Summary

To tackle the challenges of accountable, inclusive, and participatory governance and high-quality public services, UNDP strives to make a transformational impact by helping municipalities achieve their vision of rights-based local development, learning through South-South cooperation and experience shared by regional and global networks (such as the United Nations Office for South-South Cooperation and the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific). Facilitating the participation of excluded groups in democratic institutions and local governance will improve the design and delivery of citizens’ services, ensuring no one is left behind – especially during the critical pandemic recovery period of 2021-2022. 

Timor-Leste is striving to strengthen its democratic institutions, and enhance transparent and accountable branches of power to ensure that the needs of its citizens are heard and considered on all levels of the decision-making process. UNDP Timor-Leste has been in partnership with the Government of Timor-Leste to assist the democratic governance institutions and process. Our Democratic Governance Programme has worked in tandem with successive governments to help establish and strengthen legal frameworks and institutional processes and systems. We continue to enhance the skills and capacity of staff within these institutions at all levels– from investigators at the Human Rights and Justice Ombudsman to members of parliamentary committees, public defenders, electoral management bodies, and local government officials to communities.

At the heart of our work for Accountable Governance, there are three key areas:

• Accessibility (bring government close to people),

• Accountable and gender-responsive governance systems,

• Institutions and services at national and municipal levels.

In Depth

UNDP assists Timor-Leste to consolidate democracy, promote reforms and ensure the protection of human rights and liberties. We bring people together, foster partnerships, and promote participation, accountability, and effectiveness at all levels. It is crucial that excluded groups, especially survivors of gender-based violence, can access high-quality rule-of-law institutions and justice services remains a challenge. 
Particularly, the COVID-19 outbreak shows the importance of digitally literate and connected societies, businesses, and governments for effective prevention and response. As Timor-Leste is one of the least digitally connected countries, UNDP partnered with the United Nations Capital Development Fund (UNCDF) is working to unleash the potential of the economy and the Fourth Industrial Revolution. Promoting accountability and strengthening civil society is essential to transform the structural and democratic conditions needed to progress on the Sustainable Development Goals ‘Leaving No One Behind’.