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On January 16^th, 2026, the Government inaugurated the Ducurai Central Elementary School (EBC – acronym in Portuguese) 1, 2, and 3 in the Letefoho Administrative Post, Ermera municipality, and, on the same day, launched a preschool education project in the municipality of Baucau, as part of efforts to strengthen access to basic and preschool education. 

The Secretary of State for General Secondary Education and Vocational Secondary Education, Domingos Lopes Lemos, together with the Vice Minister of State Administration, Jacinto Rigoberto, and the President of the Municipal Authority of Ermera, José Martinho dos Santos Soares, presided over the ceremony in Ermera.

On this occasion, they emphasised the importance of schools as places of learning that serve the children of the community and the country, calling on families, teachers, students, and the local community to work together to preserve school infrastructure.

Ducurai’s EBC 1, 2, and 3 are part of the Ermera Municipality’s Integrated Municipal Development Program for 2025. The construction was carried out by local companies, with a total investment of over US$196,000, benefiting around 400 students. Local authorities, security forces, teachers, students, and parents attended the ceremony.

Also on January 16^th, the Minister of Education, Dulce de Jesus Soares, participated in the launch of a preschool education project in the village of Bucoli, Baucau-Vila Administrative Post, municipality of Baucau, alongside the President of the Baucau Municipal Authority, Veneranda Lemos, and development partners.

The five-year project aims to implement preschool education programmes in 29 villages, covering 15 centres in the municipality of Baucau and 14 in the municipality of Bobonaro, to expand access to preschool education for children aged 3 to 5. The initiative is supported by KOICA and implemented by UNICEF, in coordination with the Ministry of Education and local authorities.

As part of this intervention, the transfer of land to the Ministry of Education for the construction of preschool education infrastructure was also formalised.

The Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation of Timor-Leste, Bendito dos Santos Freitas, met in Lisbon on 17 January 2026 with the Minister of State and Foreign Affairs of Portugal, Paulo Rangel, to discuss strengthening bilateral cooperation and deepening political dialogue on matters of common interest within the Community of Portuguese-Speaking Countries (CPLP – acronym in Portuguese). 

The meeting focused in particular on the political, democratic, and constitutional situation in Guinea-Bissau, with an exchange of views on political and diplomatic initiatives that could contribute to a peaceful solution in line with the constitutional order, including the possible mobilisation of regional and multilateral efforts within the CPLP. 

The parties reiterated the CPLP’s position in defence of the constitutional order, rejecting any legitimisation of the coup d’état and calling for the release of those detained in the wake of the political crisis as a condition for returning to democratic normality.

Activities associated with Timor-Leste’s pro tempore presidency of the CPLP were also discussed, along with preparations for the organisation’s 30th-anniversary celebrations, including initiatives to strengthen dialogue and cooperation among member states.

On January 15^th, 2026, Vice Prime Minister and Coordinating Minister of Economic Affairs, Minister of Tourism and Environment Francisco Kalbuadi Lay welcomed a parliamentary delegation from Japan in Dili, at a meeting attended by Vice Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Adérito Hugo da Costa. 

The meeting was part of the follow-up to Official Development Assistance (ODA) projects financed by Japan in Timor-Leste and included dialogue on bilateral cooperation in areas such as infrastructure, health, and education.

The Japanese parliamentary delegation comprised representatives from three political parties, namely Ishida Masahiro and Adachi Masashi from the Liberal Democratic Party, Koga Chikage from the Constitutional Democratic Party, and Ueda Kiyoshi from the Democratic Party, accompanied by the Japanese Ambassador to Timor-Leste, Yamamoto Yasushi.

During the meeting, the two sides also discussed issues related to Japanese investment in Timor-Leste, including matters such as the private sector, strengthening the legal framework, project implementation, and oversight mechanisms for development programmes supported by partner countries.

The Vice Prime Minister emphasised bilateral cooperation to strengthen strategic sectors and acknowledged the contribution of the Japanese people to Timor-Leste during the most difficult periods of the national development process.

The Vice Minister for Parliamentary Affairs noted that the visit also offered an opportunity to discuss cooperation between the sovereign bodies of the two countries, particularly between their respective parliaments, and highlighted Japan’s continued support for structural projects, including investment in the shipbuilding industry at the Laleia Administrative Post in the municipality of Manatuto.

The visit is part of the regular institutional relationship between Timor-Leste and Japan and of the monitoring of ongoing cooperation projects.

 

The Minister of Transport and Communications, Miguel Marques Gonçalves Manetelu, attended the 6th Meeting of ASEAN Digital Ministers (6th ASEAN Digital Ministers’ Meeting – ADGMIN), held in Hanoi, Vietnam, from January 12^th to 16^th, 2026, under the theme “ASEAN in Adaptation: from Infrastructure Connectivity to Smart Connectivity.” 

