(July 26, 2006)
http://timor-leste.usaid.gov/PrintVersion/DGArchive28Print.htm
When the shooting stopped outside police headquarters in Dili on May 26, staff members from Timor-Leste's new watchdog office for human rights, governance, and corruption were among the first to visit the scene. The Provedor's Office has a strong monitoring mandate from Parliament and has expanded its human rights work to look into a range of complaints since the start of civil disturbances on April 28. The May 26 shooting of unarmed policemen under UN protection is one of the incidents that the office is focused on. As part of their work, staff members have already conducted more than 80 interviews and visited sites in 10 districts outside Dili.
The Provedor's Office was established last year with support from USAID and other donors to investigate reports of human rights abuses, corruption, and poor governance. It submitted its first annual report to Parliament on June 30, meeting the legal deadline despite the current political and social upheaval. The on-time submission sends a strong message that the office has not only continued to function throughout the crisis but also has rapidly increased the human rights monitoring component. The annual report includes a section on the recent events and also makes recommendations for strengthening the independence and effectiveness of the institution in protecting citizens’ rights. The report will be translated from Portuguese into Tetum and English and distributed widely.
"This report is very important for us, and we see it as an opportunity to have a 'dialogue' with Parliament and society about the establishment of the Provedor's Office and the plans and project which lay ahead of us in the near future”, said Provedor Sebastião Dias Ximenes. "I believe that this office is shaping up as an independent mechanism worthy of the trust of all [*parties*], including those who may want to raise their concerns in the areas of human rights violation, good governance, and corruption. We are responsibly exercising our legal powers and we are working very hard and intensively to improve and strengthen this institution on a day-to-day basis. I would like to reiterate here that the doors of the Provedor's Office are open to all."
Current USAID-funded activities in the Provedor's Office include human rights monitoring, data collection and analysis, and public assistance. Staff members have also mobilized a new monitoring team with a network of 10 human-rights-focused non-governmental organizations to assist in these operations. The Provedor's senior legal research specialist, public assistance specialist, and administration specialist are funded through USAID's partner, Management Sciences for Development (MSD). All are fully engaged as the office undertakes the tasks of human rights monitoring operations, site visits, statement collection, and reporting.
The office opened its doors to the public on March 22, 2006, after 9 months of intensive preparations. It had received 48 complaints even before the official opening, and has since received 38 more. All complaints received by the office are investigated and findings of possible criminal liability and complicity are forwarded to the Office of the Prosecutor General for the filing of the appropriate indictment and prosecution.
USAID supported the establishment of the Provedor's Office and continues its funding through its partnership with MSD. The activities of the Provedor's Office help strengthen Timor-Leste's democracy by encouraging effective oversight of its institutions and protection for its people.
Saturday, April 28, 2007
Friday, April 20, 2007
HUMAN RIGHTS TRAINING OPENS A NEW CHAPTER IN TIMOR-LESTE
http://www.tl.undp.org/undp/newsroom/News/news4.html
Dili, Timor-Leste, 16 February 2007
A group of twenty Timor-Leste nationals were presented with certificates after successfully completing a two-week training course on the principles of human rights in the country’s capital, Dili. It was facilitated by the UNDP, United Nations Integrated Mission in Timor-Leste (UNMIT) and the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) as well as the Irish Aid.
The graduates, who are staff members of the Provedoria for Human Rights and Justice (PDHJ), and the Human Rights Monitoring Network of NGOs (RMDH) were honored in a special ceremony on 16 February 2007, held at the compound of the PDHJ, where the training took place. “This is a testimony to your interest and commitment in human rights work,” Sebastiao Ximenes, the Provedor Dos Direitos Humanos e Justica, (Director PDHJ) stated during the closing ceremony of the event. He emphasized team spirit and collaboration between NGOs and the Provedoria, saying this was important in advancing human rights in the country. The PDHJ is the national human rights institution of Timor-Leste.
The participants have now acquired a clear understanding of the international human rights framework under the United Nations system, substantive knowledge of the core international human rights treaties, the reflection of rights and freedoms in the Constitution of Timor-Leste, as well as principles underlined in the Provedoria, and other human rights bodies in the country.
