Timor-Leste

Timor-Leste has an institutional mechanism for liaising with UN human rights mechanisms, coordinated at the national level through the Council of Ministers. The Prime Minister is the person who leads all existing mechanisms related to human rights issues.

INSTITUTIONAL SETUP

The NMIRF operates under a legal and political mandate, supported by the Constitution, Government Resolution No. 14/2012, Decree-Law No. 37/2012, and ratified international conventions.

Various ministries and public institutions participate, including the Ministries of Justice, Social Solidarity, Education, and Health, as well as the Provedor for Human Rights and Justice (PDHJ), the National Children’s Commission, and organizations for persons with disabilities. Each ministry appoints focal points, and the Ministry of Justice’s National Directorate for Human Rights and Citizenship oversees interministerial coordination, including report preparation, follow-up, and plans for implementation.

Although a formal secretariat has yet to be created, Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) exist to guide interministerial cooperation and the collection of information. Training is provided for officials, with a focus on vulnerable groups, including children and persons with disabilities.

MANDATE

The mandate of the national mechanism includes:

• Reporting
• Responding to complaints and communications
• Implementing recommendations (including contributing to legislative changes)
• Advocacy
• Human Rights education
• Fundraising.

The mechanism participates in UN Treaty Bodies, Special Procedures, the Universal Periodic Review, and regional human rights mechanisms, covering a wide scope.

Process for the preparation of state reports

Reports are prepared through committees, working groups, and consultations with civil society and international organizations, following government resolutions and political guidelines.

COORDINATION

Communication and coordination extend to municipal and national entities, the judiciary, and Parliament. Information management relies on accessible communication tools such as email, official letters, phone calls, WhatsApp, and social media platforms, though no formal Standard Operating Procedures govern the use of these tools. Challenges include language barriers, particularly proficiency in English and Portuguese, as well as bureaucratic hurdles, communication difficulties.

CONSULTATION

The State promotes extraordinary meetings on human rights issues, those pertaining to the most vulnerable including persons with disabilities or children. The Ministry of Social Solidarity, within its own competence, plans activities related to human rights and other social rights in coordination with other ministries, non-governmental organizations, and civil society.

Action plans are developed through various ministries, based on guidelines received from the Council of Ministers.