DILI, 20 dezember 2022 ( TATOLI)– Timor-Leste Red Cross (TLRC) and Indonesian Red Cross (IRC) and partners today held the Cross-Border Humanitarian Cooperation Workshop to discuss and socialize the establishment of the cross-border.
The General Secretary of TLRC, Luis Pedro Pinto said in 2020, TLRC and IRC had signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for a partnership of humanitarian coordination in times of disasters and emergencies along the land border between Timor-Leste and Indonesia.
According to Pinto the MoU provides the framework for shared activities therefore the Movement partners, the International Federation for Red Cross (IFRC) and International Committee for Red Cross (ICRC) were committed to supporting the implementation of the MoU.
“We want to socialize the MoU so that our partners and the government are aware of this important cooperation. We are expecting to have the contribution of ideas, and seeking support on the legal framework and technical issues from partners, for the success of the cross border activities in the future,” Luis Pedro Pinto told TATOLI at the office of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation, Pantai Kelapa, Dili on tuesday.
Pinto, explained that the MoU covers the areas of disaster risk reduction and management, health, emergency response, restoring family links, migration, and resource mobilization.
Since the establishment of TLRC in 2000, IRC has been one of the National Societies supporting the TLRC on its development program and responses and many TLRC personnel have attended training in Indonesia, may IRC teams have been also deployed to support Timor-Leste’s Red Cross.
“I am hoping today will give us all a stronger understanding and awareness of the activities of TLRC, IRC, and our partners in our border areas. It will ensure our support for each other in the work we do. As we face more natural disasters, pandemics, and emergencies, working together is vital to efficiently help vulnerable people in difficult times,” he said.
At the same place the Indonesian Ambassador to Timor-Leste, Okto Dorinus Manik appreciates this cooperation and will come together to continue working together to prevent disaster at the border to help Timorese and Indonesian citizens living in the area prone to disaster risk.
“We are neighboring countries and have a similar culture while also conducting the same businesses activities or visiting each other, therefore TLRC and IRC will work together to prevent people from natural disaster and human disasters and in difficult times specially in the land border” he said.
Journalist: Camilio de Sousa
Editor: Nelia B.
