Agio Pereira, Minister of the Presidency of the Council of Ministers, met on May 26th, 2026 at the Government Palace in Dili with a delegation from the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), led by Delphine Schantz, Regional Representative for Southeast Asia and the Pacific, as part of the delegation’s official visit to Timor-Leste, which took place from May 25th to 26th, 2026. 
During the meeting, participants discussed issues concerning global governance coordination, national policy priorities, and opportunities for cooperation to align UNODC support with Timor-Leste’s governance and institutional development objectives.
The UNODC delegation presented the organisation’s work supporting 29 countries in Southeast Asia and the Pacific to combat transnational organised crime and cybercrime through institutional capacity-building initiatives, technical training, and operational support for national authorities. Information was also shared on emerging criminal trends in the region, including online fraud linked to organised crime.
During the meeting, Minister Agio Pereira emphasised that combating transnational crime, particularly cybercrime, is a national priority. The Minister noted that the Government is developing a legislative package on cybersecurity to strengthen the legal and institutional framework in this area. It includes measures on cyberspace security, digital services, and the prevention and response to cyber incidents.
The United Nations Convention on Cybercrime was also discussed, with the UNODC Regional Representative encouraging Timor-Leste to consider signing this international instrument, which currently has 75 signatories and only three ratifications, with 40 ratifications required for its entry into force. The delegation also expressed its willingness to provide technical support for the national legislative process in this area, including reviewing the draft cybercrime law currently under preparation.
During the meeting, the possibility of Timor-Leste signing the Convention during the high-level segment of the upcoming United Nations General Assembly in New York, scheduled for September this year, was also discussed.
Delphine Schantz reaffirmed UNODC’s commitment to continuing to support Timor-Leste in strengthening its national capacity to prevent and combat transnational organised crime and cybercrime.