Timor-Leste is now the 11th member of ASEAN — a proud moment for the country and a big step forward for the region. This milestone opens new doors for cooperation, inclusion, and opportunity, including for children and their families. UNICEF joins UN Agencies to congratulate the country on this milestone, and further reaffirms its commitment to stand with Timor-Leste to help every child grow up healthy, educated, and safe. Let’s build a future where every child survives, thrives, and reaches their full potential. UNICEF UNICEF East Asia and Pacific Patrizia Di Giovanni The ASEAN Secretariat
About us
𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗻 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗨𝗡𝗜𝗖𝗘𝗙’𝘀 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗵𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆 𝗶𝗻 𝗧𝗶𝗺𝗼𝗿-𝗟𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗲 Since the restoration of independence in 2002, UNICEF has been working to promote and protect the rights and wellbeing of all children. We work with the Government of Timor-Leste, businesses and civil society organisations to ensure the rights of all girls and boys to survival, development, protection and participation. UNICEF works with Government to bring basic services and opportunities to all children in Timor-Leste, including in education, health, nutrition, child protection, water, sanitation and hygiene, social protection and inclusion. Nearly half of Timor-Leste’s population is under the age of 18 years and about 70 percent of its population lives in rural areas, with 60 per cent engaged in subsistence agriculture. Nearly 42 percent of the population lives below the poverty line. Timor-Leste’s large youth population presents an enormous opportunity and a significant challenge for the promotion and protection of children’s rights. The country is among the least developed countries in the world. 𝗪𝗼𝗿𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗼𝗴𝗲𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗹𝗱𝗿𝗲𝗻 Partnerships are the heart of everything UNICEF does. The power of partnerships allows us to expand our reach, working with a wide range of like-minded partners to deliver our mandate for children, in line with our country programme. UNICEF works in partnership with the Government of Timor-Leste, development partners, civil society and children to ensure the survival, development, protection and participation of children, with a focus on inequities and disadvantaged children and their families. UNICEF programmes are aligned with the Government of Timor-Leste’s National Strategic Plan 2011-2030.
- Website
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https://www.unicef.org/timorleste/
External link for UNICEF Timor-Leste
- Industry
- Non-profit Organizations
- Company size
- 51-200 employees
- Headquarters
- Dili
- Type
- Nonprofit
- Founded
- 2002
Locations
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Primary
Get directions
Caicoli Street
Dili, TL
Employees at UNICEF Timor-Leste
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Yume Yorita
WASH (water and sanitation) Specialist, with additional experience in environment and pollution.
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Manuela Pereira
Business Administration Fellow| Financial Planner| Youth Activist| Gender Focal Point| Green Team| Trusted by over 50+ youth.
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Herculano Amaral
Former Lecturer at UNIVERSIDADE NACIONAL TIMOR-LOROSA'E (UNTL)
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Noel Afranio Soares
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Updates
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UNICEF and IOM supported INDDICA, the Child Rights Defense Institute of Timor-Leste, to organize a consultation workshop with national stakeholders on the status of the ASEAN Regional Plan of Action for the Implementation of the ASEAN Declaration on the Rights of Children in the Context of Migration. The national stakeholder consultation discussed the country’s achievements and challenges in implementing six focus areas identified as priorities under the Regional Plan of Action to support children affected by migration. Timor-Leste has a history of displacement and faces both challenges and opportunities related to migration. As the country has started integration into ASEAN, this is a timely event to that future priorities of the Regional Plan of Action are developed from consultations with relevant stakeholders and affected children in Timor-Leste. UNICEF thanked the European Union, through UNICEF Regional Office for East Asia and the Pacific, for its financial support for this consultation. UNICEF East Asia and Pacific European Union IOM - UN Migration Suman Khadka, PhD
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𝐋𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐧 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐎𝐌𝐌 𝐏𝐨𝐝𝐜𝐚𝐬𝐭 𝐢𝐧 𝐓𝐞𝐭𝐮𝐦! Explore all episodes of 𝘖𝘯 𝘔𝘺 𝘔𝘪𝘯𝘥 (𝘖𝘔𝘔) – 𝘚𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘰𝘯 1 𝘗𝘰𝘥𝘤𝘢𝘴𝘵 in Tetum via the link or QR code below. This youth-focused podcast promotes positive mental health knowledge, attitudes, and practices. https://lnkd.in/dNfjmiye UNICEF UNICEF East Asia and Pacific Soumen Ray
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The Ministry of Health, with support from UNICEF and Civil Society Partners, yesterday commemorated World Mental Health Day 2025. The event, which was held in Liquisa, helped to raise awareness about mental health issues, and encourage communities to desist from stigmatisation of people who are dealing with mental health challenges. H.E. José dos Reis Magno, Vice Minister of Health for Institutional Strengthening, Ms. Teija Vallandingham, UNICEF Deputy Representative, Mr. Fernando da Conceição, representative of the President of Municipal Authority of Liquica, attended the event alongside UN agencies, development partners and young people. As part of the celebration, the Tetum version of the 𝘖𝘯 𝘔𝘺 𝘔𝘪𝘯𝘥 (𝘖𝘔𝘔) – Season 1 Podcast was launched. This series was co-created with young people from Timor-Leste to strengthen mental health awareness, attitudes, and behaviors among youths. ©UNICEF Timor-Leste/2025/JTalimeta Teija Vallandingham Soumen Ray
