Timor-Leste hosted a series of meetings of the Community of Portuguese-Speaking Countries (CPLP) in Dili between August 13th and 19th, 2026, culminating in the 31st Ordinary Meeting of the Council of Ministers, opened by the Prime Minister, Kay Rala Xanana Gusmão, and chaired by the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation, Bendito dos Santos Freitas. The meetings took place within the framework of Timor-Leste’s Pro Tempore Presidency of the CPLP, under the theme “The Consolidation of the Democratic Rule of Law and the Challenges of the CPLP”.
The ministerial meeting, held on August 19th, brought together the Ministers of Foreign Affairs and External Relations, or their representatives, from Angola, Brazil, Cabo Verde, Equatorial Guinea, Mozambique, Portugal, São Tomé and Príncipe, and Timor-Leste, as well as the Executive Secretary of the CPLP, Maria de Fátima Jardim.
At the opening of the proceedings, the Prime Minister called on Member States to renew their commitment to the founding principles of the Community and to strengthen the CPLP’s capacity to translate political decisions into concrete results for citizens.
“We must celebrate what unites us and the achievements we have accomplished. But we must also have the courage to look at the weaknesses that still persist,” stated Kay Rala Xanana Gusmão, marking the 30th anniversary of the establishment of the CPLP.
The Head of Government advocated a more action-oriented Community, capable of deepening economic and trade integration, making better use of financial and human resources, and strengthening the credibility and stability of its institutions.
In his remarks, the Prime Minister also highlighted the need to deepen cooperation in areas such as food security, social protection, climate change, ocean protection, resilience in the face of crises and international instability, and cybersecurity.
Regarding Guinea-Bissau, Kay Rala Xanana Gusmão reaffirmed “deep solidarity with the people of Guinea-Bissau and the firm commitment of Timor-Leste and the CPLP as a whole to supporting efforts towards dialogue, institutional stability, and the restoration of the Democratic Rule of Law”.
The Council of Ministers approved a Resolution on the situation in Guinea-Bissau and adopted the Declaration “The Consolidation of the Democratic Rule of Law and the Challenges of the CPLP”, in which Member States reaffirmed their commitment to constitutional order, free, fair, and transparent elections, human rights, the independence and impartiality of the organs of the State, multilateralism, and a people-centred digital transition, with respect for personal data protection, privacy, and the security of public infrastructure.
In the year in which the organisation marks three decades since its establishment, the Declaration on the 30th Anniversary of the CPLP was also approved, under the motto “CPLP 30 Years: Unity in Diversity, A Community for the Peoples”. The document recalls the presence of a delegation from the Timorese Resistance at the founding act of the CPLP in 1996 and Timor-Leste’s formal accession in 2002, while reaffirming the Community’s commitments to democracy, the Rule of Law, human rights, mobility, the Portuguese language, economic cooperation, and greater proximity to citizens.
On the eve of the ministerial meeting, the President of the Republic, José Ramos-Horta, hosted a gala dinner at the Lahane Noble Palace for members of the Council of Ministers and other delegations to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the CPLP. The Prime Minister and members of the Government also attended.
On that occasion, the President of the Republic highlighted the Community’s journey over the past three decades and reaffirmed Timor-Leste’s commitment to the Rule of Law, democracy, human rights, peace, and social justice. He also argued that Timor-Leste’s integration into ASEAN represents an opportunity to strengthen ties between the CPLP and Southeast Asia.
Among the main decisions adopted in Dili was the preparation of the CPLP Strategic Vision 2027–2033, a process to be conducted during Timor-Leste’s Pro Tempore Presidency in coordination with the remaining Member States and the Executive Secretariat.
The new strategic framework will succeed the Strategic Vision 2016–2026 and is intended to strengthen the Community’s proximity to citizens, multisectoral cooperation, sustainable development, mobility, youth participation, economic cooperation, the promotion of the Portuguese language, and the organisation’s international standing.
The Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation, Bendito dos Santos Freitas, stated that “Timor-Leste desires a CPLP that is closer to citizens, more effective in executing its decisions, and better able to measure the benefits of its cooperation”.
“We also want a CPLP that is more present in the world: more visible internationally and more unified in major multilateral forums,” he added.
The Minister further highlighted Timor-Leste’s accession to ASEAN and preparations to assume the presidency of the regional organisation in 2029 as opportunities to build new bridges between the CPLP, Southeast Asia, and the Indo-Pacific region.
