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The United Nations Independent Special Commission of Inquiry for Timor-Leste nearing the completion of its report
13 September 2006
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United Nations House, Rua de Caicoli, Dili, Timor-Leste, Phone : +670 723 02 30
Press Statement
Good afternoon to all Media Representatives,
Good afternoon to representatives of various organizations,
Good afternoon everyone.
Before opening the floor for questions, I have a short statement to make.
We would like to thank you all for coming to this press conference.
The Commission is in the process of completing its work with the second visit of the Commissioners in Timor-Leste. For the past 10 days Commissioners have been working intensively with the members of the Commission’s team, reviewing information gathered by the investigators and interviewing or re-interviewing key actors. The Commissioners will leave at the end of the week and resume their work in Geneva at the end of September in order to finalize the report.
As many of you are aware, our mandate is:
Ø to establish the facts and circumstances relevant to the incidents on 28-29 April, 23-25 May and other related events or issues which contributed to the crisis;
Ø to clarify responsibility for those events; and
Ø to recommend measures to ensure accountability, taking into account the existing legal and judicial mechanisms in Timor-Leste, for crimes and serious violations of human rights allegedly committed during the period.
In carrying out our mandate the Commission has enjoyed the full cooperation of the Government and all the institutions and individuals relevant to its inquiry.
The Commission has an international team of 12 criminal and human rights investigators and Legal Advisors. About 200 witnesses were interviewed and more than 3000 documents were collected from different institutions, including F-FDTL, PNTL, Government offices, non-governmental organizations, Australian police, UNOTIL and other United Nations Agencies, and other international institutions. These materials provide the basis for the Commission’s report.
We are conscious of the fact that there are high expectations on the part of the leaders of the government, representatives of various groups and individuals we met, and by the general population that our report will contribute to the rebuilding of confidence in the institutions of the Government and the rule of law.
In accordance with our mandate,
1) our report will give an objective and balanced account of the incidents of April
and May.
2) the report will identify individuals who, in the view of the Commission, were responsible for crimes committed in April and May, as far as evidence establishes their responsibility beyond reasonable suspicion.
3) it will identify the failure of institutions whose acts or omissions contributed to the crisis.
4) it will make recommendations as to how to ensure accountability.
The report will be submitted to the Secretary-General of the United Nations and the National Parliament of Timor-Leste within the three-month timeframe foreseen for the work of the Commission, i.e. on or about 7 October.
We strongly hope and trust that the representatives of the Government and all relevant institutions will give serious consideration to our recommendations, and utilize the report as a step towards reinforcing the institutions of the country. We also hope that the report will be made available to the public in a readily accessible form, so that all the people in this country can work together to make the first step in a total transparency.
Finally, we would like to thank every individual and institution that cooperated with us. We can say that we were able to count on a very good cooperation from everyone.
We thank you very much again for your interest and presence here today.
Now we would like to invite you for related questions you may have for us.
13 September 2006
Commissioners
Paulo Sérgio Pinheiro (chair)
Ralph Zacklin
Zelda Holtzman
The United Nations Independent Special Commission of Inquiry for Timor-Leste
Press Statement
Good afternoon to all Media Representatives,
Good afternoon to representatives of various organizations,
Good afternoon everyone.
Before opening the floor for questions, I have a short statement to make.
We would like to thank you all for coming to this press conference.
The Commission is in the process of completing its work with the second visit of the Commissioners in Timor-Leste. For the past 10 days Commissioners have been working intensively with the members of the Commission’s team, reviewing information gathered by the investigators and interviewing or re-interviewing key actors. The Commissioners will leave at the end of the week and resume their work in Geneva at the end of September in order to finalize the report.
As many of you are aware, our mandate is:
Ø to establish the facts and circumstances relevant to the incidents on 28-29 April, 23-25 May and other related events or issues which contributed to the crisis;
Ø to clarify responsibility for those events; and
Ø to recommend measures to ensure accountability, taking into account the existing legal and judicial mechanisms in Timor-Leste, for crimes and serious violations of human rights allegedly committed during the period.
In carrying out our mandate the Commission has enjoyed the full cooperation of the Government and all the institutions and individuals relevant to its inquiry.
The Commission has an international team of 12 criminal and human rights investigators and Legal Advisors. About 200 witnesses were interviewed and more than 3000 documents were collected from different institutions, including F-FDTL, PNTL, Government offices, non-governmental organizations, Australian police, UNOTIL and other United Nations Agencies, and other international institutions. These materials provide the basis for the Commission’s report.
We are conscious of the fact that there are high expectations on the part of the leaders of the government, representatives of various groups and individuals we met, and by the general population that our report will contribute to the rebuilding of confidence in the institutions of the Government and the rule of law.
In accordance with our mandate,
1) our report will give an objective and balanced account of the incidents of April
and May.
2) the report will identify individuals who, in the view of the Commission, were responsible for crimes committed in April and May, as far as evidence establishes their responsibility beyond reasonable suspicion.
3) it will identify the failure of institutions whose acts or omissions contributed to the crisis.
4) it will make recommendations as to how to ensure accountability.
The report will be submitted to the Secretary-General of the United Nations and the National Parliament of Timor-Leste within the three-month timeframe foreseen for the work of the Commission, i.e. on or about 7 October.
We strongly hope and trust that the representatives of the Government and all relevant institutions will give serious consideration to our recommendations, and utilize the report as a step towards reinforcing the institutions of the country. We also hope that the report will be made available to the public in a readily accessible form, so that all the people in this country can work together to make the first step in a total transparency.
Finally, we would like to thank every individual and institution that cooperated with us. We can say that we were able to count on a very good cooperation from everyone.
We thank you very much again for your interest and presence here today.
Now we would like to invite you for related questions you may have for us.
13 September 2006
Commissioners
Paulo Sérgio Pinheiro (chair)
Ralph Zacklin
Zelda Holtzman
The United Nations Independent Special Commission of Inquiry for Timor-Leste