The Secretary of State for the Council of Ministers and

Official Spokesperson for the Government of Timor-Leste

 Díli, May 1, 2012

 International Conference on Peace and Reconciliation concludes in Timor-Leste

A two-day international conference, hosted by the Government of Timor-Leste, concluded in Díli last week. A result of joint work involving the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Social Solidarity and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the ICAPP-CAPDI Conference on Peace and Reconciliation in Asia, convened at the Díli Convention Centre, involved some 180 delegates representing 16 nations gathering together to discuss ways of promoting peace, political stability and development in the Asia Pacific region.

The Opening Ceremony, attended by the President Elect Taur Matan Ruak and senior members of Government, featured a moving keynote address by His Excellency Xanana Gusmão. The Prime Minister said that “for the Timorese people, peace meant living free from hatred, revenge and distrust. Peace meant living in harmony with our enemies, and especially with ourselves, both individually and as a whole.” He believed that “the character of the Timorese People was forged in this desire to live in peace.”

Special presentations were then given by the Deputy Prime Minister of Cambodia, His Excellency Sok An, and the former Timorese Co-Chair of the Commission of Truth and Friendship, Mr. Dionisio Babo Soares, describing the journey of both countries from bitter conflict to healing and peace.

1975 was a significant year for both countries. In the case of Cambodia it marked the beginning of a four-year reign of terror that saw more than 1.7 million Cambodians killed through work, starvation and torture. How does a nation recover from such a calamity and find reconciliation? Deputy Prime Minister Sok An relayed his country’s remarkable story.

On the second day sessions dealt with the effective Management of Natural Resources to avoid conflict and the impact of Climate Change and Natural Disasters on the maintenance of peace. A number of delegates whose countries are rich in resources spoke on the topic of natural resource management including Malaysia and Turkey. Secretary of State for Natural Resources, His Excellency Alfredo Pires detailed Timor-Leste’s natural resource management regime.

The Closing Ceremony included final remarks from the leaders of ICAPP and CAPDI, the reading of a conference declaration and remarks from the President of the Republic.

Spokesperson for the Government, Ágio Pereira congratulated the event Secretariat and related staff for their efforts in presenting a successful conference.