Insights on Timor-Leste
Council members met today for a preparatory meeting on the resolution renewing the UN Mission in Timor-Leste (UNMIT) for another year. Members will begin consultations on the draft resolution tomorrow and are expected to finalise it by the end of the week. The Council is currently scheduled to have a debate on Timor-Leste on 22 February and to adopt the UNMIT resolution on 24 February.
The Core Group, (made up of Australia, Brazil, France, Japan, New Zealand, Malaysia, the Philippines, Portugal, South Africa, the UK and the US), which traditionally produces the first draft of the resolution. completed its discussions late last week. The main areas of contention centered on language referring to the uncertified police officers and to UNMIT’s possible withdrawal in 2012.
With six Council members currently part of the Core Group the general expectation is that the negotiations over the draft resolution should be relatively straight-forward.