Graziela_Learning Human Rights in Practice: Reflections from the 33rd People’s Diplomacy Training in Timor-Leste”article

 

 “Learning Human Rights in Practice: Reflections from the 33rd People’s Diplomacy Training in Timor-Leste”

Introduction;

The Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste is a small island state  in southeast  Asia  recovering from  a history  of human rights violations during the  Portuguese colonial period beginning in 1551  and Indonesian occupation of 24 years, beginning in December 1975 and ending in October 1999. It is increasingly facing challenges such as  People dying and recourse in this country. The unilateral proclamation of independence of Timor-Leste was on 28 November 1975, however, Timor-Leste officially regained independence on 20 May 2002 following  a United Nations-administered transition that began after the 1999 referendum. As a democratic  country,  in which the Timorese people chose full independence over special autonomy under Indonesia, it is   increasingly facing challenges posed by human rights violations. The Indonesian occupation of Timor-Leste from 1975 to 1999 involved severe human rights abuses, including massacres, forced displacement, torture, and systematic  violence. It is estimated that approximately 200,000 Timorese people lost their lives due to conflict, starvation, and disease.The occupation is internationally recognized as a humanitarian crisis and crimes against humanity.

Despite progress since independence, Timor-Leste continues to face significant human rights challenges, including gender-based violence, limited access to healthcare, police misconduct, detention conditions, climate vulnerability, and institutional capacity constraints.

 

Human Rights Commitments;

In 2002  The Government  of Timor-Leste (GOTL)  committed to protect the human rights through ratifying and commit to upholding the principles of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), adopted by the United Nations General Assembly in 1948, along with several core United Nations human rights treaties since independence in 2002. Timor-Leste's constitution incorporates human rights protections aligned with the UDHR, emphasizing dignity, freedom, equality, and non-discrimination. Timor-Leste  actively participates in the UN Human Rights Council's Universal Periodic Review (UPR) process, submitting reports on  the implementation of human rights standards. The government has ratified key treaties such as the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), the Convention Against Torture, and the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), reflecting commitments to the UDHR's principles. In December 2002, Timor-Leste ratified the convention on the elimination off All forms of  Discrimination Against Women(CEDAW).Timor-Leste has submitted periodic state reports to CEDAW, showing progress and challenges in women's human rights, including in political participation, employment, and ending violence against women.

Timor-Leste has also developed and implemented national action plans aligned with UN Security Council Resolution 1325 on Women, Peace and Security, launched officially in 2024. This includes measures to promote participation of women in peacebuilding and security processes.

Additionally, Timor-Leste has ratified several core UN human rights treaties addressing children's rights, such as the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC).  And also actively engages with UN human rights mechanisms and collaborates with UN Women and other partners to improve gender equality and protect women’s  and children’s rights.

The government also has ratified frameworks and treaties related to the climate change and  the environment, such as United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in October 2006, Kyoto Protocol to the UNFCCC in October 2008, Paris Agreement in August 2017, Vienna Convention for the Protection of the Ozone Layer and its Montreal Protocol (ratified in 2009, but not yet ratified Kigali Amendment), United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification. The country has also developed national policies such as the National Climate Change Policy and National Adaptation Program of Actions (NAPA) to address climate risks and promote resilience.

However Based on the Nabilan Baseline Study In Timor-Leste, women experience alarming levels of gender-based violence  in the country: 36.8% of married women report intimate partner violence, 4.7% of girls experience violence before age 15, and nearly half of all women face violence in their lifetimes. Domestic workers are particularly at risk of unequal pay and harassment.

Similarly work needs to be done to address the climate crisis based on the  data case flooding in Timor-Leste. In 2021, climate disasters in Timor-Leste affected over 25,000 households and caused more than 45–50 deaths. These crises disproportionately impact vulnerable communities and undermine the right to health, food, and shelter  was devastated by floods and landslides caused by tropical cyclone Saroja, marking the worst flooding event in 40 years, with significant losses in lives, homes, and infrastructure. Such events have highlighted the urgency of climate action, especially considering the  fragile economical depended on oil and gass and lack on invest in productive sector such as agriculture, Forrest, tourism and the country’s highly vulnerability to the climate risk.

However  Timor-Leste  continues to ace challenges to tackle the human rights violations because of the injustice, displacement  of the population, climate crisis, police brutality, inadequate healthcare, poor detention conditions, and challenges in public service delivery, especially in remote areas. Limited resources and institutional shortcomings further hinder protecting human rights. Therefore In Timor-Leste most of the youth groups have  volunteers working to address the human rights and also environment and climate crisis.

