Security Council resolution 1969 (2011) [on extension of the mandate of the UN Integrated Mission in Timor-Leste (UNMIT) until 26 Feb. 2012]
Symbol: S/RES/1969(2011)
Date: 2011-02-24
Status: adopted
Agenda: S/66 [179] UN INTEGRATED MISSION IN TIMOR-LESTE
S/66 [180] TIMOR-LESTE SITUATION
Subjects: UN Integrated Mission in Timor-Leste|Policía Nacional Timor-Leste|FALINTIL-FDTL|UN. Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Timor-Leste|Independent Special Commission of Inquiry for Timor-Leste|PEACEBUILDING|POST-CONFLICT RECONSTRUCTION|INTERNAL SECURITY|SECURITY SECTOR REFORM|TIMOR-LESTE|ELECTIONS|ELECTION VERIFICATION|RULE OF LAW|GOVERNANCE|HUMAN RIGHTS|TECHNICAL COOPERATION|POLICE|JUDICIAL SYSTEM|LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICIALS|CAPACITY BUILDING|COMMISSIONS OF INQUIRY|LAW REFORM|INSTITUTION BUILDING
Votes in favour: 15
Votes against: 0
Abstentions: 0
Voting record:
country: BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA
vote: yes
country: BRAZIL
vote: yes
country: CHINA
vote: yes
country: COLOMBIA
vote: yes
country: FRANCE
vote: yes
country: GABON
vote: yes
country: GERMANY
vote: yes
country: INDIA
vote: yes
country: LEBANON
vote: yes
country: NIGERIA
vote: yes
country: PORTUGAL
vote: yes
country: RUSSIAN FEDERATION
vote: yes
country: SOUTH AFRICA
vote: yes
country: UNITED KINGDOM
vote: yes
country: UNITED STATES
vote: yes

               United Nations                                                                 S/RES/1969 (2011)
               Security Council                                               Distr.: General
                                                                              24 February 2011




               Resolution 1969 (2011)
               Adopted by the Security Council at its 6487th meeting, on
               24 February 2011

                    The Security Council,
                    Reaffirming all its previous resolutions and statements on the situation in
               Timor-Leste, in particular its resolutions 1599 (2005), 1677 (2006), 1690 (2006),
               1703 (2006), 1704 (2006), 1745 (2007), 1802 (2008), 1867 (2009) and 1912 (2010),
                    Welcoming the report of the Secretary-General of 25 January 2011
               (S/2011/32),
                     Reaffirming its full commitment to the sovereignty, independence, territorial
               integrity and national unity of Timor-Leste and the promotion of long-term stability
               in the country,
                     Taking note of general stability through further improvements in the political
               and security situation, and welcoming the strong commitment of the leadership and
               other stakeholders in Timor-Leste to fostering national dialogue and peaceful and
               inclusive participation in democratic processes, and their ongoing efforts to promote
               continued peace, stability and unity,
                     Welcoming efforts by the Government to promote cooperation and dialogue
               between local and national authorities, including through consultations in December
               2010 on the Government’s development plans for 2011, and encouraging further
               efforts in this regard,
                     Welcoming also the efforts of the political leadership of Timor-Leste to create
               opportunities for all political parties to make contributions to issues of national
               interest, as exemplified by the concluding conference of the National Consensus
               Dialogue on Truth, Justice and Reconciliation, held in October 2010,
                     Reaffirming the need for respect for the independence of the judiciary,
               stressing the need to act against impunity, while noting the continuing serious
               resource constraints of the judicial system, encouraging the leadership of Timor-Leste to continue to increase its efforts to establish accountability for serious
               criminal offences including those committed during the 2006 crisis, as
               recommended by the Independent Special Commission of Inquiry,
                    Welcoming the commencement in September 2010 of deliberations by the
               National Parliament of Timor-Leste on the draft laws on reparations and on the