The opening session of ADGMIN 6 featured speeches by the Prime Minister of Vietnam, Pham Minh Chinh, and the Secretary-General of ASEAN, Dr. Kao Kim Hourn, who welcomed ministers responsible for digital affairs from member states, international delegations, and representatives of the technology business community.

Timor-Leste’s participation is particularly significant, as the country, the newest member state of ASEAN, is participating for the first time in a meeting of ministers responsible for the organisation’s digital area, reflecting the national commitment to regional integration and an active contribution to ASEAN’s digital future.

The meeting’s theme reflects the current situation in ASEAN, which, after a phase focused on building the physical foundations for connectivity, is now entering a new stage geared towards smart connectivity, in which data, intelligence, and artificial intelligence are increasingly important for economic growth, public services, and the competitiveness of Member States, within the framework of the ASEAN Community Vision 2045.

In his remarks, Minister Miguel Marques Gonçalves Manetelu stated that “Timor-Leste is at a critical juncture between developing fundamental foundations and the ambition to prepare for the future,” emphasising that, guided by the 2011–2030 Strategic Development Plan and national digital policies, the country has been investing in expanding broadband connectivity, strengthening cybersecurity institutions, and developing frameworks for data protection and digital governance.

The minister also warned of the risks associated with emerging technologies, noting that the ASEAN Cybersecurity Cooperation Strategy 2026–2030 recognises that artificial intelligence, automation, and other technologies are transforming the threat landscape, creating new challenges in cybercrime, disinformation, fraud, and trust in digital systems.

The Minister also noted that, for young and smaller digital economies such as Timor-Leste’s, the costs of building resilient cybersecurity systems, sovereign data governance, and reliable artificial intelligence frameworks are high, and without collective action, these costs could deepen inequalities and create a new form of exclusion, known as the “intelligence divide.”

In this context, Timor-Leste welcomed the Declaration on the Establishment of the ASEAN Artificial Intelligence Security Network (ASEAN AI SAFE) and the strengthening of regional cooperation mechanisms, including the operationalisation of the ASEAN Regional CERT and the implementation of the ASEAN Cybersecurity Cooperation Strategy 2026–2030, which provide for concrete actions on information sharing, joint training, and capacity building.

In closing its participation, Timor-Leste reaffirmed its commitment to being an active and constructive member of the ASEAN digital community, progressively aligning its national policies with regional standards and participating in cooperation and capacity-building initiatives in digital transformation and cybersecurity.

 

On January 13^th, 2026, the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries, and Forestry, through the Secretariat of State for Forestry, celebrated the 9th National Sandalwood and Forest Day by planting hundreds of trees at the Atabae Administrative Post in the municipality of Bobonaro. 

The initiative took place within the scope of Government Resolution No. 11/2017, which established January 13^th as National Sandalwood and Forest Day, recognising sandalwood as an emblematic plant of national value and the central role of forests in maintaining a healthy environment, conserving animal and plant diversity, and supporting economic development.

This year’s celebration took place under the theme “Let’s work together to conserve and preserve sandalwood as a way of valuing sandalwood as a national identity and resource of Timor-Leste” and included the symbolic planting of around 600 sandalwood trees across a total area of 175 hectares.

In his speech, the Secretary of State for Forestry, Fernandino Vieira da Costa, stated that the Government had decided to link National Sandalwood Day with National Forest Day, recognising the forestry sector as crucial for protecting the territory, mitigating the effects of climate change, and promoting sustainable development. He also emphasised that forest preservation is a direct response to environmental risks and natural disasters associated with ecosystem degradation.

The Secretary of State also noted that, under the mandate of the 9th Constitutional Government, around 500,000 trees have already been produced, distributed, and planted in critical areas and on plantations intended for investment, as well as in communities, urban areas, public institutions, and along roads, to strengthen vegetation cover and improve environmental conditions.

The Minister of Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries, and Forestry, Marcos da Cruz, stated that forests play a central role in the country’s production systems, emphasising their direct relationship with water availability, food security, and soil protection. He also noted that ongoing reforestation programmes aim to conserve natural resources, prevent flooding and erosion, and create economic opportunities for local communities.

The Minister called for the active participation of communities and local authorities in protecting reforested areas, including new sandalwood plantations, to ensure their sustainability and future economic benefits for families and the state.

The Minister of Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries, and Forestry, the Vice Minister of Infrastructure, the Secretaries of State for Forestry, Fisheries, and Livestock, representatives from the Bobonaro Municipal Authority, security forces, industry leaders, development partners, local authorities, and community members attended the ceremony.