The Council of Ministers congratulated Timor-Leste on its admission as the 11th full Member State of ASEAN and encouraged the CPLP Presidency and the Executive Secretariat to explore concrete opportunities for dialogue and cooperation between the two organisations.
One of the main outcomes with a direct impact on citizens was the adoption and signing of the Administrative Agreement for the Application of the CPLP Multilateral Social Security Convention, an instrument designed to operationalise coordination between national social security systems and guarantee the portability of social rights for citizens working or residing in different countries of the Community.
On behalf of Timor-Leste, the instrument was signed by the Minister of Social Solidarity and Inclusion, Verónica das Dores. The Agreement will allow contribution periods completed in different covered States to be preserved and facilitate the recognition of rights acquired by workers and their families.
Bendito dos Santos Freitas stated that the Agreement grants mobility “rights, protection, and dignity”, ensuring that “honest work, contribution periods, and social rights are not lost when crossing a border”.
The Multilateral Social Security Convention was signed in Dili on July 24th, 2015, and entered into force on January 1st, 2026, following the deposit of the necessary instruments of ratification.
The Council of Ministers also approved resolutions on mobility within the CPLP, the operationalisation of the CPLP Youth Decade 2026–2036, strengthening responses to climate disasters, the creation of a Network of National Committees for the United Nations Decade of Ocean Science, the Frátria Programme – Common Core Degree in Public Health, the strengthening of the National Archives Network, the creation of the CPLP Network on Food, Nutrition, and School Health, and the drafting of the Strategic Agenda for the Consolidation of Economic Cooperation in the CPLP for 2028–2032.
Consultative Observer Status of the CPLP was also granted to the International Association of Luso-Asian Communities (APCA), established in Dili in 2025, strengthening the representation of Luso-Asian communities in the organisation’s institutional mechanisms.
In the area of cooperation, the 52nd Meeting of Cooperation Focal Points approved additional funding through the CPLP Special Fund of approximately €116,000 to support holding the 9th CPLP Environmental Education Congress in Oe-Cússe. The Government of Timor-Leste, through the Ministry of Tourism and Environment, had already provided approximately €400,000 for this initiative.
The 31st Ordinary Meeting paid tribute to the memory of former President of the Republic Francisco Guterres “Lu Olo”, recognising his contribution to the struggle for national liberation, the building of democratic institutions, and the promotion of the Portuguese language in Timor-Leste.
The tribute also honoured the late Minister of Higher Education, Science, and Culture, José Honório da Costa Pereira Jerónimo, Father João de Vasconcelos Baptista Felgueiras, and Portuguese musician Luís Represas, among other figures from Member States who contributed to the Community’s values and objectives.
On the sidelines of the CPLP meetings, the Prime Minister met with Portugal’s Minister of State and Foreign Affairs, Paulo Rangel, to discuss bilateral cooperation and CPLP matters.
Paulo Rangel thanked Timor-Leste for its support for Portugal’s candidacy for a non-permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council for the 2027–2028 term and stated: “The way Timor-Leste supported us and conveyed our message in many countries across the region—and we are talking about dozens of countries—was very important in achieving the result we did.”
The Prime Minister welcomed Portugal’s election, stating that its presence on the Security Council “is a source of pride for all of us” and that “it will not be a presence solely on behalf of Portugal”, as it will also serve to project the voice and shared values of the Community.
Kay Rala Xanana Gusmão also received the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Communities, and National Defence of Cabo Verde, Manuel Augusto Lima Amante da Rosa, who delivered an invitation from the Cape Verdean Prime Minister for Xanana Gusmão to pay an official visit to Cabo Verde. The meeting also addressed the deepening of bilateral cooperation in education, training, tourism, hospitality, digital transition, and justice.
Minister Bendito dos Santos Freitas also held bilateral meetings with representatives from Cabo Verde and Angola. With Angola, both parties welcomed the proposal to establish a Joint Bilateral Commission to identify priority areas and transform political commitments into concrete cooperation initiatives.
The ministerial meetings were preceded, from August 13th, by the II Capacity-Building Seminar for Timor-Leste’s Sectoral Focal Points, the 52nd Meeting of Cooperation Focal Points, the Ministerial Working Groups, the Working Group for the Permanent Consultative Committee, and the 294th Ordinary Meeting of the Permanent Consultative Committee.
At the closing of the 31st Ordinary Meeting, Member States expressed their appreciation to the Government and people of Timor-Leste for organising and hosting the proceedings, acknowledging the Timorese Presidency’s contribution to strengthening political and diplomatic coordination, cooperation, and the CPLP’s international standing.