On World Press Freedom Day, the European Union and UNDP, in partnership with the National Parliament of Timor-Leste inaugurate the new media centre “Uma Komunikasaun – House of Communication”

Boosting the digital transformation of the Parliament bringing lawmakers closer to the citizens

May 3, 2021

©João Filipe Gama/UNDP Timor-leste

World Press Freedom Day celebrates the important role played by journalists in democratic societies and is a reminder to governments across the globe of the need to promote access to quality information as a basic human right.

On this important day, the European Union, in partnership with UNDP, is pleased to hand over to the National Parliament a new, fully equipped, centre for the media, including video and IT equipment. Uma Komunikasaun will provide state of the art working conditions to media professionals covering Parliamentary affairs. Located within Parliament premises, it will allow Parliament to become more open, transparent and accessible for the Timorese citizens. Equipped with a pressroom, a space for press conferences and a radio studio, the building will allow journalists to provide accurate and timely information, thereby promoting a better understanding of parliamentary roles and functions. 

Part of the handover is also the launch of a civic education campaign comprised of 20 videos to broadcast on TV and post on social media, along with a set of digital posts.

The civic education videos were produced by the National Parliament staff as part of an intensive training programme on video production, for which participants will receive diplomas after the inauguration. This training, combined with the video equipment provided by the European Union and UNDP, are key to establishing a video production house in the National Parliament, a stepping stone in the creation of the upcoming Parliament TV.

The European Union is very pleased that Parliament, in close collaboration with UNDP who steered the project, put the EU funds to an excellent use and built this Press Centre. It is not only beautiful with the colourful local material it is made of, it is a monument to freedom of information, human rights, and democracy.

Note to the editor

The construction of Uma Komunikasaun is part of a UNDP’s Strengthening Integral Local Development Project to support decentralisation in Timor-Leste and the “Programa para a Consolidação da Governação Económica e Sistemas de Gestão das Finanças Públicas nos PALOP-TL – Fase II, both co-financed by the European Union and UNDP

The EU Decentralisation project, implemented and co-financed by the UNDP, is complementary to an EU 11.25 million euros budget support programme for Decentralisation of which a financing agreement was signed by the Government of Timor-Leste and H.E. Andrew Jacobs, Ambassador of the European Union on 27 February 2020.