Timor-Leste Experience on ODA & Aid Effectiveness 9-12 October 2007 The Central Asia, Southeast Asia and the Pacific Regional Workshop on Aid Effectiveness Hanoi, Vietnam Presentation by: Palmira Pires Director ETDA, Timor-Leste

Overview Timor-Leste: “Timor of the rising sun” Situated: Eastern part of Timor Island 500 km across the Timor Sea is Australia It also includes the enclave of Oecussi (located in West Timor)

Facts and Figure Population: 1,084,971 (Estimated) Rural population: 90% Language Literacy: Tetun: 82% Portuguese: 5% Indonesian: 43% English: 2% Gender: 49% Male, 51% Female Youth (Age below 33): 51% Land Area: 15,007 sq km Source: The World Factbook – Timor-Leste

Language & Administrative division 12 main ethnic groups, each with its own language ie: Tetun, Mambae, Tokodede, Kemak, Galolen,Idate, Waimu’a, Naueti, Laka’ale, Bunak, Makasae and fataluku, Makalero, Baikeno Timor-Leste comprises of 13 districts, 67 sub- districts (postos), 442 villages (sucos) and 2,336 sub-villages (aldeias)

History 450 years under Portuguese colony 3.5 years under Japanese invasion (World War II) 24 years under Indonesia (Order Baru) 2 years under UN Transitional Administration (UNAMET/UNTAET/UNMISET) Restoration of Independence, 20 May 2002 Currently led by the 4 th Constitutional Government

Non- State Actors Religious organizations Mass organizations Cultural and traditional associations Community and sports organizations Development organizations and self-help groups referred as NGOs

Indonesian period -Indigenous political associations survived underground or were incorporated into Indonesian organizations -Clandestine organizations operated under CNRT (National Council of the Timorese Resistance)

Catholic Church 98% population is Catholic Constitution praises merits of the Church in its Preamble but does not favour any religion Church has communication and social service network

Civil Society There is a total of 467 local and international organizations in Timor-Leste in which 83% are local organizations. Most of the organizations are based in Dili. 369 Local NGOs 18 National NGOS 80 International NGOS

Role of Civil Society Monitoring Advocacy Education Agriculture Advisory services on human rights, justice and peace, gender awareness, environment and emergency assistance

Timor-Leste ODA Experience In 2004 GDP is USD 366 Unemployment 55% nationwide, 20% capital Dili >10,000 young people join the labour market every year Inflation fell 1.8% in 2004 and is expected to remain at round 2.4% Growth in GDP is low at 1.8%

Timor-Leste ODA Experience (cont…) Government records reveal that Timor-Leste received a total of USD 2,314,495,641 from 1999 to 2007 This figure represents both the security (military), emergency and development assistance to the country Source :figures gather from the Registry of External Assistance of the Government of Timor-Leste as of 28 th September 2007

Timor-Leste ODA Experience (cont…) Funding breakdown: Total Funding (US$) Country (28) 1,949,663,249 Institutions (26)364,832,391 Total 2,314,495,640

East Timor Development Agency (ETDA) Established in 2000 Non-governmental organization Led by Timorese Development of human resources through training, employment and business centres

ETDA experience with Aid Assistance Since its establishment, ETDA received funding Funding approved (US$) Country (4) 969,112 Institutions (3)179,671 Total (To date ETDA has received only 64% of the total approved funding)

ETDA experience with Aid Assistance (cont..) ETDA received % of total Aid Assistance in Timor-Leste

ETDA experience with Aid Assistance (cont..) ETDA allocated Aid Assistance to: Institution building Capacity building

ETDA experience with Aid Assistance (cont..) Aid Assistance from donors based in the country

ETDA experience with Aid Assistance (cont..) Aid Assistance from donors outside the country

ETDA experience with Aid Assistance (cont..) Results Ownership (organization is run and led by Timorese) Equal partnership (act as adviser to international organizations on local issues) Sustainability Sharing resources (support other non-government organizations including government in sharing resources)

Results International organization facilitated Timorese technical assistance from abroad Timorese technical assistance from abroad acted as bridge between donor community and local Timorese Ownership of the project Transference of skills Long term commitment

Challenges Lack of accountability of international partners’ organizations Lack of communication Inequality in sharing information Competition between international organizations in bidding for projects Difficulties in creating new programs Difficulty in starting on equal ground with international organizations in implementing NEW projects

Recommendations Donors to provide an endowment fund to local organizations Beneficiaries of the project to evaluate the project Create a transparency mechanism where the international institutions must be accountable to present the results of the project to the beneficiaries, not just to donors Be able to access information of projects implemented in the country on an annual basis

Recommendations (cont..) Support local media to monitor aid projects Create a mechanism for the return of professional technical assistance to their developing countries And most importantly Aid assistance should not be tied with political decisions of the country

Obrigadu Barak!

Thank You