19 February 2004

Monrovia: Tiago dos Reis becomes the second Timorese to serve as a United Nations Volunteer (UNV) by joining the UN Mission in Liberia (UNMIL).

Mr. dos Reis worked for the UN Transitional Administration in East Timor (UNTAET) and the United Nations Mission in East Timor (UNMISET) before becoming a UN Volunteer.

UNV Programme Manager with UNMISET, Douglas Campos said, "the Timorese have shown that they have the capacity to give as much as they have received. We are proud to have been able to facilitate this process of cooperation and integration of Timor-Leste in to the arena of international aid".

The first UN Volunteer from Timor-Leste, Claudio Magno recently completed his assignment with the Transport Unit of the UN mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo (MONUC). His specific duties included the maintenance of a complex vehicle inventory for UN peacekeeping troops in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

The UNV mission in Timor-Leste was the largest operation in the organization’s 31-year history. Since 1999, some 3,000 UN Volunteers from more than 100 countries have supported authorities in Timor-Leste. They carried out a wide range of activities in all parts of the country, including support of electoral processes, and collaboration with other UN agencies as part of the UN Transitional Administration in East Timor (UNTAET).

UN Volunteers in a post-independence context, continue to support Timor-Leste by working in various sectors of relief and development including, forestry and fisheries, refugee- and returnee issues, judicial and political affairs, research and census, water and sanitation. Other areas which UNV supports include, border control, district finances, gender affairs, human rights, forensics, civil engineering, health, trade, public information and taxation. No other UN operation has made such extensive use of UN Volunteers and their expertise.