DILI, 18 July 2025 (TATOLI) – Timor-Leste is placing young people at the heart of its national efforts to advance ocean innovation, climate resilience, and sustainable development, said Ambassador Dionisio Babo Soares, the country’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, in a keynote speech at a 2025 HLPF side event on “Promoting Ethical Technology: Youth-Driven, Science-Based Solutions for Sustainable Development.”
Speaking at the event on July 16 in New York, Ambassador Soares highlighted that Timor-Leste is finalizing its first National Ocean Policy, an ambitious roadmap to guide marine governance, biodiversity protection, and blue economy development.
“In partnership with UNDP, Timor-Leste trained over 200 young Timorese in marine monitoring technologies and they are now part of community-based fisheries co-management initiatives. In parallel, youth-led enterprises are also emerging, creating a new generation of marine entrepreneurs. Regionally, Timorese youth are increasingly visible on the international stage,” he said.
“Youth are not passive observers but frontline responders,” said Ambassador Soares, emphasizing their role in climate action, including forest restoration, marine biodiversity regeneration, and disaster risk reduction.
The Ambassador stressed that innovation must be grounded in education, digital access, and technical skills. “The government and partners have launched targeted interventions and initiatives that provide digital literacy training, internet access points, and support for digital livelihoods. On the vocational front, over 100 young people have been certified as solar technicians in the growing renewable energy sector.”
Drawing on Timor-Leste’s experience, Ambassador Soares shared four key insights: 1) Youth engagement must be operationalized, not romanticized; 2) When young people are empowered, ethical ocean innovation is possible even in resource-limited contexts; 3) Foundational investment in STEM, digital literacy, and green skills is essential; and 4) Ethics and context must guide innovation.
To sustain and scale youth-driven innovation, Ambassador Soares urged the international community to: 1) Scale investment in STEM and digital learning, particularly for rural and marginalized youth; 2) Establish regional Youth-Ocean Innovation Hubs; 3) Embed ethical and contextual frameworks into entrepreneurship programs; and 4) Institutionalize youth voices in national ocean councils, climate commissions, and global platforms.
“While challenges remain, Timor-Leste has a generation that is ready to act—not later, but now. It is vital to invest in youth potential, particularly in small and vulnerable countries,” Soares concluded.
Journalist: Camilio de Sousa
Editor: Filomeno Martins
