East Timor Law and Justice Bulletin

The Secretary of State for the Council of Ministers and Official Spokesperson for the Government of Timor-Leste Agio Pereira November 19, 2009 Díli, Timor-Leste - Personal Protection and Security of Government Officials The Close Protection Unit personnel attached to members of the Government have always conducted their duties with professionalism and integrity.

Security is assigned as per international practice to those who may require basic protection.

This includes the Secretary-General of the Fretilin party Mari Alkatiri and the President of the Fretilin party Lu-Olo; who have endorsed the quality and dedication of the trained protection units.

Security officers usually carry a hand pistol which is partially if not completely concealed.

The issue of allowing protection units into National Parliament is debated each year, with the general consensus to allow the units to carry out their duties and functions as per protocol and defined job description. The protection officers have never interfered, intervened or interrupted the proceedings of National Parliament.

Agio Pereira noted “The international statement made by Jose Teixeira is offensive to the brave men and women who serve Timor-Leste, its’ sovereign pillars and those who are charged to their care. Teixeira has yet to devolutionize the concept that Timor-Leste now has a non-partisan and depoliticized security force. Some of the officers in the public gallery were also reminded by Fretilin MPs to not be there when they were exercising their right to listen to the debate, as every citizen deserves the right to do so.’’

‘These statements only degrade our nation in the eyes of the international community and bring nothing of value to our people. It does typify excessively unproductive behavior during the budget period, more of which unfortunately, we will see in coming weeks.’ ENDS

For More Information Please Contact: Agio Pereira +670 723 0011
E-mail: agiopereira@cdm.gov.tl

UNMIT Procurement Plans: $54 million USD in 2009 and 2010
The United Nations Integrated Mission in Timor-Leste (UNMIT) Procurement Acquisition Plan is now public and online .

This Acquisition Plan details how UNMIT intends to purchase over 55 million USD in goods and services in Timor-Leste. You can download a pdf copy here.

if you are interested in competing for any of the tenders for provision of these goods and services you need to register with the United Nations Procurement Division Supplier Database. The instructions (in English only) are found this website.

Follow this link to see the plan.

UNMIT Newsletter 16 November 2009

Updated January 5, 2010 10:49:21 Secret Cabinet documents from 1979 released by the Australian National Archives on January 1 confirm high tension between Australia and Indonesia over East Timor, as famine spread in the Indonesian-occupied territory. Indonesia's then-foreign minister is revealed to have accused Australia of being noisy and sanctimonious over the situation, as the Fraser Cabinet faced growing pressure to do more to help an estimated 200-thousand starving East Timorese.

Presenter: Linda Mottram, Canberra correspondent
Speakers: Professor Arief Budiman, Indonesia Program, Melbourne University; Dr Jim Stokes, historical consultant, National Archives Australia

* Listen: Windows Media


MOTTRAM: Indonesia's sensitivities over East Timor were in no way new. Sympathies in Australia for the tiny territory's independence movement only inflamed them.

SFX: 'Indonesia out of East Timor, Indonesia out of East Timor...'

MOTTRAM: The ABC's Jim Bonner reported in November 1979 on a demonstration in Perth airing some of the concerns of East Timorese exiles.

BONNER: What seemed to be upsetting most of the Timorese was that aid sent to Indonesia for East Timor was being sold rather than distributed to those in need.

SFX: 'All that Red Cross help they put them in the shop and sell them, foods and medicines, everything and we got witness, eye witness.'

MOTTRAM: For the Suharto regime, despite Australia being the only other country to recognise Indonesia's violent 1975 annexation of East Timor, Australia wasn't to be trusted. Professor Arief Budiman is head of the Indonesia Program at Melbourne University and remembers the attitudes.

BUDIMAN: When East Timor wanted to be independent, many Indonesians did not agree. They were thinking that East Timor was encouraged by Australia to destabilise Indonesia because Australia was afraid Indonesia become a country that was too strong.

MOTTRAM: At around the time of the demonstration in Perth, Cabinet documents show the Fraser government in Canberra was considering that issue of aid to East Timor. And it was causing particular angst in the Australia-Indonesia relationship at that time. Dr Jim Stokes is historical consultant to the National Archives.

