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Strengthening border controls in Timor Leste



Dili (Timor Leste), 6 September 2013 - Representatives of the Timorese National Police (PNTL) and UNODC Indonesia Country Manager, Mr Troels Vester, today signed an agreement to strengthen land border controls. As part of this agreement, UNODC will support the PNTL's Border Patrol Unit fight against the smuggling of migrants and the trafficking of people, illicit drugs, counterfeit goods and small arms.

Strategicallly located north of Australia on the eastern half of the island of Timor which it shares with Indonesia West Timor, Timor-Leste is a lower-middle income country of just over 1 million people.

Although much of its infrastructure was devastated in its fight for independence and nearly half of its population lives in poverty, Timor-Leste is currently experiencing rapid economic growth fueled in part from offshore oil and gas revenues.

The project, "Strengthening Land Border Controls in Timor Leste", will support infrastructure development, cross-border cooperation and high quality sustainable training in border management. It will be implemented at the Police Academy in the capital, Dili, and in the administrative districts of Covalima, Bobonaro and Oecusse.

The UNODC project will train and equip the PNTL's Border Patrol Unit to better control and manage the country's land borders and improve border security. It aims to more effectively interdict smuggling along the border; enhance cooperation and interaction with Indonesian border counterparts; and develop sustainable, high quality border management training at the National Police Training Academy.

Project activities will include trainings, provision of vehicles and appropriate equipments, study visits and the development of a Learning Management System (LMS) and border control course modules in local languages.