VZCZCXRO4027
PP RUEHDT RUEHTRO
DE RUEHC #8279/01 0580224
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P R 270207Z FEB 09
FM SECSTATE WASHDC
TO RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK PRIORITY 5053
INFO UN SECURITY COUNCIL COLLECTIVE
RUEHDT/AMEMBASSY DILI 5487

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 STATE 018279 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL UNSC KPKO TT
SUBJECT: UNMIT ADOPTION, FEBRUARY 26, 2009 
 
¶1. This is an action request.  USUN should vote in 
favor of the resolution text below, extending the mandate 
of the UN Integrated Mission in Timor-Leste (UNMIT) until 
February 26, 2010. 
 
Begin text. 
 
The Security Council, 
 
Reaffirming all its previous resolutions and statements on 
the situation in Timor-Leste, in particular its 
resolutions 1599 (2005) of 28 April 2005, 1677 (2006) of 
12 May 2006, 1690 (2006) of 20 June 2006, 1703 (2006) of 
18 August 2006, 1704 (2006) of 25 August 2006, 1745 (2007) 
of 22 February 2007 and 1802 (2008) of 25 February 2008, 
 
Welcoming the report of the Secretary-General of 4 
February 2009 (S/2009/72), 
 
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, 
 
Welcoming the improvements in the political and security 
situation in Timor-Leste, which has recovered from the 
2006 crisis and the events of 11 February 2008, and noting 
that the current political and security situation, 
although generally calm, remains fragile, 
 
Welcoming the Government sponsored six-week nationwide 
weapons collection campaign which ended on 31 August 2008 
with the support of the United Nations Integrated Mission 
in Timor-Leste (UNMIT) and the international security 
forces and the destruction of the collected weapons on the 
United Nations Day of that year, 
 
Commending the political leadership and state institutions 
of Timor-Leste for restoring and securing stability, and 
welcoming the return of a significant number of internally 
displaced persons and the disbandment of the "petitioners" 
group, while recognizing the importance of additional 
measures to achieve meaningful reconciliation and their 
reintegration into their respective communities, 
 
Reiterating its call on the leadership and other 
stakeholders in Timor-Leste to continue to pursue peaceful 
dialogue and to avoid violent means to resolve 
differences, 
 
Welcoming the efforts of the political leadership of 
Timor-Leste to create opportunities for all the political 
parties to make contributions to issues of national 
interest, 
 
Reaffirming the need for respect for the independence of 
the judiciary and its responsibility, welcoming the 
conviction of the leaders of Timor-Leste on the need for 
justice and their determination to act against impunity, 
and in this regard acknowledging the serious resource 
constraints of the judicial system and encouraging the 
leadership of Timor-Leste to continue efforts to establish 
accountability for serious criminal offences committed 
during the 2006 crisis as recommended by the Independent 
Special Commission of Inquiry, 
 
Recalling its previous statements on 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 the Polmcia 
Nacional de Timor-Leste (PNTL) and the Ministry of 
Interior", concluded between the Government of Timor-Leste 
and UNMIT on 1 December 2006, and in this regard, 
stressing the need for constructive engagement between 
UNMIT police and the PNTL with a view to developing the 
capacity and capability of the national police, 
 
Expressing its full support for the role of the 
international security forces in assisting the Government 
of Timor-Leste and UNMIT, in the restoration and 
maintenance of law and stability, in response to the 
requests of the Government of Timor-Leste, 
 
Expressing concern with the increase in poverty among the 
Timorese population, as indicated in the report of the 
Secretary-General, and underlining the importance of 
continued support for socio-economic development of 
 
STATE 00018279  002 OF 003 
 
 
Timor-Leste, 
 
Recalling that while the manifestations of the current 
challenges in Timor-Leste are political and institutional 
in nature, poverty and its associated deprivations also 
contribute to these challenges, paying tribute to 
Timor-Leste's bilateral and multilateral partners for 
their invaluable assistance, particularly with regard to 
institutional capacity-building and social and economic 
development, and recognizing the progress being made in 
the development of many aspects of governance in 
Timor-Leste, 
 
Reaffirming its resolutions 1325 (2000) and 1820 (2008) on 
women, peace and security, and 1502 (2003) on the 
protection of humanitarian and United Nations personnel, 
and welcoming the cooperation of UNMIT with other UN 
partners to support the Government's effort to develop a 
national gender equality policy and strategy, 
 
