DILI, 19 october 2023 (TATOLI) – The Government of Timor-Leste through the National Institute of Statistics Timor-Leste (INETL), in collaboration with the UNFPA Timor-Leste held a consultation meeting in preparation for the upcoming Asian and Pacific Population Conference (APPC) to be held at the United Nations Conference Centre in Bangkok and online from 15 to 17 november 2023.
It is organized by the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UN ESCAP) in collaboration with the United Nations Population Fund, Asia-Pacific Regional Office (UNFPA, APRO).
INETL Director General Elias dos Santos Ferreira said that the workshop is important to discuss Timor-Leste’s preparation for the event.
“National Institute of Statistics Timor-Leste, in collaboration with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation and UNFPA, hold this consultation meeting with various stakeholders to identify important points to be shared at upcoming APPC,” he said.
Ferreira said that Timor-Leste’s team would have four minutes to make their presentation, which would cover health, social issues, poverty, climate change, and so on.
Pressia Arifin-Cabo, the UNFPA Representative in Timor-Leste said that the workshop served to stir up thoughts to prepare Timor-Leste’s statement to be shared at the APPC.
“From this workshop, the assessment of achievements on ICPD that will be discussed will feed into the global review of the Programmed of Action of the ICPD that is planned for next year at the Commission on Population and Development in New York,” she said.
Pressia said that the conference in Bangkok will provide Timor-Leste with opportunities to reflect on past successes and lessons learned in implementing the ICPD POA in the last three decades with national declarations that consist of different thematic areas,” she said.
“Therefore, I look forward to the active participation of all members present here in this workshop, as we prepare to share the progress of Timor-Leste on the ICPD Plan of Action,” she said.
Pressia highlighted the work that UNFPA continues to support the Government of Timor-Leste: “Firstly, UNFPA works to ensure that Sexual and Reproductive Health is realized, as it is one of the keys to socioeconomic development.”
“Secondly, UNFPA as a lead UN agency for data is also supporting the INETL to analyze and disseminate data from the Population and Housing census conducted in 2022. The census operations were for the first time implemented using modern technologies including using tablets during data collection. Data from censuses and surveys is the source of all the indicators used in the national Development Programs and International development frameworks such as ICPD and SDGs.”
“Lastly UNFPA is working in the area of Gender through supporting the construction of safe spaces for survivors of Gender-Based Violence but also enhancing capacity for production of data on GBV from various data producers.”
Journalist: José Belarmino De Sá
Editor: Filomino Martins
