Report of the Special Rapporteur on Extreme Poverty and Human Rights. Mission to Timor-Leste

At the invitation of the Government, the Special Rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights, Magdalena Sepúlveda Carmona, undertook a mission to Timor-Leste from 13 to 18 November 2011. The Special Rapporteur collected first-hand information on the human rights situation of people living in extreme poverty and on policies relating to poverty alleviation, development and social protection, and the allocation of resources by the Government of Timor-Leste to these areas. In this report, the Special Rapporteur recognizes the difficult task faced by Timor-Leste in tackling the challenge of State-building and development only 10 years after independence. However, despite rapid economic growth in recent years, the situation of the poorest segments of society remains grave and there are significant and growing inequalities in terms of income, opportunities and access to services. The Special Rapporteur emphasizes that the country’s human rights obligations to progressively realize the economic, social and cultural rights of all its population, without discrimination, apply even during times of development and post-crisis rebuilding.