DILI, 05 May 2026 (TATOLI) — President José Ramos-Horta met on Tuesday with Raja Azwa Petra, the new senior human rights adviser at the United Nations Resident Coordinator’s Office, to discuss strengthening human rights protections in Timor-Leste, including plans to incorporate human rights training into police and military education.
Raja Azwa Petra, who recently assumed her role as head of the Human Rights Advisory Unit, met the President to introduce herself and brief the president on the U.N.’s ongoing human rights initiatives in the country.
During the meeting, the discussions focused on the United Nations’ long-standing cooperation with Timor-Leste’s Provedoria dos Direitos Humanos e Justiça (PDHJ) on human rights training for police and military personnel.
A key focus of the discussion was the proposal to institutionalize this training by integrating human rights modules directly into the permanent curriculum of the Police and Military Academies.
The meeting also addressed Timor-Leste’s impressive commitment to international law, noting that the country is a party to eight out of the nine core international human rights treaties.
Raja Petra reaffirmed the UN’s continued support for the government in its treaty reporting obligations. Additionally, they explored new avenues for cooperation regarding the “Right to Development,” specifically looking at how this framework can be operationalized within the ASEAN context as Timor-Leste continues its regional integration.
Journalist: Camilio de Sousa
Editor: Filomeno Martins
