Opening remarks – Validation workshop on just transition & business opportunities business pitching session

Mr. Jorge Manuel de Araújo Serrano, President of CCI-TL, distinguished members of the Chamber, honored guests — good morning and welcome.

Let me begin by commending CCI-TL for bringing us together today. This is exactly the kind of bold, forward-looking conversation that Timor-Leste’s business community needs to be having — and the ILO is proud to be part of it.

Timor-Leste is at a turning point.

This country is moving toward ASEAN integration, actively diversifying its economy beyond oil, and building the institutions that will define its next generation of growth. The decisions that businesses in this room make today — about how you invest, how you operate, and how you adapt — will shape what kind of economy Timor-Leste becomes.

That is not a small thing. That is an enormous opportunity.

But let’s be honest about the pressures you face.

Climate change is not an abstract, future problem for Timorese businesses. It is already here — in the floods that damage infrastructure, the droughts that disrupt agriculture, the coastal erosion that threatens livelihoods. And yet Timor-Leste has contributed almost nothing to the global emissions causing these impacts.

That is deeply unfair. But it also means this country has a unique opportunity — to build a modern, competitive economy that is green from the ground up, rather than having to undo decades of carbon-heavy development.

This is where Just Transition becomes your business advantage.

Just Transition is sometimes misunderstood as a purely environmental or policy concept. It is not. At its core, Just Transition is about how an economy evolves — ensuring that as we move toward sustainability, workers are supported, businesses are competitive, communities are not left behind, and growth is genuinely inclusive.

For the private sector, this translates into real, concrete opportunities:

• Sustainable agriculture and agroforestry — growing demand, premium markets, export potential
• Renewable energy — reducing your operating costs while building energy independence
• Tourism — Timor-Leste’s natural and cultural assets are world-class and largely untapped
• Waste management and circular economy — an underserved sector with significant growth potential
• Green entrepreneurship — new business models that attract international financing and partnerships

These are not niche ideas. They are the sectors where global capital is moving, where regional markets are expanding, and where Timorese businesses can genuinely compete.

Our consultations have shown something encouraging.

Timorese businesses are increasingly aware of sustainability. There is appetite for change. But the challenges are real — access to finance, skills gaps, infrastructure constraints, and the need for clearer policy frameworks. Addressing these is not only the role of government. It requires you — the private sector — to advocate loudly, collaborate strategically, and lead by example.

Today’s workshop, and particularly the business pitching session, is a powerful reminder that Timorese entrepreneurs are ready to step up.

The ILO’s commitment is clear.

We will continue working alongside CCI-TL and KSTL to identify shared priorities, and our next step will be a broader tripartite-plus dialogue with SEFOPE and the Ministry of Tourism and Environment — because sustainable growth requires everyone at the table.

But let me be direct: government and development partners can create conditions, but businesses create results. The energy, the innovation, and the drive in this room is what will ultimately determine whether Timor-Leste seizes this moment.

So let today be more than a workshop.

Let it be the beginning of a sharper, more united private sector voice on Just Transition — one that tells policymakers what you need, showcases what you are building, and signals to regional and global partners that Timor-Leste is open, ambitious, and ready.

We look forward to every conversation, every pitch, and every partnership that grows from today.

Obrigadu. Thank you.