and Inclusion, Céu Brites, and its main objective was to reinforce the promotion of children and young people’s rights, alerting the competent authorities to the importance of implementing this law effectively. 

The Law for the Protection of Children and Young People in Danger, approved by the National Parliament on February 7^th, 2023, and enacted by the President of the Republic on February 21^st, 2023, is a fundamental law for ensuring children’s rights in various areas, such as access to education and health. In the opening speech, Vice Prime Minister Céu Brites emphasised that “the family is the first place where children are protected and has the main responsibility for ensuring that their rights are fulfilled. If parents fail to fulfil this role, the consequences will be felt throughout their children’s lives”.

During the event, the Head of Village (Suco) Parliament, Teovaldo Cesar da Silva, thanked MSSI for the initiative to “bring the socialisation of the law on the protection of children and young people in danger to our community, allowing us to understand it and apply it in our daily lives”. 

Local authorities, representatives of line ministries, community leaders, veterans, teachers, students, members of the Lautém Municipal Police, non-governmental organisations and the local community attended the seminar.

Alongside raising awareness about this law, the question-and-answer session allowed the community to express their concerns about the services provided by the MSSI, which are linked to social and humanitarian support. 

On the same day, Vice Minister Céu Brites participated in the handover of social pensions to elderly beneficiaries and personally accompanied the payment process for the third phase of 2024 for the elderly and people with disabilities, which is being carried out by the National Commercial Bank of Timor-Leste (BNCTL) at the Lautém Administrative Post.