United States and Timor-Leste Partner Launch Key Anti-Corruption Initiatives
Dili, July 22, 2024 — Today, the Embassy of the United States of America, through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the Timor-Leste Office of the Ombudsman for Human Rights and Justice (PDHJ) signed a formal Statement of Cooperation outlining joint efforts to enhance governance and strengthen PDHJ’s capacity to fulfill its constitutional mandate.
The Statement sets forth the basis of cooperation between the PDHJ and USAID to strengthen the accountability mandate of the institution and improve its capacity to mitigate corruption. It includes support for PDHJ’s strategic plan, development of research capacity to monitor corruption, implementation of civic education and anti-corruption programs, and enhancement of PDHJ’s ability to respond to citizen complaints.
“Today’s signing underscores the importance of partnerships in the fight against corruption. We value our collaboration with PDHJ and are committed to supporting the people of Timor-Leste,” said USAID Mission Director Robert Barton.
“The Office of PDHJ, celebrating this year its 20th anniversary, is well-positioned to serve as one of the pillars of the country’s young democracy, a vanguard for human rights and a catalyst for good governance and reduced corruption,” said Ombudsman, Virgilio Guterres. “The signing of this Statement of Cooperation today will provide a strong foundation for a concerted effort with our partner USAID. It positions the PDHJ as an institution of stature, importance, and influence to promote greater transparency and accountability, drive people-centered public policies and programs, and empower the community to demand good governance from its officials. We thank the U.S. Government for its support through the USAID-funded Accountability and Integrity Mechanism Activity.”
The assistance will be coordinated by USAID/Timor-Leste’s Accountability and Integrity Mechanism (AIM) activity. AIM, a nearly $7.9 million program launched in April, marks a pivotal step in USAID’s governance support in Timor-Leste, as it seeks to strengthen the government’s accountability ecosystem and advance anti-corruption efforts. The PDHJ is one of the key stakeholders in this work.
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