Timor-Leste
Timor–Leste adopted its first National Action Plan (NAP) in 2016 for the period 2016-2020. The NAP was developed by the Ministry of the Interior, with support from UN Women, and through a participatory multi-stakeholder process that was initiated by the Secretary of State for Security in 2013. The NAP’s objectives are developed to align with the primary pillars of the Women, Peace, and Security (WPS) agenda, focusing on participation, prevention, protection, and peacebuilding. The NAP is developed based on the lessons and experiences of women and men as a result of Timor-Leste’s occupation, and reaffirms that although the war is over, women continue to struggle to achieve justice and equal rights today. As such, the NAP includes concrete actions to review and improve laws, policies and programs for enhancing women’s active and meaningful participation in all aspects of peace and state-building. Furthermore, the NAP contributes to implementing key recommendations of the Commission of Reception, Truth and Reconciliation (CAVR) report, which documented the systematic abuses and sexual and gender-based violence committed by members of the Indonesian armed forces. While the NAP has a detailed implementation matrix, it does not include an allocated budget.
Timor-Leste reported on the implementation of its NAP, as well as WPS commitments, in its national reporting for Beijing+25 and in preparation for CSW64 (2020). Specifically, the report indicates that the NAP “is a transformative gender policy focused on how to develop more equal relationships between females and males in areas including the separation of power, resource control, decision-making, social and political statutes, and access to justice and security. This policy provided strategies and concrete actions to enhance East Timorese women’s participation in peace building, state building, conflict resolution and the development process” (pp. 14-15).
Timor-Leste declared independence from Portugal in 1975, when it was then occupied by Indonesia. The country continued to experience two decades of armed conflict and political tension until a referendum resulted in favor of Timor-Leste’s independence in 1999. Due to the volatile political situation and ongoing tension in the country, the United Nations Transitional Administration (UNTAET) served as a temporary governance structure in Timor-Leste until the country became a sovereign state in 2002. Currently, women’s organizations in the country play a key role in addressing systemic inequalities and driving social change.
CEDAW
2003
Global Gender Gap Index 2020
117 out of 153
Arms Trade Treaty not Ratified
Military expenditure (2019)
$34.4 million USD
Explore Timor-Leste's National Action Plan
NAP Development
Timor–Leste’s 2016-2020 National Action Plan for the implementation of UNSCR 1325(2000) is the results of a participatory multi-stakeholder process, with participation of civil sociey, that was initiated by the Secretary of State for Security in 2013.
The Government has demonstrated great commitment to the full inclusion of women in matters of peacebuilding and security by adopting United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325, on Women, Peace and Security. The Ministry of the Interior, following the initiative of the former Secretary of State for Security, within the 5th Constitutional Government, with the support of UN Women, has led the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste to develop its National Action Plan (NAP) on UNSCR 1325 on Women, Peace and Security.
NAP Implementation
Civil society organisations will support implementation and monitoring of NAP on UNSCR 1325 activities, advocate resource allocation and implementation of the plan, and develop shadow reporting on progress achieved.
The success of the implementation of the NAP on UNSCR 1325 - Women, Peace and Security (WPS) will depend on the political commitment by the leadership of this Government. Therefore, the implementation of this NAP must placed in the trust of the Government.
NAP Monitoring and Evaluation
Civil society organisations will support implementation and monitoring of NAP on UNSCR 1325 activities, advocate resource allocation and implementation of the plan, and develop shadow reporting on progress achieved.
The NAP says that the Ministry of Interior is responsible for the overall leadership and implementation of the Timor-Leste NAP on UNSCR 1325 (2016-2020). However, there is no clear plan for monitoring and evaluation.
The implementation period for the National Plan of Action is six years (2016-2020).
Based on the specific context analysis for Timor-Leste and with the strong support and commitment of all stakeholders, a series of specific objectives were formulated for the National Action Plan on UNSCR 1325 for Timor-Leste, organised around the four pillars - or four P’s – of Participation, Prevention, Protection and Peacebuilding.
Each pillar has different actions assigned. For example, Pillar 2 (Prevention) includes the following action points:
Develop and integrate materials for gender, human rights, treaties and conventions (CEDAW, UNSCR regarding Women, Peace and Security, humanitarian law, HIBV/AIDS awareness etc.) in security, justice and defense institutions training centres;
Develop specialised courses for defense, security and justice personnel regarding gender equality, human rights, HIV/AIDS awareness, including information about reproductive health in defence and security training centers;
Training about protection of civilians, including their rights and needs, particularly of women’s inclusion in peace-keeping operations and peacebuilding and also awareness raising about HIV/AIDS for peace-keeping forces prior to deployment;
Conduct gender reviews in debates/ discussions of existing laws, policies, plans and strategies relating to conflict prevention and conduct socialisation for the community/public from the national level to rural areas;
Evaluate and revise the conflict early warning system and disaster and conflict escalation risk reduction system and to include/ incorporate further gender sensitive indicators and monitoring mechanisms;
Dissemination about, early warning systems to local authorities, community leaders, including Suco Council members and other community members particularly women, youth and minority groups;
Training for mediators (men and women) to have knowledge of conflict resolution with a gender perspective (including MSS mediators);
Conduct awareness raising for young women and men regarding non-violent conflict resolution;
Civic education including gender sensitive non-violent conflict resolution integrated into primary and secondary school curricula;
Conduct consultation with civil society and the parliament including women’s organisations to be able to ensure that law and policies relating to traditional conflict prevention/traditional (barlake) customs are gender sensitive;
Conduct dialogues with women at the community level to identify the causes and consequences of practices that regulate traditional practices including reducing the # of barlake;
Socialisation of the land and property laws approved by the NP to inform people about legal rights including compensation policies for communities, particularly for women’s access and rights to land and property when the government undertakes mega-projects e.g. ZEESM (Special Economic Zone for the Social Market Timor-Leste Oecusse, South Coast and Covalima);
Develop the capacity and involve the media, particularly in activities in rural areas to disseminate information that is gender sensitive with a peacebuilding and security perspective.
Each action point includes one or more indicators. For example, 2.1.1. Action Point “Develop and integrate materials for gender, human rights, treaties and conventions (CEDAW, UNSCR regarding Women, Peace and Security, humanitarian law, HIBV/AIDS awareness etc.) in security, justice and defense institutions training centres” is looking at thenumber of security defense and justice training centre which integrate gender equality into orientation curricula.
There is no clear strategy for monitoring and evaluation.
There is no allocated budget in the NAP. Promoting the role of women in peacebuilding and conflict resolution, particularly in communities, and ensuring the participation of women in all areas of post-conflict planning, including economic recovery and gender-sensitive budgeting. The Steering Committee for implementation of the NAP on UNSCR 1325 is responsible for developing and submitting funding proposals to donors in case of insufficient national funding.