PDHJ trains defence personnel in human rights

The Office of the Ombudsman for Human Rights and Justice (PDHJ) has delivered a week-long training program on human rights for members of Timor Leste's armed forces, the FALINTIL-Força Defesa Timor-Leste (F-FDTL) Navy component.

The program, which ran from 19-23 February 2018, was the first activity under a partnership established between the PDHJ and the General Commander of F-FDTL in August 2017.

A Human Rights Manual for the Army was also produced as part of the partnership.

A total of 23 personnel (21 men and two women) took part in the training program, which was designed to increase the knowledge of F-FDTL members on human rights principles.

The program also examined their role in the context of national law, the organic law of the F-FDTL, military disciplinary regulation, law on use of force, international human rights law and other related laws.

An important goal of the training and the broader collaboration is to reduce complaints of human rights violations against defence force personnel.

The training program was the result of collaboration between the PDHJ, the Ministry of Defense, the General Commander of F-FDTL and the OHCHR/UNDP Timor-Leste.

The Minister of Defense and Security José Agostinho Sequeira "SOMOTXO", the Deputy Ombudsman Horacio de Almeida, UN/OHCHR Human Rights Adviser Anjet Lanting, and Julio da Silva Pinto Represent Naval Commander spoke at the opening of the program

Date: 20 March 2018

Source: Ombudsman for Human Rights and Justice