Good Governance This year saw the first East Timorese border control officials begin work after completing training at the UNDP supported civil service academy. Civil Service Academy.

How do you build a government from scratch? This is the challenge facing the East Timorese. Under the rule of previous regimes, the East Timorese held few middle to senior level posts in the government. During the crisis that followed the 1999 vote for independence, more than 7000 civil servants fled the Territory. When peace returned, there were no judges, only one senior policeman, and virtually no senior managers or operators of basic facilities. Added to this was the near total destruction of the Territory's public records and infrastructure. At the request of the Transitional Administration, UNDP is helping to build institutions responsive to the emerging nation's needs by: strengthening government departments, giving training and policy advice, helping civil society grow, rebuilding the judiciary and supporting a free and fair election of the Constitutional Assembly.

Support to the East Timor electoral process -- One of the most important steps towards independence for East Timor will be the development of a popularly accepted constitution. In August the East Timorese will be asked to vote for 88 representative who will draft this foundation document.

Transparency and accountability

• Support to the Office of the Inspector General
• Computerization of the customs service

Regional Cooperation

Technical cooperation among developing countries -- In close cooperation with the Transitional Administration, UNDP has developed an inventory of human resource gaps in the East Timor workforce. Developing countries in the region have offered to fill some of these gaps with training course and exchange programmes.

Helping civil society to grow

• CSO capacity building -- Since the popular consultation, hundreds of NGOs and Civil Society Organizations have emerged in East Timor. To assist those organizations with clear objectives to achieve their goals, UNDP provided training in strategic management and organizational skills to staff of these groups. Currently a second project to build on the previous initiative is ongoing. In conjunction with the NGO Forum, UNDP is implementing a new grant scheme designed to support civil society organization to undertake useful projects in areas ranging from poverty alleviation to advocacy. The scheme is open to East Timorese groups active in their local communities, such as local NGOs and Civil Society Organization.
• Civic education
• East Timor on-line -- UNDP is providing more than 50 development partners with internet connection, enabling them to draw on resources for development at the touch of a button. Under the same project UNDP recently supported the National University of East Timor to open the first information technology training centre to provide course since all such facilities were destroyed during the crisis.

Supporting the rule of law

• Legislative framework
• Support to the Constitutional Assembly
• Support to the emerging Judiciary Service – Newly appointed legal professionals are given the opportunity to further enhance their skills and knowledge by working on a day-to-day basis with mentors. In addition, some of the destroyed courthouses are to be rebuilt through this initiative.

Fighting poverty with effective policies

• National Poverty Assessment
• Production of National Human Development Report for East Timor -- UNDP is supporting many countries to produce national human development reports, which serve as good indicators for human development. UNDP is working with East Timor to have the report ready when the newly independent government takes office.

Institutional development

• Support to the Civil Service Academy
• HIV/AIDS strategy
• Civil Service programme
• Supporting the capacity building of the National Planning and Development Agency
• Development of critical development projects