18 April 2026_________

The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (V-PM) and the Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs , through the Strategy Unit for Economic Integration, held an academic seminar for students of the National University of Peace (UNPAZ) from Faculty of Social Sciences on the topic: “Timor-Leste as a WTO Member: Economic and Institutional Implications.”

The General Coordinator of the MCAE office, Jorge Martins, during his intervention, expressed appreciation for the active participation of students and academics. He noted that there remains an information gap regarding the role and the progress of WTO accession at the grassroots level, including among academic communities.
“One lesson from today’s discussions is that the dissemination of information about the WTO and government structures has not fully reached the grassroots. MCAE, under the leadership of His Excellency Deputy Prime Minister Francisco Kalbuadi Lay, has an important role in fostering strong coordination between the Government, civil society, and academia,” said Martins.

In addition to addressing governance structures, the General Coordinator explained that since the IX Constitutional Government took office on 1 July 2023, internal assessments have identified several challenges that require systematic improvement. WTO accession remains an urgent and strategic priority, as it reflects a key political commitment undertaken by the State.

He further underlined that, in the context of economic integration, the production sector must meet both quality and quantity standards. He emphasized: “Production is not limited to agriculture or industry; more fundamentally, it involves the development of high-quality human resources.”
The Dean of the Faculty of Social Sciences at UNPAZ, Fernando Gusmão, stated that the activity serves as a bridge between the theoretical knowledge acquired by students in the Department of International Relations and the practical realities of national development.

MCAE remains committed to expanding outreach efforts to the grassroots level, ensuring that economic policies—particularly those related to the WTO—deliver tangible benefits to the people of Timor-Leste.