by PRO IUNVA
On Wednesday 28 Aug 2024, the UN Secretary General António Guterres visited Dili, the capital of Timor-Leste to mark the 25th anniversary of its vote for independence, 
praising the national unity of the past, and pledging the UN’s unwavering support in the future. He was met at the airport by Timorese President José Ramos-Horta and Prime Minister Xanana Gusmão and he was welcomed with full military honours. In his address, the Secretary General said:
“The United Nations and the Timorese people stood side by side at a time when the country took the building of its destiny into its own hands. The United Nations will continue to support the aspirations of the Timorese people in the journey ahead”.
Mr Guterres described Timor-Leste as an example of how to develop as a nation at peace, having been born out of armed struggle in 2002, that can also now live in harmony with its neighbours. The UN played a crucial role before and after independence, deploying a transitional administration in what was then referred to as East Timor in 1992, to build the country up for self-government, which eventually came ten years later following agreement between former rulers Indonesia and Portugal, for the East Timorese to hold a referendum.
UN Peacekeeping operations also played a major role in the early days of the new nation. The UN Transitional Administration in East Timor (UNTAET) exercised administrative authority over East Timor during the transition to independence. That was followed by two other peacekeeping operations, which provided assistance to Timor-Leste until December 2012 when all operational responsibilities were fully devolved.
We pay tribute to personnel who served as peacekeepers with the Australian led Intervention Force in East Timor (INTERFET) in 1999, the UN Mission in East Timor (UNAMET), the UN Transitional Administration in East Timor (UNTAET) and the UN Mission of Support in East Timor (UNMISET). We remember Saighdiúr Singil Peadar MacDara Ó Flatharta (21), 8 Irish Component, United Nations Transitional Administration in East Timor (UNTAET) who was accidentally shot by a fellow soldier while on patrol near Taroman village on 15 Apr 2002.
Photos: UN Secretary-General António Guterres (left) with Jose Ramos-Horta, President of Timor-Leste in Dili. Credit UN. Other photos credit military Archives.
