DILI, 28 january 2025 (TATOLI) – On monday, the President of the Republic, Jose Ramos Horta, met with Unni Karunakara and representatives from the United Nations University International Institute for Global Health (UNU-IIGH).
The delegation, on their first visit to Timor-Leste, aims to establish academic collaborations focusing on climate change impacts on public health in the country.
“During the meeting, Karunakara highlighted UNU-IIGH’s unique position as the only UN agency headquartered in Asia, based in Kuala Lumpur,” said in a statement.
The institute seeks to foster research partnerships with the National University of Timor-Leste (UNTL) and plans to facilitate researcher exchanges between Dili and Kuala Lumpur.
President Horta expressed strong support for the initiative, viewing it as an opportunity to enhance engagement between Timorese researchers and the international academic community.
The UNU-IIGH delegation, which includes climate and health expert, Remco van de Pas, will spend several days meeting with various stakeholders, including UNTL Rector João Martins, civil society organizations, and UN agency representatives. The collaboration aims to address interconnected challenges of the climate crisis, health problems, pandemics, and food insecurity while leveraging Timor-Leste’s unique position as both a Pacific nation and an aspiring ASEAN member with connections to Portuguese-speaking countries (CPLP).
TATOLI