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 2010 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 consolidate peace, democracy, 
rule of law, sustainable social and economic development, 
advancement of protection of human rights and 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 inclusive and collaborative 
processes, including the expanded High-Level Coordination 
Committee and the Trilateral Coordination Forum; 
 
¶3. Requests UNMIT to extend the necessary support, within 
its current mandate, for local elections currently planned 
for 2009, responding to the request from the Government of 
Timor-Leste, and encourages the international community to 
assist in this process; 
 
¶4. Reaffirms the continued importance of 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-Forgas 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 institutions, 
and requests UNMIT to continue to support the Government 
of Timor-Leste in these efforts; 
 
¶5. Supports the gradual resumption of policing 
responsibilities by the PNTL beginning in 2009 through a 
phased approach, while emphasizing that the PNTL must meet 
the criteria mutually agreed between the Government of 
Timor-Leste and UNMIT as set out in paragraph 21 of the 
report of the Secretary-General to guarantee the PNTL's 
readiness for the resumption of such responsibilities in 
any given district or unit, and requests the Government of 
Timor-Leste and UNMIT to cooperate with each other to 
implement the resumption process, and requests UNMIT to 
continue to ensure, through the presence of UNMIT police 
component and the provision of support to the PNTL, the 
maintenance of public security in Timor-Leste, which 
includes interim law enforcement and public security until 
the PNTL is fully reconstituted; 
 
¶6. 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, and requests the Secretary-General to report 
on them to the Security Council and troop and police 
contributing countries within 90 days after the adoption 
of this resolution; 
 
¶7. Requests UNMIT, working with partners, to intensify its 
efforts to assist with further training, mentoring, 
institutional development and strengthening of the PNTL 
with a view to enhancing its effectiveness, including with 
respect to addressing the special needs of women; 
 
¶8. Reaffirms the importance of ongoing efforts to achieve 
accountability and justice, and underlines the importance 
 
STATE 00018279  003 OF 003 
 
 
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]; 
 
¶9. Underlines the importance of a coordinated approach to 
the justice sector reform, based on needs assessment, and 
the ongoing need to increase Timorese ownership and 
strengthen national capacity in judicial line functions, 
including the training and specialization of national 
lawyers and judges; 
 
¶10. Emphasizes the need for sustained support of the 
international community to Timor-Leste to develop and 
strengthen its institutions and further build capacities 
in the justice sector; 
 
¶11. 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; 
 
¶12. 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; 
 
¶13. Takes note of the Timor-Leste National Recovery 
Strategy and the Government's declaration of 2009 as the 
year of 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, promotion of sustainable livelihood and 
economic growth policies; 
 
¶14. Encourages the Government of Timor-Leste to strengthen 
peacebuilding perspectives in such areas as integration of 
internally displaced persons, employment and empowerment, 
especially focusing on rural areas and youth, as well as 
local socio-economic development including agricultural 
activities; 
 
¶15. Requests UNMIT to fully take into account gender 
considerations as set out in Security Council resolutions 
1325(2000) and 1820(2008) as a cross-cutting issue 
throughout its mandate, and further requests the 
Secretary-General to include in his reporting to the 
Security Council progress on gender mainstreaming 
throughout UNMIT and all other aspects relating to the 
situation of women and girls, especially on the need to 
protect them from gender-based violence, detailing special 
measures to protect women and girls from such violence; 
 
¶16. 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; 
 
¶17. Further requests the Secretary-General to keep the 
Security Council regularly informed of the developments on 
the ground, including those related to preparation for the 
planned local elections, and on the implementation of this 
resolution, including in particular progress on transfer 
of the policing responsibility from UNMIT to the PNTL, and 
to submit to the Security Council, no later than 30 
September 2009, a report reviewing, inter alia,  the 
resumption of policing responsibilities by the PNTL, and, 
no later than 1 February 2010, a report which includes 
possible adjustments in UNMIT's mandate and strength; 
 
¶18. Welcomes the work undertaken by the Secretary-General 
and the Government of Timor-Leste to develop a medium-term 
strategy and establish benchmarks for measuring and 
tracking progress in Timor-Leste, and assessing the level 
and form of United Nations support while keeping the 
benchmarks under active review, and underlines the 
importance of ownership of the strategy by the leaders and 
people of Timor-Leste in this process; 
 
¶19. Decides to remain seized of the matter. 
 
End text. 
CLINTON