DILI, 07 March 2025 (TATOLI) – The Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary-General (SRSG) on Violence against Children, Dr. Najat Maalla M’jid, concluded yesterday a three-day visit to Timor-Leste, congratulating the Government, the UN, civil society and all stakeholders for their strong commitment to eliminate violence against children and urging them to build on this commitment by translating commitments into actions.
Najat’s visit coincided with the launch event, organized by INDDICA under the leadership of the Vice Prime Minister, to officially induct Timor-Leste as the 42nd Country to join the Pathfinding Global Alliance, which brings together countries committed to ending all forms of violence against children by 2030, in alignment with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG).
This builds on the 10 commitments made by the Timor-Leste Government during the first-ever Global Ministerial Conference on Ending Violence Against Children, which was conducted against the background that past the halfway point to the 2030 SDG deadline, violence remains a reality for half of the world’s children. The commitments relate to strengthening of the legislative environment and the implementation of initiatives to protect children, including at home, in communities and at school.
Timor-Leste’s joining of the Pathfinding Global Alliance, marks a pivotal opportunity to further intensify efforts to strengthen the child protection and social welfare system to prevent and address violence against children.
The Pathfinding Global Alliance, launched in November 2024 in Bogotá, Colombia, serves as a platform for partners to share information, successful practices, and lessons learned.
Violence against children – whether physical, emotional, or sexual – is a widespread concern across Timor-Leste. Although current statistics on the prevalence of violence against children is scarce, available data shows normalization of violence against children in homes, schools, communities, and online.
The Government of Timor-Leste has introduced several laws, policies and actions to create a protective environment for children. These include for example the promulgation of the Law on Protection of Children and Youth in Danger (2023), a significant legislative reform, which guarantees critical protection rights to children and paves way for the development of other laws and regulations that are required to implement it. The SRSG called on all stakeholders for its full implementation.
“I had a meeting with the President of Timor-Leste to brief him on all the visits and to highlight the country’shigh-level commitment to ending violence against children in all settings. We also discussed the pledge made in Bogotá, as well as the country’s membership as a global pathfinding leader on ending violence against children. During the discussion, the President reiterated his strong commitment to investing in child protection, the well-being of children, and caregiving to ensure we are building a protective, inclusive, and safe environment for all children. These are the key messages. I am very pleased with yesterday’s workshop, which developed an action plan that will be implemented across all municipalities,” said Najat.
“Measuring the effectiveness of laws to eliminate violence against children is mandatory, with no conditions attached. Everything is rooted in the fundamental values of protecting the child, and it is non-negotiable. Congratulations to all Timorese, both in the country and abroad, for their commitment to children. Additionally, congratulations to all national and international agencies for their support and valuable partnerships with this country. On behalf of the Prime Minister, I appreciate the SRSG’s visit and the ongoing contact to assess whether we are on track,” said Vice PM Assanami representing PM Xanana Gusmão.
During her three-day visit in Timor-Leste, Najat met with child survivors of abuse, children and youths advocates, and held dialogue with the President, the Prime Minister, Vice Prime Minister for social affairs, key Government Ministers, President of Commissions A and F, Prosecutor General, Ombudsman, VPU Police Commander, Development Partners, Civil Society Organisations, during which, participants reiterated that protecting children must remain a core priority across levels of society and stakeholders should increase actions to address all forms of violence against children.
TATOLI