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               establishment of follow-on institutions to the Commission for Reception, Truth and
               Reconciliation and the Commission of Truth and Friendship, pursuant to the
               resolution of the Parliament of Timor-Leste adopted on 14 December 2009, and
               encouraging further progress in finalizing this legislation,
                    Welcoming the progress made in strengthening capacities in the justice and
               corrections sectors, which has resulted in enhanced access to justice, reductions in
               pending criminal prosecution cases, and improved prison infrastructure, as well as
               the enactment of important legislation, such as the Criminal Code and the Law
               Against Domestic Violence,
                     Recognizing the steps taken by the Government of Timor-Leste to further
               strengthen the institutional capacities and effectiveness of the Anti-Corruption
               Commission and the Civil Service Commission and to consolidate broad support for
               anti-corruption measures, and emphasizing the importance of effective laws,
               institutions, mechanisms and norms relating to the transparency, accountability and
               efficiency of Public Administration for the country’s long-term stability and
               development,
                    Welcoming the commencement of a jointly-owned transition planning and
               implementation mechanism, including the first meeting of the High-Level
               Committee on Transition and agreement on the establishment of seven joint
               technical working groups, and stressing the importance of this process proceeding in
               a manner that supports national priorities and concerns,
                     Welcoming the further progress towards the full resumption of primary
               policing responsibilities by the Polícia Nacional de Timor-Leste (PNTL),
                     Reaffirming the need to implement fully the “Arrangement on the Restoration
               and Maintenance of Public Security in Timor-Leste and Assistance to the Reform,
               Restructuring and Rebuilding of PNTL and the Ministry of Interior”, concluded
               between the Government of Timor-Leste and UNMIT on 1 December 2006, and
               expressing concern that the Government of Timor-Leste has certified 52 PNTL
               officers who face serious disciplinary and criminal charges,
                     Noting the continuing need for support to the PNTL’s further institutional
               development and capacity-building, particularly through the transfer of skills to
               address existing demands, following its resumption of policing responsibilities in all
               districts and units,
                     Expressing its full support for the role of the international security forces in
               assisting the Government of Timor-Leste and UNMIT, in the maintenance of law
               and stability, in response to the requests of the Government of Timor-Leste,
                     Welcoming the progress of the Government of Timor-Leste in achieving strong
               economic growth and socio-economic development, including reductions in the
               percentage of the population living in poverty and the improvement of human
               development indicators, while acknowledging the challenges that remain in
               achieving inclusive and sustainable growth, particularly through the promotion of
               rural development, the private sector, and employment generation, especially for the
               youth, and by regulating land and property titles and ownership,
                    Welcoming also the commitment and action of the Government of Timor-Leste
               to promote the objectives of Security Council resolution 1325 (2000), including
               measures taken to protect women and girls from gender based violence, especially