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Today, UNICEF Timor-Leste and KOICA in close collaboration with the Government of Timor-Leste held a groundbreaking ceremony in Hera, marking the start of ‘Integrated Climate-Smart Infrastructure in Health Facilities, Schools and Community Centres in Timor-Leste.” under the KOICA funded “Climate Action for the Last Mile: Strengthening Climate Resilience for the Most Vulnerable Children” programme. This initiative will bring solar energy system and upgrade of Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) facilities to schools, health posts, and community centres to ensure essential services continue even during floods, droughts, and other climate shocks. The Hera site marks the first step in transforming this vision into action, paving the way for expansion to Atauro this year, and to Lautém and Viqueque in the coming years. The ceremony was jointly launched by S.E. Germano Santa Brites Dias, Secretary of State for Toponymy and Urban Organization Affairs; Ms. Youn Hwa Kang, Country Director of KOICA Timor-Leste; Mr. Arantes Isaac Sarmento, Chief of Cabinet of the Vice Prime Minister, Minister Coordinator for Social Affairs and Minister of Rural Development and Community Housing; and Ms. Patrizia DiGiovanni, Country Representative of UNICEF in Timor-Leste, with the presence of Mr. António Marques da Silva, Hera Suco Chief, and participated by the from Hera Community members, staff from the Ministry of Public Works, Health, Education, PAM Dili office, along with community members, ministry representatives, teachers, and students. This initiative is part of KOICA-funded programme, “Climate Action for the Last Mile: Reaching the Most Vulnerable Children in Timor-Leste” which implemented by UNICEF. The programme aims to provide Climate-Smart Social Services and Infrastructure (C3SI) across sic key sectors, include Education, Health, Water Sanitation and Hygiene, Nutrition, Child Protection and social Protection. A heartfelt thank you to the Government of Korea through KOICA for supporting this important initiative for the children and people of Timor-Leste. UNICEF #KOICA #TimorLeste #UNICEF East Asia andPacific #ClimateAction #Resilience #ForEveryChild #Sustainability #WASH #SolarEnergy #HeraGroundbreaking ©UNICEF Timor-Leste/2025/DMonemnasi Patrizia Di Giovanni Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) UNICEF East Asia and Pacific
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Exam season is here — a time to make choices that shape your future. Whether you excel in every paper or face setbacks along the way, remember, this is all part of your learning journey. So, give it your best, and keep your eyes on the bigger picture. Your future is full of possibilities. Good luck to all students! #ForEveryChild
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Earlier this month, 80 participants from the Ministry of Youth, Sport, Art and Culture (MoYSAC), Youth Centers, Organisations of People with Disabilities (OPDs), and youth organizations joined a Training of Trainers sessions on state budget process, jointly launched by MoYSAC, the Ministry of Finance, and UNICEF. This Training of Trainers is a follow-up to the July 2025 launch of the State Budget Module, which is designed to strengthen youth participation in Timor-Leste’s budget development process. Mr. David Tomas de Deus, Director General of Youth, emphasised MoYSAC’s commitment to integrate budget literacy into Youth Center outreach programs across all municipalities, ensuring rural youth understand and engage in the annual budget process. Soumen Ray, Chief of Social Policy with UNICEF, highlighted the importance of budget literacy and civic engagement to empower youth to understand and participate in public financial management and national governance. Mr. Frendito, National Director of Planning, from the Ministry of Finance, noted that this training equips young people to advocate for fair budget allocations, especially in rural areas. ©UNICEF Timor-Leste/2025/NASoares Soumen Ray
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Thanks to support from the People’s Republic of China and UNICEF, BTL has connected two communities to the Municipality’s main water source — bringing safe water closer to over 223 households from the Planato and Boru-baha sub village under Baucau Municipality. This is a game-changer for families who have for long faced challenges in accessing clean and safe water, especially during climate-induced dry spells. Under the project “Emergency support to children in response to floods and COVID-19 in Timor-Leste”, 2,000 households across four municipalities, (Dili, Ainaro, Ermera and Baucau), are gaining sustained access to water, sanitation and hygiene — helping protect children from preventable diseases. UNICEF China Patrizia Di Giovanni Teija Vallandingham Andrew Brown Jingjie Yang
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In Timor-Leste, climate change is causing more severe dry seasons and floods, making it harder for families to feed their children. Thanks to China Aid, UNICEF is providing measuring tapes and weighing scales to identify malnourished children, supporting cooking classes for mothers, and training health workers and mother support groups. Adriana, 4, has Down Syndrome. During the last two dry seasons, she also suffered from malnutrition. "My baby was weak and just slept all the time. I didn't know what was wrong with her. I almost lost hope," Adriana's mother Marquita says. "I was so happy when the health worker identified the problem and gave us treatment. Since then, Adriana has gained weight and is more active. Now, she can sit up on her own."
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In Timor-Leste, UNICEF is supporting children and schools to recover from and build resilience to climate-induced disasters. Casnafar Basic Education Branch School, in Dili, is located near a river and subject to regular floods. In 2021, the school lost all their furniture and supplies. Thanks to China Aid, UNICEF has restocked the school with desks, chairs, textbooks and materials. "During the flood, I felt really sad. I couldn't go to school for 2 months, says Nonia, 14. "Now, I feel happy to have furniture and books. I'm proud to continue studying."
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