Timor-Leste joins UNESCO; its president awarded peace prize
Timor-Leste has become the 189th Member State of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) after signing the agency’s constitution yesterday in London.
Timor-Leste has become the 189th Member State of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) after signing the agency’s constitution yesterday in London.
UNESCO has been active in the young Southeast Asian nation since the late 1990s, supporting media development and cultural preservation projects, and helping in establishing the first two community radio stations there.
The organization also announced yesterday that Timor-Leste President Xanana Gusmão will be awarded this year’s Houphouet-Boigny Peace Prize on 10 June. The Prize, which includes a cheque for €122,000, a diploma and a gold medal, is awarded annually to the person, institution or organization who contributes significantly to the promotion, research, preservation or maintenance of peace.