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           those related to the implementation of the new Law Against Domestic Violence, and
           the work of the PNTL Vulnerable Persons Units, and other measures relating to the
           situation of women and girls,
                 Noting the efforts by the Government of Timor-Leste to finalize the National
           Strategic Development Plan covering the period from 2011 to 2030, and stressing
           the need to continue such efforts,
                 Recalling that, while Timor-Leste has seen progress in many aspects of its
           political, economic and social development, as well as in human resources
           development and institution building, the country still faces many challenges in
           areas related to the underlying factors of the 2006 crisis and needs continued
           assistance of bilateral and multilateral partners in order to fully realize its potential
           for equitable and sustainable growth,
                 Acknowledging the contribution that Timor-Leste has made in demonstrating
           the critical importance of institution building in post conflict peacebuilding,
                Stressing the importance for Timor-Leste’s long-term stability of ensuring a
           peaceful, credible and transparent electoral process in 2012,
                Stressing further the importance of promoting a continued understanding of,
           and respect for, the checks and balances among the core institutions of State,
                Welcoming the continued efforts of the Timorese Government in providing for
           the full reintegration of the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) into their
           communities and into the Timorese society,
                 Recognizing the important role that UNMIT continues to play in promoting
           peace, stability and development in Timor-Leste, and expressing its appreciation for
           the efforts of UNMIT and the United Nations Country Team, under the leadership of
           the Special Representative of the Secretary-General (SRSG),
                1.    Decides to extend the mandate of UNMIT until 26 February 2012 at the
           current authorized levels;
                 2.   Urges all parties in Timor-Leste, in particular political leaders, to
           continue to work together and engage in political dialogue and to consolidate peace,
           democracy, rule of law, sustainable social and economic development, promotion of
           protection of human rights and advancement of national reconciliation in the
           country, and reaffirms its full support for the continued efforts of the SRSG aimed at
           addressing critical political and security-related issues facing the country, including
           enhancing a culture of democratic governance, through an inclusive and
           collaborative processes;
                 3.   Requests UNMIT to extend the necessary support, within its current
           mandate, for the preparation of the parliamentary and presidential elections of 2012,
           as requested by the Government of Timor-Leste, and in accordance with the
           recommendations of the planned electoral assessment mission, and encourages the
           international community to assist in this process;
                 4.   Reaffirms the importance that the Government of Timor-Leste continues
           the review and reform of the security sector in Timor-Leste, in particular the need to
           delineate between the roles and responsibilities of the Falintil-Forças de Defesa de
           Timor-Leste (F-FDTL) and the PNTL, to strengthen legal frameworks, and to
           enhance civilian oversight and accountability mechanisms of both security


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               institutions, and requests UNMIT to continue to support the Government of Timor-Leste, as requested, in its efforts in the country;
                     5.   Emphasizes the importance of taking all measures necessary to ensure the
               credibility and integrity of the PNTL, including resolving any outstanding
               disciplinary and criminal charges faced by PNTL officers;
                     6.   Encourages further efforts to complete the resumption of primary
               policing responsibilities by the PNTL in all districts and units, on the basis of the
               criteria mutually agreed to by the Government of Timor-Leste and UNMIT,
               including through jointly agreed measures to enhance PNTL institutional capacity in
               the remaining districts and units;
                     7.   Endorses the reconfiguration of the UNMIT police component to take
               account of the changing nature of its role and function in Timor-Leste and the plan
               of its drawdown, in accordance with the wishes of the Government of Timor-Leste,
               conditions on the ground and following the successful completion of 2012 electoral
               process, as recommended in paragraph 61 of the report of the Secretary-General
               (S/2011/32);
                    8.    Requests UNMIT to continue to provide interim law enforcement and
               ensure the maintenance of public security in those districts and units in which the
               PNTL has yet to resume primary policing responsibilities, and, following PNTL’s
               resumption of primary policing responsibilities, to provide operational support to
               the PNTL, within its current mandate, as mutually agreed between the Government
               of Timor-Leste and UNMIT;
                     9.    Requests UNMIT to support the further institutional development and
               capacity-building of the PNTL following its resumption of primary policing
               responsibilities in all districts and units, including through the prompt deployment
               of the 19 additional civilian experts within its police component as referred to in the
               Secretary-General’s report, expresses support for the work of the joint PNTL and
               UNMIT Police working group in developing a plan for further capacity-building
               support for the PNTL focusing on the five major areas for its further development
               identified in the PNTL Strategic Development Plan for 2011-12, and emphasizes the
               significant role to be played in this by other bilateral and multilateral partners and
               the importance of promoting Timorese leadership;
                    10. Underscores the need for the concept of operations and rules of
               engagement to be regularly updated as necessary and to be fully in line with the
               provisions of this resolution;
                     11. Reaffirms the importance of ongoing efforts to achieve accountability and
               justice, expresses its support for the work of UNMIT in assisting the Government of
               Timor-Leste in this regard within its mandate, as well as for the initiatives to
               strengthen the Office of the Provedor for Human Rights and Justice, and underlines
               the importance of the implementation by the Government of Timor-Leste of the
               recommendations of the United Nations Special Commission of Inquiry report of
               2006 (S/2006/822), including paragraphs 225 through 228 of the report;
                    12. Underlines the importance of a coordinated approach to the justice sector
               reform, taking into account the recommendations of the Independent
               Comprehensive Needs Assessment and through implementation of the Timorese
               Government’s Justice Sector Strategic Plan, and the ongoing need to increase



