Technical and Legal Assistance Project to Support Timor-Leste in the Implementation of the UN PoA and the ATT

Start Date: Feb 11 2020
End Date: Feb 13 2020
Location: Dili, Timor-Leste
Meeting Supported By: UNSCAR

The United Nations Regional Centre for Peace and Disarmament in Asia and the Pacific (UNRCPD) conducted on 11-13 February 2020 the final briefing meeting with national officials of Timor-Leste. The visit successfully concluded the Technical and Legal Assistance project to strengthen the national capacity of Timor-Leste to control transfers of small arms and light weapons (SALW) and conventional ammunition to prevent their illicit trade and diversion.

Developed at the request of, and in cooperation with, the Government of Timor-Leste, the project was composed of three phases. Following the assessment visit held in November 2019, the international technical and legal experts produced their reports with recommendations aimed at improving implementation of the United Nations Programme of Action to Prevent, Combat and Eradicate the Illicit Trade in Small Arms and Light Weapons in All Its Aspects (UN PoA) on SALW and building national capacity to implement the Arms Trade Treaty (ATT). Based on the reports’ findings, UNRCPD in cooperation with the experts prepared a draft national action plan (NAP) outlining measures to support national efforts with respect to the UN PoA and on-going deliberations within the Government aimed at making decision regarding the ATT. The reports and the draft NAP were submitted to Timor-Leste in advance for the internal review and preparation for discussion during the final briefing visit.

The international experts’ reports and the draft NAP received positive feedback by Timor-Leste Government representatives who attended the final briefing meeting. The presentations of the documents were followed by candid discussion that helped Government officials to better understand measures proposed included in the draft NAP. Participants demonstrated a high level of interest in the matter reconfirming the usefulness of the provided recommendations related to both legal and technical issues, and of the draft NAP for making final decision regarding moving the country towards the ATT. Notably, the draft NAP proposed the introduction of national gender-responsive small-arms control, including legislative frameworks and the collection and analysis of sex- and age-disaggregated data. The initiative of organizing the in-country training programme on this matter in the framework of the EU funded project on gender and SALW was discussed and received positive feedback from the MFA.

The three documents discussed at the meeting were submitted to the Office of the President and the Parliament. The UNRCPD team provided further explanations on how a national survey could be conducted and additional measures identified with the use of MOSAIC standards.

The project is implemented with financial support from the United Nations Trust Facility Supporting Cooperation on Arms Regulation (UNSCAR). For further information, contact Mr. Yuriy Kryvonos, Director, by e-mail:  yuriy.kryvonos@un.org .