STOKES: In November Cabinet was told that 200,000 East Timorese needed urgent food and medical aid.

MOTTRAM: Cabinet was also told that beyond those 200,000 many more were suffering various stages of malnutrition. The submission was presented by the acting foreign minister, Michael MacKellar and described the causes of the famine as civil war and Indonesian military operations during the previous four years. The aid effort that was underway was plagued by administrative problems and high costs. The ABC's Warwick Beutler covered the story from Jakarta.

BEUTLER: The failure of the Indonesian Red Cross to spend the money is something of a mystery, with conflicting stories being told by the Indonesians and the Australian Embassy.

MOTTRAM: Warwick Beutler had also interviewed Indonesia's Foreign Minister, Dr Mochtar Kusuukatmadja, about the extent of starvation, in the two years since Indonesia had issued an amnesty and East Timorese who'd fled to the hills steadily filed back to government camps.

MOCHTAR: Now within the limited means we did what we could but it was obvious even at that time that we needed outside assistance.

MOTTRAM: But Indonesia considered Australian media coverage of the situation in East Timor, particularly criticisms of Indonesia, were a very big problem. The November 1979 Cabinet submission on the situation describes a firey response from Dr Mochtar on the issue. Jim Stokes again.

STOKES: Foreign Minister Mochtar had given the Australian embassy in Jakarta a dressing down over what he called 'sensational reporting', complaining that Australia was noisy and sanctimonious.

MOTTRAM: Dr Mochtar went further and said he was seriously considering whether Indonesia could do without Australian aid, despite what he'd told the ABC in his interview. He had gone on to announce that Australian aid for East Timor would be welcomed if offered, but he wouldn't ask for it, the Cabinet submission records. And so Australia proceeded to offer an additional two million dollars in 1979, though it trod carefully about how it was delivered, says Dr Jim Stokes.

STOKES: Cabinet agreed to provide an additional $2 million in aid to be channelled through the Red Cross, which had good relations with Jakarta, whereas the Australian Council for Overseas Aid was regarded in Jakarta as actively pro-Fretilin.

MOTTRAM: The Cabinet was clearly trying to work around Indonesia's sensitivities, which Arief Budiman says were excessive.

BUDIMAN: The difference between Australia and Indonesia could be solved if there is a personal approach and open negotiations to kind of put the boundary where Australia can intervene and where Indonesia would play its role. Also Suharto was not a very diplomatic person, he was a military man so he reacted too strong I think to Australia. There was no genuine negotiations to solve the problem peacefully. This has something to do with the military mind of Suharto.

http://www.radioaustralia.net.au/connectasia/stories/201001/s2785594.htm

POLICY SPECIALIST (NOTARY)
Location : Dili, Timor Leste
Application Deadline :15-Jan-10
Additional CategoryDemocratic Governance
Type of Contract :FTA International
Languages Required : Portuguese
Starting Date : (date when the selected canditate is expected to start)01-Feb-2010
Duration of Initial Contract :One Year (extendable)
Expected Duration of Assignment :Four Years

Background
The Justice System Programme (JSP) in Timor-Leste is a comprehensive capacity development initiative for the judiciary, implemented by UNDP under the guidance of the national Council of Coordination (CoC) for the justice sector, consisting of the Chief Justice, Public Defender-General and Minister of Justice. The JSP provides support to the CoC and respective judiciary institutions, including the Courts, Prosecution, and the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) and its subsidiary institutions (Legal Training Center, Prison Service, Public Defender’s Office). The JSP will be implemented between 2009-2013, with financial and in-kind contributions coming from eight donor governments/organizations.

The overall goal of the JSP is to develop the capacity of national justice institutions and actors and promote access to justice.