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           Timorese ownership and strengthen national capacity in judicial line functions,
           including the training and specialization of national lawyers and judges, and
           emphasizes the need for sustained support of the international community in
           capacity-building and strengthening of institutions in this sector, building on the
           recent positive developments, including the drafting and enactment of important
           legislation, such as the Criminal Code and the Law Against Domestic Violence;
                13. Requests UNMIT to continue its efforts, adjusting them as necessary to
           enhance the effectiveness of the judiciary, in assisting the Government of Timor-Leste in carrying out the proceedings recommended by the Commission of Inquiry;
                 14. Calls upon UNMIT to continue to support the Government of Timor-Leste in its efforts to coordinate donor cooperation in areas of institutional capacity
           building;
                 15. Recognizes the importance of the development plans devised by the
           Government of Timor-Leste, especially the attention paid to infrastructure, rural
           development and human resources capacity development, and in this regard, calls
           upon UNMIT to continue to cooperate and coordinate with the United Nations
           agencies, funds and programmes, as well as all relevant partners, to support the
           Government of Timor-Leste and relevant institutions in designing poverty reduction,
           improving education, promotion of sustainable livelihood and economic growth
           policies;
                 16. Encourages the Government of Timor-Leste to strengthen peacebuilding
           perspectives in such areas as employment and empowerment, especially focusing on
           rural areas and youth, as well as local socio-economic development in particular in
           the agricultural sector;
                 17. Requests UNMIT to fully take into account gender considerations as set
           out in Security Council resolutions 1325 (2000), 1820 (2008), 1888 (2009) and 1889
           (2009) as a cross-cutting issue throughout its mandate, stressing the importance of
           strengthening the responsiveness of the security sector to specific needs of women,
           and reaffirms its resolutions 1674 (2006) and 1894 (2009) on protection of civilians
           and 1502 (2003) on the protection of humanitarian and United Nations personnel;
                 18. Requests the Secretary-General to continue to take the necessary
           measures to ensure full compliance by UNMIT with the United Nations zero
           tolerance policy on sexual exploitation and abuse and to keep the Council informed,
           and urges those countries contributing troops and police to take appropriate
           preventive action and to ensure full accountability in cases of such conduct
           involving their personnel;
                 19. Requests also the Secretary-General to keep the Security Council
           regularly informed of the developments on the ground and to submit to the Security
           Council, no later than 15 October 2011 and 26 January 2012, reports that include an
           update regarding the High Level Committee on Transition and progress concerning
           the critical tasks that will need to be accomplished post-election, and on planning
           concerning the United Nations presence in Timor-Leste beyond 2012 elections;
                20. Reaffirms the importance of the medium-term strategy and benchmarks
           for measuring and tracking progress in Timor-Leste, and assessing the level and
           form of United Nations support and cooperation with the Government of Timor-Leste while keeping the benchmarks under active review, and underlines the



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               importance of ownership of the strategy by the leaders and people of Timor-Leste in
               this process;
                     21. Encourages the Government of Timor-Leste, UNMIT, United Nations
               Country Team and other relevant stakeholders, including within the framework of
               the High Level Committee on Transition, to continue to intensify the ongoing
               discussion on the strategy and modalities for the transition and preparation for
               future changes to the nature and scope of United Nations presence on the ground
               post-UNMIT;
                    22.   Decides to remain seized of the matter.




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