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UNMISET mandate extended, but post-UN scenario feared

Lusa - April 29, 2003

New York – The United Nations Security Council has approved a one-year extension of the UN mission in East Timor, while diplomatic sources caution that the new nation could experience massive difficulties after the world body pulls out next year.

The Security Council approved the renewal of the UN Mission for East Timor (UNMISET) late Monday after a three-hour debate on a report by Secretary-General Kofi Annan on the situation in Timor. Annan warned in his report that Timor will face a serious shortfall of administrative officials when the UN withdraws its civil support group – now scheduled for May, 2004. UN peacekeepers in Timor will also leave the southeast Asian nation in May of next year, with UN police departing in June.

Timor's ambassador at the UN, Josi Lums Guterres, said the new details of UNMISET's mandate could be changed "in the case of external threats", but added that "if all goes well, the UN mandate will conclude in May 2004".

Once the UN withdraws from Timor, many UN officials fear the international community will turn its back on the new nation, which is southeast Asia's poorest state and will continue to depend on the generosity of donor nations when the world body departs.

The UN's special representative for Timor, Kamalesh Sharma, warned that the development of the nation's economy would be a "long and arduous process". He also pointed out that Timor's infant mortality rate is 80 per 1,000 live births. Only 57 percent of adults are literate and 46 percent of Timorese have never attended school, meaning that the country's workforce had no technical or specialized skills, he added.

Sharma said that 40 percent of Timorese have a daily income below USD 0.55 and per capita GDP is only USD 500, while average life expectancy is 57 years. The UN diplomat said he had warned the Security Council that owing to Timor's dire poverty and fragile public institutions, the fledgling nation will need continuing international support after the UN mission terminates.

"The involvement of the UN in the building of peace and institutions will have to continue", said Sharma, adding that UNMISET plans to study "options" on how this aid can be delivered.