Two Timor-Leste Government officials participated in a training focusing on sustainable ecotourism and forest management in Jeju, Republic of Korea from March 20-23 2018.

Mr. Adelino Rosario, Chief of Department of Reforestation, Soil and Water Conservation, Directorate of Forestry, Coffee and Industrial Plantation and Mr. Antonio da Silva, Senior Marketing and Promotion Officer, Ministry of Tourism joined Mr. Sung-gil Lee, Environment Specialist of UNDP Timor-Leste to participate in the training entitled ‘Sustainable Tourism and Forest Management in the Asia-Pacific Region’, organized by Jeju Special Self-Governing Province of Korea and CIFAL UNITAR Jeju International Training Center.

With 30 participants from Asian countries including Nepal, Philippines, Lao, Bangladesh, India, Thailand, Sri Lanka, Vietnam, Indonesia and Bhutan, the two Timorese participants introduced Timor-Leste’s tourism potential and its efforts to protect forest resources and shared experiences and ideas with professors and other participants.

During the training, Mr. Sung-gil Lee presented ‘Jeju – Timor-Leste Friendship Forest’ and promoted the use of improved cookstoves and bio-briquette under the GEF-UNDP Biomass Project in Timor-Leste as a case study for sustainable forest management and ecotourism. 

After the training, the Timor-Leste delegation followed the exchange programs organized by the Jeju government, visiting Seogwipo Healing Forest, Yeomiji Botanic Garden, Jeju Olle Trail Information Center and participated in tree-planting and forest resource management programs led by Global Inner Peace and Agency for Jeju Plant Resources Dendropanax.

UNDP has been facilitating cooperation between Jeju and Timor-Leste since 2017 through building the ‘Jeju – Timor-Leste Friendship Forest’ near Lake Maubara, Liquica Municipality.