As part of its reforestation and tree-planting initiatives, on January 12^th, 2026 the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries, and Forestry launched a programme in Metinaro, in the municipality of Dili, to plant more than 4,000 trees, aimed at restoring degraded areas and strengthening reforestation and agroforestry initiatives. The following day, January 13^th, it also launched an initiative to plant 1,800 durian trees across an area of approximately 18 hectares in Ainaro, in the municipality of Ainaro.

 

On January 15^th, 2026, the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation, Bendito dos Santos Freitas, paid an official visit to the headquarters of the Community of Portuguese-Speaking Countries (CPLP) in Lisbon as part of Timor-Leste’s pro tempore presidency of the organisation for the period 2026–2027. 

Upon arrival at the Palácio Conde de Penafiel, the Minister was welcomed by Ambassador Maria de Fátima Jardim, Executive Secretary of the CPLP, with whom he held a private meeting. This was followed by a formal session attended by the Permanent Representatives of the Member States to the CPLP and senior officials from the Portuguese Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Executive Secretariat of the Community.

In his speech, the Minister stated that assuming the presidency of the CPLP represents a collective commitment, emphasising that “Timor-Leste has accepted the challenge of leading the Community, which was put forward consensually and unanimously by the other Member States”.

During the session, issues related to the monitoring of the main items on the agenda of the Portuguese-speaking organisation were addressed, including the lines of action and priorities of Timor-Leste in exercising the pro tempore presidency, as well as matters relating to the institutional functioning of the CPLP, with an emphasis on the process of restructuring and modernising the organisation, with a view to strengthening it as an instrument of political dialogue and multilateral cooperation, and reinforcing the bonds of solidarity and proximity between Member States.

On the political front, the situation in Guinea-Bissau was analysed. The Minister reiterated Timor-Leste’s and the CPLP’s position on the urgent need to restore constitutional order, calling for “the urgent restoration of constitutional order as an indispensable condition for peace and stability in the country”. He also called for “the immediate and unconditional release of all those detained following the crisis of November 26^th as a first and essential condition for the return to democratic normality”.

During the formal session, the Minister presented the instrument of ratification of the Revision of the CPLP Statutes, approved in Luanda on March 27^th, 2023 and ratified by the National Parliament of Timor-Leste.

Issues related to strengthening the CPLP’s economic cooperation pillar were also discussed, including trade, employment, vocational training, food security, culture, education, and the promotion of the Portuguese language. In this regard, Bendito Freitas said that the Timorese presidency will remain focused “on promoting cooperation and inclusive development, particularly at the economic and social levels”.

In terms of international projection, the Minister shared information about Timor-Leste’s accession to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), formalised in October 2025, noting that this step “constitutes an unprecedented opportunity to build a bridge between Portuguese-speaking entrepreneurs and their counterparts in Asia and the Pacific”.

The visit also included signing the CPLP Guest Book and making statements to the press. This trip to Lisbon is part of the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation’s working visit to Portugal, which runs from January 14^th to 21^st, 2026, within the framework of Timor-Leste’s pro tempore presidency of the CPLP.

 

 

On Thursday, January 15^th, 2026, the Minister of Social Solidarity and Inclusion, Verónica das Dores, swore in Zeferino da Costa Bobo as Chairman of the Board of Directors of the National Social Security Institute (INSS) and, by extension, Chairman of the Social Security Reserve Fund Council, for a three-year term. At the same ceremony, Gemito do C. Amaral de Jesus was also sworn in as a member of the INSS Board of Directors. 

The ceremony took place following the Council of Ministers’ decisions on January 7^th, 2026, which dismissed the previous president, and on January 12^th, 2026, which approved the appointment of the new Chairman of the Board of Directors.

In her speech, the Minister stressed the need for the new structure to continue improving the quality of service provided, with a view to increasing public confidence in the social security system. She also emphasised that the performance of these functions should be seen as a public service responsibility, grounded in principles of transparency, integrity, institutional coordination, and respect for the INSS’s mission.

On this occasion, the new President of the INSS expressed his commitment to working closely with employees and internal bodies to improve services for beneficiaries in the public and private sectors, as well as for the elderly and people with disabilities. He also signalled his intention to proceed with the transition from a manual to a more efficient digital system.

Afonso Carmona, President of the Court of Appeal; Céu Brites, Vice Minister for Social Solidarity and Inclusion; José dos Reis Magno, Vice Minister for Institutional Strengthening of Health; Jorge Soares Cristóvão, Secretary of State for Art and Culture; Jorge Paiva Araújo, Commissioner of the Civil Service Commission; representatives of the Attorney General, the National Parliament, the Diplomatic Corps, civil society, and the families of those sworn in also attended the ceremony.