DILI, 29 january 2026 (TATOLI) – Joaquim Da Fonseca, a Timorese diplomat, has been sworn in as the new chairman of the Fiji Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC).
Fonseca recited the Oath of Allegiance and the Oath for the Due Execution of Office before the President, in the presence of the Prime Minister, Sitiveni Rabuka, Cabinet Ministers, members of the Commission, and members of the diplomatic corps.
The President of the Republic of Fiji, Ratu Naiqama Lalabalavu, praised the work of the Fiji Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) as its newly appointed Chairman, Joaquim Da Fonseca, was sworn in at the State House this morning.
Fonseca is a distinguished diplomat and peace-builder with over 20 years of experience in advancing reconciliation, peace, transitional justice, and human rights in post-conflict and transitional settings.
He has been at the forefront of Timor-Leste’s reconciliation and justice processes since 1999, playing a defining role from the early truth and reconciliation initiatives during the United Nations Transitional Administration in East Timor (UNTAET) to shaping national mechanisms that continue to guide the country’s healing and unity today.
He brings deep national experience from the Timorese independence struggle, truth-seeking processes, and post-conflict peacebuilding with high-level diplomatic leadership, having served as Ambassador to the United Kingdom and the Netherlands and as Timor-Leste’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations and other international organisations in Geneva. His work has consistently bridged civil society, government, and multilateral partners to advance justice, reconciliation, and social cohesion.
Fonseca served as Timor-Leste’s Ambassador to the United Kingdom and the Netherlands from 2013 to 2019 and as Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the United Nations and other international organisations in Geneva from 2009 to 2013.
Prior to his appointment as Chairperson, Fonseca served as Coordinator and Senior Advisor at the National Commission for Reconciliation among Timorese from December 2016 to date. His work focused on national efforts to design and implement a new reconciliation mechanism addressing internal conflict from 1974 to 1999, building on the legacy of the Commission for Reception, Truth and Reconciliation (CAVR).
In the human rights sphere, he served as Senior Advisor for Human Rights and Civil Society at the Office of the Prime Minister of Timor-Leste from 2006 to 2009.
The Fiji Truth and Reconciliation Commission operates independently, while the Coalition Government has committed to ensuring that it is adequately resourced to effectively carry out its mandate.
Under the Fiji Truth and Reconciliation Act passed by Parliament in December 2024, the Commission is mandated to facilitate truth-telling in relation to the political upheavals arising from the coup periods from 1987 onwards and to promote closure, healing, and national reconciliation for survivors of these turbulent periods.
Journalist: Camilio de Sousa
Editor: Filomeno Martins
