Timor-Leste advances its National Employment Strategy with a comprehensive implementation and monitoring plan

DILI, Timor-Leste (ILO News) - The inaugural meeting to update the implementation and monitoring plan of the Timor-Leste National Employment Strategy (NES) 2017-2030 marked a significant commitment of the country towards strengthening job creation and economic development in the country. Organized by the National Employment Strategy Secretariat under the Secretariat of State for Vocational Training and Employment (SEFOPE), with support from the ILO, in Dili on 6 March, the meeting gathered over 70 participants, including representatives from line ministers, social partners and vocational training agencies to refine the strategy’s implementation and monitoring plan.

© Lita Octavia/ILO

© Lita Octavia/ILO

Approved by the Council of Ministers under Resolution No. 44/2017 on 13 June 2017, the NES 2017-2030 identifies key constraints to employment growth and outlines strategic actions to improve both the quantity and quality of jobs in Timor-Leste. The strategy is built around three core pillars: Increasing Labour Market Demand, Improving Labour Market Supply and Strengthening Labour Market Institutions.

This meeting, as part of the interministerial technical working group established under the NES, served as a crucial first step in updating the implementation and monitoring plan. The updating process will incorporate national feedback and define concrete measures for the coming years, aligning the plan with Timor-Leste’s National Strategic Development Plan and emerging priorities such as climate change adaptation, ASEAN accession and digital transformation.

This meeting is a crucial step in ensuring that our employment strategy remains responsive to market needs and national priorities.

Rogério Araújo Mendonça, Secretary of State for Professional and Employment

Secretary of State for Professional and Employment and the ILO Country Director for Indonesia and Timor-Leste opened the meeting with insightful remarks, emphasizing the need for an updated NES to address the evolving labour market landscape.

“This meeting is a crucial step in ensuring that our employment strategy remains responsive to market needs and national priorities,” stated Rogério Araújo Mendonça, Secretary of State for Professional and Employment; while Simrin Singh, ILO Country Director for Indonesia and Timor-Leste, said that “by fostering a collaborative approach, we can create sustainable employment opportunities and empower Timor-Leste’s workforce for the future.”

© Lita Octavia/ILO

© Lita Octavia/ILO

The meeting was led by Diego Rei, ILO Employment Specialist, outlining the framework for updating the NES implementation and monitoring plan. This was followed by group discussions facilitated by Paulo Alves, Executive Director of NES Secretariat, along with senior SEFOPE officials.

The meeting concluded with the establishment of groundwork for enhancing the NES implementation plan to align with national development goals, as well as the consolidation of feedback for finalizing the revised NES framework.