The JSP is implemented by a Chief Executive Office, headed by the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) who is supported by a Senior Justice Advisor. The Programme operates five Programme Support Units (PSUs):

* Capacity Development
* Decentralization of Justice
* Access to Justice
* Prosecution Support
* Corrections Support

Description:

* Under the coordination of the MoJ, the National Director for Registry and Notary Department and the guidance of the Senior Justice Advisor/Programme Manager, Deputy Programme Manager and the Capacity Development Advisor (Justice), the Policy Specialist (Notary) will support the implementation of an efficient and transparent National Notaries Department within the MoJ. This will be achieved through designing and delivering formal training at the Legal Training Centre (LTC), developing capacity of the national government staff through on the job training and mentoring, establishing systems and procedures, and providing legal advice and support.

Duties and Responsibilities
The Policy Specialist (Notary) ensures the design, development and implementation of formal training for notaries at the LTC, focusing on achievement of the following results:

* Design and develop and consolidate curricula for a comprehensive training programme in cooperation with the National Notary Director and Capacity Building Specialist (Justice) and according to the policies of the LTC.
* Design materials and training plans.
* Implement training and lecture notary students.
* Transfer skills and theoretical knowledge to students.

Ensures examinations and evaluations of students are conducted focusing on achievement of the following results:

* Prepare, organize and conduct regular examinations, evaluations and other activities related to the training as required.
* Ensure that graduated students have the required level of competency to assume notary functions, according to the regulations and in compliance with the Law.

Ensures the establishment an Operations Manual for notary systems and procedures, with a focus on achievement of the following results:

* Development of systems and procedures in consultation with national authorities.
* Writing of an Operations Manual.
* Training of staff in procedures and systems.

Ensures coordination and mentoring of the national notaries focusing on achievement of the following results:

* Coordinate and mentor the national notaries during to assist in the introduction of routines, systems and processes learned during the training.
* Contribute to the identification and implementation of capacity-building strategies and advising guidelines.
* Transfer practical skills to the national notaries
* Evaluate their level of competency in practice.

Ensures production of a legal framework and provides legal advice and inputs to the Ministry of Justice, with a focus on achievement of the following results:

* Complete the drafting of the Legal Framework for this sector.
* Provide regulation for modernization of the services and providing better public service.
* Provide advice to senior management on continual improvement of the notary department.

Impact of Results

* The key results have an impact on the overall efficiency and effectiveness of the Timor-Leste Notary Department in the MoJ relating to the following areas:
* capacity development of notaries
* notary systems and processes

Competencies
Corporate Competencies:

* Demonstrates integrity by modeling the UN’s values and ethical standards.
* Promotes the vision, mission, and strategic goals of UNDP.
* Displays cultural, gender, religion, race, nationality and age sensitivity and adaptability.
* Treats all people fairly without favoritism.

Functional Competencies:

* Solid knowledge of notary institutions and functions in civil law countries.
* Able to develop comprehensive training programmes for notaries.
* Able to deliver formal notary training.
* Able to conduct notary activities, implement new systems and affect national counterpart behavioral/attitudinal change.
* Able to strengthen local organizations and build local capacities for self-management.

Behavioral Competencies:

* Team player with effective interpersonal skills.
* Facilitation skills.
* Energetic, positive and constructive attitude.
* Very good oral and written communication skills.

Required Skills and Experience
Education:

* Masters degree in Law or related area, plus a Bachelor degree in Law;
* OR Bachelor degree in Law with specialization in Notary and seven years of relevant experience will also be considered.

Experience:

* Master degree with 5 years of relevant experience at the national or international level as a Notary in a civil legal system; OR Bachelor degree in Law with a specialization in Notary with 7 years of relevant experience.
* Experience in undertaking legal drafting and reviews.
* Experience designing and implementing training programmes for notaries.
* Experience in providing advisory services and mentoring.
* Experience in post conflict situations/developing countries.
* Knowledge of international human rights standards and instruments.

Language Requirements:

* Proficiency in Portuguese is required.
* Working knowledge of English and Tetum is highly desirable.

UNDP is committed to achieving workforce diversity in terms of gender, nationality and culture. Individuals from minority groups, indigenous groups and persons with disabilities are equally encouraged to apply. All applications will be treated with the strictest confidence.

apply via http://jobs.undp.org/cj_view_job.cfm?job_id=14004