independence

UN Security Council in session

Security Council backs UN plan to help East Timor when it gains independence

31 October 2001
The Security Council today endorsed United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan's recommendations that the UN continue its role in East Timor after the territory's independence next year, stressing that a premature withdrawal of the international presence could have a destabilizing effect in a number of crucial areas.

First East Timor defence force battalion inaugurated as UN welcomes the move

26 October 2001
In a move welcomed by the United Nations Transitional Administration (UNTAET), the first East Timor Defence Force (ETDF) battalion was formally inaugurated today at a ceremony at which its Australian-built facility was officially handed over to the people of East Timor.

Annan details UN's plans after East Timor independence

22 October 2001
The primary focus for a new United Nations mission in East Timor would be to ensure the territory's security and the viability and stability of its government structures, Secretary-General Kofi Annan says in a just-released report.

East Timor: assembly slates 20 May 2002 for UN to hand over sovereignty

22 October 2001
The President of East Timor's Constituent Assembly signed today a resolution recommending 20 May 2002 as the date on which UNTAET, the United Nations Administration in the territory, will hand over sovereignty to elected Timorese Government institutions.