Ramos-Horta criticises global climate financing systems, urges funds to reach vulnerable communities
DILI, 9 October 2026 (TATOLI) — Timor-Leste President José Ramos-Horta has expressed deep frustration with international climate finance mechanisms, calling on developed countries to deliver funding more quickly and reduce spending on costly consultants and bureaucratic procedures.
Speaking to journalists upon his arrival at Presidente Nicolau Lobato International Airport after state visits to Fiji and Tuvalu, Ramos-Horta said climate finance should prioritise communities facing the immediate impacts of climate change rather than being spent on costly studies and complex reporting requirements.
Undertaken at the invitation of the Prime Ministers of Australia, Fiji, and Tuvalu, the diplomatic mission heavily focused on consolidating regional solidarity among the Pacific family, Small Island Developing States (SIDS), and Least Developed Countries (LDCs) as they prepare a unified stance for the upcoming COP31 global climate summit.
Ramos-Horta expressed deep frustration over current international climate finance mechanisms.
The President strongly criticized the heavy reliance on costly international consultants and complex bureaucratic reporting requirements that drain vital funds before they can reach vulnerable communities.
“First, promise, deliver. Second, do not spend too much money on studies, on technical experts… nowadays, if you want a study… just go to Google, or just go to AI. There is no need to pay US$100,000 or US$200,000 for an expert,” President Ramos-Horta said, emphasizing that funds must go directly and rapidly to the people facing immediate environmental threats.
President Ramos-Horta further highlighted Timor-Leste’s leading role in uniting a bloc of over 17 island nations to demand practical, fast-acting financial commitments from developed countries.
Reflecting on the severe vulnerabilities The Head of State witnessed firsthand in Tuvalu, a nation of just 12,000 people where rising seas are already swallowing the land and underscored that while these island nations are threatened by climate change, they remain incredibly wealthy in maritime resources.
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