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DILI  DECLARATION

The organizations identified below, participants in the 5th Conference on Administrative Deconcentration and Decentralization and Local Government, held in Dili between the days of 17th and 18th of August 2016, in the city of Dili, Timor-Leste

PRAISING the efforts undertaken by the several constitutional governments of the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste towards the reform of the Local Administration with the purpose of creating a free and democratic Local Government able to meet the interests of local communities.

RECOGNIZING that the creation of Local Government ln Timor-Leste will contribute to the increased quality, quantity and proximity of goods and services to the citizens, specially to those residing further from the city or Dili.

UNDERSTANDING that the creation at Local Government in Timor-Leste will strengthen national cohesion and consolidate democracy and a Democratic State based on the Rule of Law in this young country.

CONSCIOUS that the process of creating Local Government faces, and has to overcome, complex challenges, namely on the matters of infrastructure, Local Administration human resource capacity, and development and introduction of administrative systems at the local level.

CONVINCED that the establishment of a cooperation platform for the creation of Local Government in Timor-Leste, involving our traditional development partners, our friends from national, state and local governments, and nongovernmental organizations, will facilitate the sharing of knowledge and experiences in the domain of administrative decentralization and overcome the challenges that the latter faces in Timor-Leste.

INVOKING the historic bonds of friendship and of solidarity existing between the Timorese people, the Portuguese people and the Australian people.

REMEMBERING the existence of cooperation agreements made in the domain of administrative decentralization between our traditional development partners, national, state or local governments and nongovernmental organisations from our countries of friendship.

TAKING NOTE of the approval, by the 70th General Assembly of the United Nations, of the 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda, which adopted the goal of “Strengthening global partnership for sustainable development, complemented by multisector partnerships mobilizing and sharing knowledge, expertise, technology, and financial resources, to support the realization of the sustainable development objectives in all countries, particularly in developing countries”.

DECLARE:

  1. Their friendship and solidarity towards the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste and the Timorese people in order to implement free and democratic Local Government in Timor-Leste.
  2. To support the efforts undertaken by the Government of the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste in order to improve the quantity and the quality of public goods and services provided to the citizens, notably through processes of deconcentration and decentralization of competencies to support Local Administration.
  3. Their availability to refinance and deepen the bonds of cooperation established with the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste beyond the current legislature, where that may be the wish of the National Institutions of Timor-Leste.
  4. The will to share knowledge and experience gathered in the domain of administrative deconcentration, administrative decentralization, Local Government, local development and fostering the development of the private sector in rural areas.
  5. To support the development of relationships between Australian and Portuguese Civil societies and local communities for the improvement of the population’s quality of life.
  6. To congratulate the Ministry of State Administration for the organization of the 5th Conference on Administrative Deconcentratjon and Decentralization and Local Government.

 

Dili, 18 August 2016

[signed]

Administrador do Município de Aileu
João Tilman do Régo

Administrador do Município de Ainaro
Alberto de Araújo

Presidente da Autoridade Municipal de Baucau
Antonio Augusto Guterres

Presidente da Autoridade Municipal de Bobonaro
Zeferino Soares dos Santos

Administrador do Município de Covalima
José Pina Cardoso

Presidente da Autoridade Municipal de Díli
Gaspar Soares

Presidente da Autoridade Municipal de Ermera
José M. dos Santos Soares

Administrador do Município de Lautem
Zeferino dos Santos Sequeira

Administrador do Município de Liquiçá
Domingos da Conceição dos Santos

Administrador do Município de Manatuto
Fernando D. de A. Sousa Junior

Administrador do Município de Manufahi
Carlito Pinheiro do Araújo

Administrador do Município de Viqueque
Gregório Henrique

Vice-Presidente da Cámara Municipal de Paradas
Pedro Mendes

National Convenor Australia Timor-Leste Friendship Network
Derarca O’Mahony

Vice-President of Local Government Professionals Australia
Ricki Bruhn

Presidente da Cámara Municipal de Abrantes
Maria do Céu Albuquerque

Executive Director of Local Government Victoria
Graeme Emonson

Secretário de Estado das Autoridades Locais
Carlos M. S. Miguel

Vice-Ministro da Administração Estatal
Tomás do Rosário Cabral