Geneva, 12 March 2025 – The Ombudsman for Human Rights and Justice of Timor-Leste (PDHJ) reaffirmed its commitment to gender equality and the protection of women’s and girls’ rights during the 2025 Annual Meeting of the Global Alliance of National Human Rights Institutions (GANHRI), held in Geneva from March 10-12. The Provedor for Human Rights and Justice, Virgílio da Silva Guterres Lamukan, and Deputy Ombudsman Maria Marília da Costa actively participated in the high-level discussions as part of Timor-Leste’s ongoing national and international commitment to human rights.
As a Status A accredited NHRI, PDHJ played a key role in the discussions, ensuring that the voices of Timor-Leste and other Global South nations were represented. In his intervention, Provedor Virgílio Guterres expressed appreciation for the work of fellow NHRIs and advocated for stronger protections for women’s and girls’ rights. He highlighted several critical legal reforms that PDHJ has been pursuing, including:
- Judicial review of marriage laws, which currently only recognize Catholic marriages, advocating for the legal acknowledgment of other religious and civil marriages in Timor-Leste.
- Judicial review of family planning regulations, which currently restrict young women from accessing clinical reproductive health services and require married women to obtain their husband’s permission for medical check-ups.
The Annual Meeting, hosted by GANHRI in partnership with the UN Human Rights Office and co-funded by the European Commission, focused on the theme “The Human Rights of Women and Girls: Promoting Gender Equality.” NHRI representatives from around the world engaged in discussions on gender-based violence, legal and policy reforms, education initiatives to combat discrimination, and institutional strategies to advance gender inclusion.
During the event, NHRIs committed to intensifying their advocacy efforts and strengthening accountability mechanisms for gender equality. The conference concluded with the adoption of an Outcome Statement, reaffirming the urgent need to:
- Counter global pushbacks on gender rights
- Strengthen accountability through NHRIs
- Promote gender-responsive climate action
- Ensure equal participation of women in decision-making
- Improve NHRI institutional frameworks to support gender equality
The GANHRI Annual Meeting also featured leadership elections, with Amina Bouayach of Morocco elected as the new Chairperson and Alyson Kilpatrick of Northern Ireland as the new Secretary for a three-year term. The meeting paid tribute to two distinguished human rights defenders—Roseline Odede of Kenya and Raafat Salha of Palestine—who passed away earlier this year.
PDHJ’s participation in this global forum underscores its dedication to strengthening human rights protection in Timor-Leste and beyond, ensuring that legal frameworks evolve to better protect the rights of women, girls, and marginalized communities.
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