The United Nations will stay in East Timor (Timor Leste) for another year under a new political mission that will significantly reduce the UN troop presence there.

The Security Council has unanimously adopted a resolution that will send 45 civilian advisers, 75 police advisers and up to 10 human rights officers to the developing island country until May 2006.

The new UN Office in Timor Leste will replace the UN Mission of Support in Timor Leste, a peackeeping mission that has existed since 1999. At that time 10,000 UN military personnel were deployed to the country after it declared independence from Indonesia.

After several phases of scaling down the force, there are just 466 UN troops left in East Timor this year.

Secretary-general Kofi Annan says that "considerable progress" has been made towards politically stabilising East Timor and promoting human rights, but UN support is still needed.

The new office will be charged with helping develop state institutions, police forces and border patrol units. The political mission should eventually give way to "a sustainable development assistance framework," the resolution says.

In his message, the secretary-general congratulates "the Government and people of Timor-Leste on their achievements in such a short period of time, in the face of overwhelming odds."

East Timor had been occupied by Indonesia for more than 20 years when it voted for independence in August 1999, amidst violence by pro-Jakarta militias that killed an estimated 1,400 people.

The country gained independence in May 2002 after more than two years of UN administration.