Donor Support: Agreement between the Republic of Indonesia and the Portuguese Republic on the question of East Timor
Implementations
Donor Support – 1999
Prior to the popular consultation, the Secretary General of the UN established a trust fund intended to both help finance the UN presence in East Timor and to finance the popular consultation. In August 1999, shortly before the popular consultation, donations to the trust fund had surpassed $21.7m (USD).1 After the popular consultation the UN trust fund became an organizing vehicle for aid directed at supporting the East Timor government and institutional development. A conference of donor states, the World Bank, and the UN met in Tokyo from 16-17 December 1999 and established a parallel trust fund, administered by the World Bank and Asian Development Bank, to finance reconstruction projects. Attending donor states made a three-year commitment to the funds in the amount of $522.45m. Of this amount, $148.98m was for humanitarian assistance and $373.47m was directed towards supporting the civil administration, reconstruction, and development within East Timor.2
- “UN General Assembly Resolution A/RES/53/240,” United Nations General Assembly, August 11, 1999.
- “Secretary General’s Report to the UN Security Council,” United Nations Security Council (S/2000/53), January 26, 2000; “East Timor donors considering aid package of over 300m dollars,” Kyoda News Service, December 15, 1999.
Donor Support – 2000
Subsequent donor meetings were held in Lisbon (June 2000) and Brussels (December 2000). In the October, 2000, meeting the European Union donated another €18.2 to the trust fund.1
- “Belgium; E.U. signs 18.2 euro aid package for East Timor,” Deutsche Presse-Agentur, October 5, 2000.
Donor Support – 2001
States at the Canberra Donor Conference on the 14-15 June 2001 endorsed the East Timor Transitional Administration’s $65m budget and assumed responsibility for funding the $20m deficit not met by taxation within the territory.1 ] Another donor conference was held in Oslo in December.
- “Secretary General’s Report to the UN Security Council,” United Nations Security Council (S/2001/719), July 24, 2001.
Donor Support – 2002
Additional contributions to the Trust Fund came on 16 May 2002 as an international donor conference in Dili, East Timor, resulted in a donation of an additional $360m intended to support the East Timor government through the first three years of independence.1
- “East Timor; Donors pledge 360m dollars in aid for East Timor,” BBC Summary of World Broadcasts, May 16, 2002.
Donor Support – 2003
On June 2003, the UK pledged ₤4m in budgetary support for 2004 to East Timor.1 Nevertheless, the monetary support declined as East Timor started to receive economic and trade cooperation, especially in the fields of oil and natural gas development, and agriculture and fishery. A whole range of states provided particular kinds of aid. The Portuguese connection had gotten the Lusophone world involved in the pledge.
Donor Support – 2004
International support tapered off after production began from an offshore gas field in 2004, but international donors still contributed $30m in 2004 to cover the East Timor government’s budget deficit for the year.1
Donor Support – 2005
Australian government made a commitment to provide a total of 42m dollars [approximately 31m US] to East Timor in 2005-2006 in official development assistance.1
- “Australian foreign minister stresses aid commitment to East Timor,” BBC Monitoring Asia Pacific — Political, July 7, 2005.
Donor Support – 2006
No significant reports on donor activities.
Donor Support – 2007
No significant reports on donor activities.
Donor Support – 2008
No significant reports on donor activities.