Dili, August 27th, 2024 – UNDP Timor-Leste’s Resident Representative Katyna Argueta, and the President of National Press Council (NPC), Mr. Otelio Ote, signed a Letter of Agreement (LOA) today, marking a crucial step to advance media capacity and strengthen democratic governance in Timor-Leste.

Funded by a $6 million commitment from the Government of Japan, the UNDP project “Strengthening the Operational Capacities of the RTTL (Rádio e Televisão Timor-Leste) to enhance Democratic Governance in Timor-Leste”, has two key objectives: constructing a Green Building for the new RTTL headquarters and providing tailored trainings to enhance in-house capacities for conducting social and political debates, with a focus on youth and women.

The signing ceremony formalized the collaboration between UNDP and the National Press Council to carry out the project’s capacity-building goal and was witnessed by the Secretary of State for Social Communication, H.E. Mr. Expedito Dias Ximenes, the Representative from the Embassy of Japan in Timor-Leste, Ms. Naomi Takahashi and RTTL President Mr. Jose Antonio Belo.

“The today LoA’s signature represent - a partnership between Timor Leste, Japan and UNDP - to strength the capacities of the National Press Council and also the RTTL; to promote citizen engagement in public social and political debate; foster democratic dialogue and enhance representative and participatory democracy in Timor-Leste.”, underlined Katyna Argueta, UNDP Timor-Leste Resident Representative.

Naomi Takahashi, Representative from the Embassy of Japan in Timor-Leste, reinforced that "We are grateful to witness how democracy in Timor-Leste has grown and solidified over these years. Media is crucial for a thriving democracy. The Government of Japan, in collaboration with UNDP, has recently provided electoral support projects, including training for journalists. With this new project, supported by a commitment of $6 million USD, we aim to build a new headquarters for RTTL and enhance the capacity of Timorese journalists to facilitate political public debates, particularly targeting youth and women."

Both the Secretary of State for Social Communication, H.E. Expedito Dias Ximene and the President of National Press Council, Mr. Otelio Ote, expressed their gratitude to the Government of Japan and UNDP for "collaborating with the Press Council to elevate the quality of journalism in Timor-Leste, the pillar of democracy"

This partnership underscores a collective effort to build a more inclusive and representative democratic environment in Timor-Leste, reinforcing the media's role as a cornerstone of democracy.