The Asia Foundation

Building on a decade of support for development in East Timor, The Asia Foundation launched a major law reform program in 2002 to respond to the needs of the newly independent nation. The Asia Foundation supports the legal development efforts...

Building on a decade of support for development in East Timor, The Asia Foundation launched a major law reform program in 2002 to respond to the needs of the newly independent nation. The Asia Foundation supports the legal development efforts of government and civil society to strengthen the justice system at the national and local levels. The East Timor program strengthens the accountability and transparency of the judicial system, assists in the development of effective and accessible legal aid services and alternative dispute resolution, and strengthens women’s access to justice.

East Timor’s achievement of full statehood in May 2002 has placed the responsibilities of government completely in the hands of the East Timorese for the first time in many generations. The violent disruptions following the 1999...

East Timor’s achievement of full statehood in May 2002 has placed the responsibilities of government completely in the hands of the East Timorese for the first time in many generations. The violent disruptions following the 1999 referendum on independence triggered an exodus of capital and business acumen, both indigenous and foreign, and left behind a fractured economy with destroyed infrastructure, poorly functioning markets, and a collapsed financial sector. The new government faces daunting challenges in improving the living conditions of its population and charting a new path for economic growth. The Asia Foundation is working with the private sector of East Timor to identify the determinants of and impediments to economic growth, and is providing technical assistance to the government as it formulates a new legislative framework for investment activities.