“We are happy to work with you in developing your skills in human rights,” remarked Katja Hemmerich the Acting Chief of UNMIT Human Rights and Transitional Justice Unit. “Both the Provedoria and human rights NGOs fulfill a very important function in protecting and promoting human rights in Timor-Leste.”
The training session was the first of a series of capacity-building activities under the three-year UNDP-OHCHR support project, Human Rights Capacity Building of the Provedoria for Human Rights and Justice. The inclusion of civil society actors in training sessions is a key element of the project, through which the Provedoria can perform its public outreach and education function while enhancing skills and knowledge of its own staff.
“The concept of human rights is still vague to many people” Aderito De Jesus, a human rights lawyer and facilitator said. “The main challenge in a workshop like this is to encourage participants to internalize human rights values in their practical, daily lives, seeing it as their role to protect and defend human rights at all times,” stressed Aderito, adding that an enthusiastic mood prevailed during the workshop.
Underscoring the commitment of UNDP in supporting the Provedoria, the Country Director, Akbar Usmani observed that the Provedoria had made significant strides in its work within a relatively short period of time. “You still have a long way to go but UNDP will walk the journey with you,” noted Akbar.
In comments echoed by many participants, Terrencia Maia who works as an investigator with the Provedoria said: “The two weeks of training have been a great learning opportunity. I now have a better grasp of the human rights framework that guides our work.” She called for more training programmes to benefit Timorese human rights practitioners.
Respect for human rights remain central in meeting the Millennium Development Goals and in fulfilling the aspirations of the UN charter.
Dili, Timor-Leste, 16 February 2007
A group of twenty Timor-Leste nationals were presented with certificates after successfully completing a two-week training course on the principles of human rights in the country’s capital, Dili. It was facilitated by the UNDP, United Nations Integrated Mission in Timor-Leste (UNMIT) and the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) as well as the Irish Aid.
The graduates, who are staff members of the Provedoria for Human Rights and Justice (PDHJ), and the Human Rights Monitoring Network of NGOs (RMDH) were honored in a special ceremony on 16 February 2007, held at the compound of the PDHJ, where the training took place. “This is a testimony to your interest and commitment in human rights work,” Sebastiao Ximenes, the Provedor Dos Direitos Humanos e Justica, (Director PDHJ) stated during the closing ceremony of the event. He emphasized team spirit and collaboration between NGOs and the Provedoria, saying this was important in advancing human rights in the country. The PDHJ is the national human rights institution of Timor-Leste.
The participants have now acquired a clear understanding of the international human rights framework under the United Nations system, substantive knowledge of the core international human rights treaties, the reflection of rights and freedoms in the Constitution of Timor-Leste, as well as principles underlined in the Provedoria, and other human rights bodies in the country.
“We are happy to work with you in developing your skills in human rights,” remarked Katja Hemmerich the Acting Chief of UNMIT Human Rights and Transitional Justice Unit. “Both the Provedoria and human rights NGOs fulfill a very important function in protecting and promoting human rights in Timor-Leste.”
The training session was the first of a series of capacity-building activities under the three-year UNDP-OHCHR support project, Human Rights Capacity Building of the Provedoria for Human Rights and Justice. The inclusion of civil society actors in training sessions is a key element of the project, through which the Provedoria can perform its public outreach and education function while enhancing skills and knowledge of its own staff.
“The concept of human rights is still vague to many people” Aderito De Jesus, a human rights lawyer and facilitator said. “The main challenge in a workshop like this is to encourage participants to internalize human rights values in their practical, daily lives, seeing it as their role to protect and defend human rights at all times,” stressed Aderito, adding that an enthusiastic mood prevailed during the workshop.
Underscoring the commitment of UNDP in supporting the Provedoria, the Country Director, Akbar Usmani observed that the Provedoria had made significant strides in its work within a relatively short period of time. “You still have a long way to go but UNDP will walk the journey with you,” noted Akbar.
In comments echoed by many participants, Terrencia Maia who works as an investigator with the Provedoria said: “The two weeks of training have been a great learning opportunity. I now have a better grasp of the human rights framework that guides our work.” She called for more training programmes to benefit Timorese human rights practitioners.
Respect for human rights remain central in meeting the Millennium Development Goals and in fulfilling the aspirations of the UN charter.
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