Liquica (November 24, 2014) – Following its successful launch last week in Ermera, today USAID’s Ba Distrito project launched in Liquica.  The project, which is generously supported by the American people through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), is working to strengthen local governance and improve access to justice.  Promoting a local governance system that is increasingly able to identify and respond to the needs of its citizens, the project is working with suco councils, civil society organizations, municipal level authorities and judicial institutions to achieve more responsive service delivery at the local level. 

Working in partnership with the Ministry of State Administration and implemented by Counterpart International and its local partner NGO Belun, the four year project from USAID is building the institutional and human capacity of suco councils, and in particular the capacity of suco chiefs, and elected women and youth representatives, to engage with their population and successfully fulfill an increasingly important role as Timor-Leste moves toward devolving power to the municipal level. The USAID Ba Distrito project is working with 100 suco councils from Baucau, Covalima, Ermera, Liquica and Oecusse. 

This project is particularly relevant in the context of Liquica, which was recently identified as one of three municipalities to trial the government’s new pre-deconcentration administrative structure.  Through its capacity development and communication, support activities, USAID’s Ba Distrito project will help to ensure that information about the changing structure reaches the people and that the people’s representatives, the suco council, are able to clearly understand their changing roles and more fully participate in and represent the priorities of their communities.

The Secretary of State for Local Development, Mr. Samuel Mendonça commented, “USAID Ba Distrito Launched today in Liquica is to promote efficient, effective and good work performance for local governance and also to be more closely working with community to resolve the local judiciary cases", said Mr. Mendonça”.

USAID’s Mission Director for Timor-Leste stated that the Ba Distrito project would work with local officials to build and strengthen their networks and their skills.  And it will do more – the Ba Distrito project will promote interaction among officials and citizens so they can share information and find areas of cooperation.  In this way, everyone can gain from the successes of their neighbors to speed the pace of development for their communities.

On access to justice USAID’s Ba Distrito project is partnering with the Ministry of Justice and the Courts as well as the Judicial System Monitoring Programme (JSMP), the Lawyers Association of Timor Lorosa’e (AATL), Fundasaun Fatuk Sinai Oecusse (FFSO), and other legal aid organizations to improve access to justice, with a particular focus on engaging marginalized citizens, including women and youth in these processes. 

Commenting on the ongoing challenge to justice accessible to the people of Timor-Leste, Counterpart International’s, Chief of Party for the Ba Distrito project noted “We will help to bridge the gap between people living in rural communities and the formal justice system by supporting legal aid organizations to bring legal information and assistance directly to the people of Liquica at the suco level.  We will also support suco councils to continue their important role in helping community members resolve disputes, while at the same time bringing a greater awareness about the equal rights of women to the process, and an awareness of how and when cases must be referred to the formal justice system.”

The ceremony, which took place at the Municipal Administration office in Liquica, was attended by the the Secretary of State for Local Development, Mr. Samuel Mendonça; the USAID Mission Director, Mr. John Seong; the Liquica municipal Administrator, Mr. Domingos Da C. dos Santos; the PNTL Commander for Liquica; municipal level authorities; Suco Chiefs; and civil society organizations.