Catholic-majority Timor-Leste has reversed its initial decision to abstain in a vote on a United Nations resolution concerning the protection of civilians in Gaza and voted in favor of it a day after the vote.
On June 13, the nation of 1.3 million people announced through its Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Dionisio da Costa Babo Soares, that it was reversing its decision and would align with the majority of the international community in support of humanitarian principles and justice.
The abstention "does not accurately reflect our stance on the Palestinian people's suffering due to indiscriminate violence and killing," Babo said in a letter addressed to Philemon Yang, President of the 79th General Assembly.
The UN assembly, convened on June 12 and resumed its Tenth Emergency Special Session under the theme: "Illegal Israeli actions in occupied East Jerusalem and the rest of the Occupied Palestinian Territory."
It also adopted a resolution calling for the protection of civilians and the upholding of international legal and humanitarian obligations in Gaza and the occupied Palestinian territories.
The vote was passed with 149 member states in favor, 12 opposed, and 19 abstentions, including Timor-Leste.
However, Timor-Leste changed its vote the next day in favor of the resolution, "to ensure that our official stance accurately reflects our commitment to peace, justice, and the rights of the Palestinian people," the letter addressed to Yang said.
Babo emphasized Timor-Leste's support for the Palestinian cause and called for an immediate end to the war in Gaza, the release of the remaining hostages, and the protection of civilians under international law.
The rectification aligned Timor-Leste with its regional and global allies, including all ASEAN members and the Community of Portuguese Speaking Countries (CPLP), which had voted in favor of the resolution.
The United States and Israel were among the few nations to vote against the measure, and were joined by countries such as Argentina, Hungary, Paraguay, and several Pacific island states.
Timor-Leste's Permanent Mission did not respond to inquiries from UCA News about the original abstention.
Timor-Leste's leaders have long spoken out on international justice issues.
In 2024, President Jose Ramos-Horta hosted Palestinian Special Envoy Ambassador Zuhair S.M. Aish in Dili, reaffirming solidarity between the two nations and drawing historical parallels between Timor-Leste's own fight for independence and the Palestinian cause.
Prime Minister Xanana Gusmao, speaking at the UN last year, expressed "clear support for a just solution to the conflict between Israel and Palestine," and called for an "immediate end to the genocide" in Gaza.
Both President Ramos-Horta and Prime Minister Gusmao remain advocates for a peaceful two-state solution and the protection of civilians in the Israel-Palestine conflict.
Timor-Leste's vote correction reinforces its diplomatic identity as a principled voice on the global stage, grounded in its own history of struggle, and committed to peace and human dignity, observers say.
Source: https://www.ucanews.com/news/timor-leste-changes-un-vote-supports-palestinian-rights/10934