SRSG Hasegawa on the Provedor's Office

SRSG Hasegawa Delivers Accountability and Transparency Report to New Prime Minister Ramos-Horta

http://www.unic.or.jp/new/pr_timor_ramos.htm

Sukehiro Hasegawa, the Special Representative of the UN Secretary General (SRSG) in Timor-Lese today presented the Prime Minister with a copy of a report on “Strengthening Accountability and Transparency in Timor-Leste” prepared by a team of international experts, who visited Timor Leste for that purpose late last year. The 62 page report was published in April 2006 but had to await distribution in a deteriorating security situation,Hasegawa said that he had impressed upon the new Prime Minister, Jose Ramos Horta, who took office yesterday, that, “implementation of this report could greatly help in his government’s gaining confidence of the Timorese people.”

The SRSG said that he urged the Prime Minister “to publish widely all reports produced by the Inspector General and take disciplinary actions; and to bring to the attention of the Prosecutor General all cases of criminal nature.”

Hasegawa said that Prime Minister Ramos-Horta, had “pledged his intention to place the highest importance in ensuring transparency and accountability in the conduct of his administration, and asked international assistance in strengthening the capacity of the Offices of the Provedor, the Inspector General and the Prosecutor General for the purpose of arresting the abuse of power and corrupt practices...."
The report, prepared by experts from the United Nations, the UN Development Programme, the World Bank and the government of Finland, recommends, among other things:

- law defining the role of the Inspector General; to include operational links with the Office of the Provedor.

- The Provedor’s anti-corruption plan should be endorsed and funded.

- A High administrative Tax and audit court should be established.

- Parliamentary practice should reflect more closely the constitutional authority and independence of the institution. And draft legislation submitted to it should be made publicly available, and interpretation services be strengthened.

- Priority given to training of civil servants on code of conduct and ethics and delegation of authority.

- A freedom of information law should be put in place. And government plans and programmes should be publicized more vigorously.

- Operational authority over police officers should rest with the Commissioner of Police and no one else.