Timorese president lauds UN Volunteers for election support

The President of Timor-Leste has congratulated the more than 250 United Nations Volunteers (UNVs) from 70 countries who supported the country’s elections this year.

José Ramos-Horta told a ceremony on 18 July that the commitment of the UNVs, who helped the electoral process as it unfolded in recent months, “is a true testament of the ideas and ideals of the United Nations.”

The UNVs working with the UN Integrated Mission in Timor-Leste (UNMIT) served as elections advisers supporting logistics, voter registration, voter education and training. On Election Day, the volunteers were on the ground throughout the country to help facilitate the process.

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s Special Representative for Timor-Leste, Atul Khare, said the UNVs “were the backbone of this operation.”

UNMIT was tasked by the Security Council with supporting Timor-Leste in all aspects of the 2007 presidential and parliamentary electoral process.