06 December 2007

GPPi conducts field research in Timor-Leste

In late November, the GPPi “Learning to Build Peace” research team visited Timor-Leste for nine days of field research. Thorsten Benner, Stephan Mergenthaler and Philipp Rotmann met with UN officials, donor representatives, Timorese politicians and NGO representatives. The GPPi trip concided with a visit by a UN Security Council delegation which affirmed the long-term support of the UN for Timor-Leste. The GPPi team also attended the official opening ceremony of the “Casa Europa”, the EU Commission’s new representation in Dili, Timor-Leste’s capital. “Casa Europa” was opened on 24 November by José Manuel Barroso, the Commission’s President.

The team conducted 33 interviews to analyze the political situation in Timor-Leste, the set-up of the UN mission and knowledge management efforts in the areas of police reform, judicial reform and mission integration. Interviewees included General Eric Tan Huck Gim, Deputy Special-Representative of the Secretary-General for Security Sector Support and Rule of Law, US ambassador Hans-Günther Klemm, Deputy UNMIT Police Commissioner Juan-Carlos Arevalo, José Caetano Guterres, East Timor Crisis Reflection Network, Agio Pereira, Secretary of State, Council of Ministers and Wolfgang Weisbrod-Weber, Chief of Staff, UNMIT. The trip was part of the two-year GPPi research project “Learning to Build Peace? UN Peacebuilding and Organizational Learning” that is funded by the German Foundation for Peace Research. GPPi is particularly grateful to Alex Rose (UNMIT), Suzanne Granfar (UNMIT) and Edward Rees (Peace Dividend Trust) for faciliating our research in Timor-Leste.

For more information on the project "Learning to Build Peace", please click here.

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