On May 7th, 2026, Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation Jesuína Maria Ferreira Gomes participated in and addressed a high-level policy dialogue organised by the LIFE-AR initiative (Least Developed Countries Initiative for Effective Adaptation and Resilience) in Vienna, Austria. The Vice Minister was accompanied by Ambassador Adão Soares Barbosa, Special Envoy and Roaming Ambassador of Timor-Leste for Climate Affairs, who represented Timor-Leste as a member of the Least Developed Countries (LDC) group. 
The meeting was co-organised by the current Chair of the LDC Group on Climate Change, Ambassador Adão Soares Barbosa, and the Austrian Federal Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, Climate Action, Environmental Protection, Regions, and Water Management. Austria is a signatory to the LIFE-AR Compact, demonstrating political support for climate adaptation initiatives for the most vulnerable countries.
In her remarks, Vice Minister Jesuína Gomes spoke on behalf of the Least Developed Countries, noting that the group comprises 44 countries and more than one billion people who, despite contributing less to climate change, face its most severe consequences. She also emphasised the urgent need to strengthen international support for climate adaptation, in a context where global climate finance faces pressures linked to various geopolitical priorities.
The discussion focused on the challenges of accessing climate finance for adaptation, the obstacles faced by LDCs, and the need to strengthen financing mechanisms to enable more effective, locally tailored responses.
The LIFE-AR initiative, established in 2018 by the LDC Group, is currently the only platform, led and managed by the Least Developed Countries themselves, dedicated to transforming the mechanisms for accessing, governing, and implementing climate finance. The programme aims to strengthen the institutional capacities, national systems, and human resources of LDCs by promoting locally led adaptation approaches.
During the meeting, Ambassador Adão Soares Barbosa delivered the opening remarks on behalf of the Least Developed Countries (LDCs), thanking the Austrian Government for organising the dialogue and for its support for LIFE-AR. He also emphasised that the current context is a decisive moment to consolidate international partnerships that can support the vision and priorities of the Least Developed Countries for climate adaptation.
Among the main objectives of the dialogue were the official launch of the Updated LIFE-AR Strategy for 2026–2030 and the transition roadmap to establish an independent LDCs framework; the presentation of results and lessons learned at the national level; strengthening the policy link between COP30 and COP31; and inviting new partners to join the LIFE-AR partnership agreement (LIFE-AR compact) and to support locally led adaptation approaches.
The event also featured a networking reception hosted by the Austrian Government to strengthen informal dialogue and cooperation among international partners.
The dialogue concluded with a reaffirmation of donor countries’ and international partners’ commitment to provide financial support for LIFE-AR, with a view to strengthening locally led climate adaptation in Least Developed Countries. It was also noted that Turkey, as the country presiding over COP31, will sign the LIFE-AR Pact at COP31.