DILI, 26 June 2026 (TATOLI) — Timor-Leste Prime Minister Kay Rala Xanana Gusmão highlighted the country’s experience in maritime law, the peaceful settlement of maritime boundary disputes and its long-term vision for a sustainable blue economy during the 5th Annual Conference of the Portuguese Institute of Maritime Law (IPDM) in Lisbon on June 26.
The conference, hosted by the Faculty of Law of the University of Lisbon, focused on “Maritime Spatial Planning and Management” and brought together government officials, legal experts, academics and policymakers to discuss ocean governance and sustainable maritime development.
Addressing the conference, Gusmão said he was pleased to return to the event four years after participating in its inaugural edition, this time also in his capacity as Honorary President of the Portuguese Institute of Maritime Law.
Reflecting on Timor-Leste’s journey from independence to the permanent delimitation of its maritime boundaries with Australia, the Prime Minister said the achievement was the result of the determination of the Timorese people, supported by the international community.
“The credit for the path taken by Timor-Leste belongs solely to the Timorese people,” Gusmão said, adding that the country’s experience demonstrated how international solidarity and legal institutions, when guided by justice, courage and good faith, could help even the smallest and most vulnerable nations achieve peaceful outcomes.
The Prime Minister highlighted the importance of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) in resolving Timor-Leste’s maritime boundary negotiations with Australia and in supporting the ongoing delimitation process with Indonesia.
He said the convention continues to provide an effective legal framework for addressing emerging global challenges, including climate change, marine pollution and biodiversity loss.
Gusmão recalled that Timor-Leste became the first country to invoke the compulsory conciliation mechanism under UNCLOS to resolve a maritime boundary dispute with Australia, expressing hope that the experience would encourage other countries to pursue peaceful solutions to similar disputes.
He also called for closer cooperation among neighbouring states in fisheries management, maritime navigation, marine conservation and maritime security, saying these areas have a direct impact on the livelihoods and well-being of coastal communities.
Turning to the blue economy, Gusmão presented Timor-Leste’s 2025–2035 Policy and Action Plan for the Promotion of a Resilient and Sustainable Ocean Economy, approved by the government earlier this year, describing it as the country’s national roadmap for developing a sustainable ocean-based economy.
“Through this decision, the government I have the responsibility to lead has adopted a clear strategic vision to transform the sea—which is part of our national identity and an essential economic and geopolitical asset—into a source of sustainable development, social inclusion and environmental resilience,” he said.
The Prime Minister also noted that Timor-Leste lies at the heart of the Coral Triangle, one of the world’s richest centres of marine biodiversity, while warning of growing threats posed by climate change, sea-level rise, marine pollution and illegal fishing.
He called for stronger international cooperation and increased investment in marine scientific research, while emphasising the importance of combining scientific knowledge with the traditional knowledge of local communities.
Concluding his address, Gusmão welcomed the participation of 14 young Timorese in the Maritime Spatial Planning and Management Summer School held alongside the conference, describing the initiative as a practical example of meaningful international cooperation to strengthen technical expertise.
He said he hoped the participants would return home inspired to apply the legal, scientific, technical and social knowledge gained through the programme to support responsible ocean governance and sustainable development in Timor-Leste.
The conference also featured addresses by Portugal’s Secretary of State for Fisheries and the Sea, Salvador Malheiro; the Dean of the Faculty of Law at the University of Lisbon, Eduardo Vera-Cruz Pinto; legal scholars José Manuel Sérvulo Correia and Carlos Blanco de Morais; and IPDM President Vasco Becker-Weinberg.
Among those attending the event were Timor-Leste’s Minister of Education, Dulce de Jesus Soares, Ambassador to Portugal Manuel António Araújo Serrano, and the Prime Minister’s Chief of Staff, Elizabeth Exposto.
TATOLI
