News Release No. 2000/135/EAP Tokyo
Contact: Tomoko Hagimoto (81-3) 3597-6650
Australia Contacts: Lucy Oh 02-8268 8888 (until 12/10/99)
Graham Barrett 03-9815-2832
Washington Contact: Loty Salazar 1- 202-458-2559
TOKYO, December 8, 1999 - The
international donor community will meet in Tokyo on Friday, December 17,
1999 to discuss the longer term development and reconstruction needs of
devastated East Timor. Over 100 delegates from more than 30 countries and
institutions will meet at the Mita Kaigisho (Mita Conference Facility)
to discuss the country's reconstruction process, which will start within
the next six to nine months. The meeting, hosted by the Government of Japan,
will be co-chaired by Sergio Vieira de Mello, Special Representative of
the Secretary General of the United Nations, and Jean-Michel Severino,
Vice-President of the East Asia and Pacific Region of the World Bank. Also
in attendance will be National Council of Timorese Resistance (CNRT) leader,
Xanana Gusmao, as a representative of the United Nations delegation.
Donors' meeting participants will review East Timor's humanitarian, civil administration, and long term development requirements and will discuss the voluntary funding necessary to meet these needs.
A Joint Assessment Mission on development requirements took place from October 29, 1999, composed of 22 East Timorese technical experts and 22 international experts from 15 countries and agencies including Japan, Portugal, Australia, the Asian Development Bank and United Nations agencies. The World Bank-coordinated mission identified the need for some US$260-300 million over the next three years for longer term development and reconstruction efforts, primarily in the infrastructure, health, and education sectors.
The donors' meeting in Tokyo will also consider the challenges facing the United Nations Transitional Administration in East Timor (UNTAET) which needs to build East Timorese administrative capacity and institutions in order to achieve a successful transition to independence. Participants in the meeting will focus on the funding UNTAET needs to undertake civil administration in East Timor. Donors will also consider progress with the United Nations appeal to meet immediate humanitarian relief needs addressed by the United Nations agencies.
Media are cordially invited to a press conference on December 17, 1999, marking the close of the Donors' Meeting for East Timor.
Event: Donors' Meeting for East Timor
Closing Press Conference
Time and Date: December 17, 1999 at 17:30 p.m.
Place: Mita Kaigisho (Auditorium, 1F)
2-1-8 Mita, Minato-ku, Tokyo
The conference will be conducted with English-Japanese simultaneous interpretation. It is necessary to reply to Tomoko Hagimoto in order to attend the conference. Please be advised that you may be asked to show proper identification at the reception desk for security reasons.