 

 (33 diplomacy Training program in Timor-Leste);

33rd Annual Human Rights and Peoples' Diplomacy Training Program for Human Rights Defenders from the Asia-Pacific Region and Indigenous Australia.

The Diplomacy Training Program (DT`P) is an award-winning NGO established in 1989 by Nobel Peace Laureate President José Ramos-Horta. It is affiliated with the Faculty of Law and Justice at the University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia. DTP provides practical training on human rights and peoples’ diplomacy, building the knowledge, skills, and networks of human rights defenders. Its participatory methodology emphasizes the sharing of knowledge and skills among participants. To date, there are over 3,500 alumni of DTP’s courses.

This two-week annual, comprehensive human rights and advocacy training course is the longest established human rights training program in the region, building the capacity of individuals, institutions and movements at this time of shrinking space for civil society. It builds knowledge of international human rights standards and the UN system. Similar to a summer school the program includes intensive sessions on human rights and development, advocacy and media skills.

Through its participatory teaching methodology, the program builds lasting links and solidarity between advocates in the region. The course focuses on contemporary human rights challenges including climate change, violence against women, SOGI, land-grabbing, freedom of association, the rights of migrant workers and of Indigenous peoples, transitional justice, democracy and integrating human rights into the sustainable development goals.

This program was held in Timor-Leste for two weeks, during which I learned from human rights experts. From this program, I gained a lot of knowledge, especially on how to address issues at the UN, particularly in the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) process for each country’s human rights implementation.I learned about each country’s struggle for self-determination, and also focusing on themes such as Indigenous peoples’ rights, migration rights, women’s rights, survivors’ rights, transitional justice, UN mechanisms, UN treaty bodies, climate change and  the environment, refugees’ rights, and others.

I was  honoured to participate in this program to learn alongside regional human rights defenders and strengthen my knowledge regarding human rights, diplomacy, negotiation, and networking.

During this program, I represented Troops for Healthy Environment Timor-Leste (TROBAS), an independent community-based organization (CBO) founded by passionate youth volunteers dedicated to environmental protection. The organization was established in 2019 with the vision to protect the environment and promote a healthy society and environmental resilience. I presented the organization’s work, which includes clean-up activities, social media advocacy, community outreach, conservation, and reforestation.

Through this program, I learned a lot about how environmental rights and human rights are interconnected. When we talk about human rights, we refer to ensuring peace, freedom, free from violence and torture, protection from human trafficking, self-determination, and justice. When we talk about environmental rights, we mean ensuring that everyone lives in a clean environment with access to clean water, sanitation, clean energy, food, and more. These issues are deeply interconnected.

As someone passionate about human rights and environmental issues, I am committed to being active in various volunteer organizations. I contribute through volunteer actions to address environmental and climate crises in the community. I also participate in local, national, and international conferences to share my thoughts on how to address these issues in the community and in my country, Timor-Leste.

 

Youth Engagement and Future Action;

Youth in Timor-Leste play an important role in promoting human rights and environmental sustainability. Many young people actively volunteer in community initiatives, advocacy campaigns, and national dialogues.

Moving forward, it is essential to strengthen:

• Youth participation in decision-making processes
• Gender equality and protection from violence
• Environmental protection policies
• Institutional capacity
• Access to justice and public services, especially in rural areas

The engagement of youth ensures inclusive development and sustainable progress.

Conclusion: A Call to Action;

Timor-Leste has made significant progress in building a human rights-based democracy since independence. However, important challenges remain, particularly in addressing gender-based violence, strengthening environmental protection, improving public services, and ensuring accountability.

The 33rd Annual Human Rights and Peoples’ Diplomacy Training Program in Timor-Leste provided valuable capacity building for human rights defenders across the region. It strengthened knowledge, skills, networks, and solidarity. The future of human rights—especially the rights of women, children, persons with disabilities, indigenous peoples, and environmental rights—depends on the actions we take today.

By amplifying the voices of youth in Timor-Leste, especially in engaging in the decision-making process, especially in designing programs, politics, and law, as well as monitoring and evaluating government programs related to human rights with a focus on environment and women and children’s rights, we ensure justice and make sure that all children’s , women’s , people with disabilities, and vulnerable groups will access service delivery and justice service providers.

Therefore, we call on the Government of Timor-Leste and relevant partners—especially the United Nations—to support Timor-Leste in strengthening efforts to address social justice for all victims of human rights violations and gender-based violence, while building robust environmental protections. Integrated action is essential to uphold dignity, equality, and justice for all.