PRESS RELEASE
28 Jul, 2005/ Dili

Brazilian Legal Experts Provide Assistance to Justice Sector

Brazil and UNDP will today launch a support programme providing four legal specialists to support the Timor-Leste justice system. While Brazil will provide its nationals to work in the Justice Sector, UNDP will pay for their living costs in Timor-Leste. At a special ceremony at the Ministry of Justice, the Ambassador of Brazil, Mr Antonio de Souza e Silva, will sign two cooperation agreements, one with the Minister of Justice, Sr. Domingos Maria Sarmento and one with the UNDP Resident Representative, Dr Sukehiro Hasegawa.

Under the support programme, Brazil will provide one judge, one prosecutor and two public defenders. These legal experts, who will be seconded from their jobs in Brazil, will remain Brazilian public servants. They will maintain their salaries and all work-related benefits from Brazil while serving in the Timor-Leste justice system institutions. Through the Justice System Project, UNDP will provide the Brazilian experts with a living allowance and administrative support for the duration of their stay in Timor-Leste.

The four legal experts are due to commence work in Timor-Leste in September 2005 for a period of one year. During this time, they will serve under the overall direction of the Council of Coordination with support from the
Chief Technical Adviser of the UNDP Support to Justice System Project. They will perform line functions - acting as judges, prosecutors or public defenders and may be called upon to provide training to Timor-Leste judges, prosecutors and public defenders at the Judicial Training Centre (JTC).

"The Brazilian commitment to support Timor-Leste's development is strongly reaffirmed and enhanced by the signing of these two cooperation Agreements." said Mr Antonio de Souza e Silva, the Ambassador of Brazil.
"The uniqueness and simplicity of the mechanism proposed by UNDP will enable Brazil and Timor-Leste to pursue new and challenging areas to further the cooperation already underway". Mr Souza e Silva emphasized the importance of this trilateral arrangement "as an effective instrument to stimulate bilateral cooperation, as UNOTIL's mandate is due to expire in less than a year's time."

The United Nations Development Programme Resident Representative, Dr Sukehiro Hasagawa welcomed the partnership as a fine example of South-South Cooperation. "The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) is committed to fostering this sharing of experience and expertise as a critical element of successful and sustainable development. This valuable contribution from the Government of Brazil will provide much needed technical expertise to the Justice Sector."

South-South Cooperation is a means of promoting effective development by learning and sharing best practices and technology among developing countries. Linked by commonalities of history, geography and challenges, the countries of the South have important lessons to share, including many success stories from which other developing countries can learn.

The UNDP Strengthening the Justice System in Timor-Leste Programme is supported by contributions from Norway, Australia, , Portugal, Ireland, Belgium and Denmark.