GENEVA, 1 April 2026 – The Chair of the National Human Rights Institution of Timor-Leste, the Provedoria dos Direitos Humanos e Justiça (PDHJ), Virgilio da Silva Guterres “Lamukan”, together with a delegation from the institution, participated actively in the Global Alliance of National Human Rights Institutions (GANHRI) 2026 Annual Meeting, held at the Palais des Nations in Geneva, Switzerland.
The three-day gathering brought together NHRIs from 90 countries, alongside representatives of the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), the UN Development Programme (UNDP), UNESCO, UNHCR, the European Union, and civil society. The meeting concluded with the adoption of an Outcome Statement committing NHRIs to concrete actions to promote and protect human rights in the digital space, a timely focus as digital technologies increasingly shape public policy and civic space without sufficient safeguards.
Ombudsman Updates on Constitutional Petition and Digital Advocacy
During the meeting, Ombudsman Virgilio da Silva Guterres “Lamukan” took the floor to provide an update on the PDHJ’s pressing domestic advocacy efforts. He informed delegates that the PDHJ has formally submitted a petition of unconstitutionality by omission to the Timor-Leste Court of Appeal regarding the prolonged absence of a Data Protection Law. He further highlighted the institution’s ongoing advocacy for the enactment of robust cybersecurity and cybercrime legislation to address growing digital threats in the country.
“In Timor-Leste, the lack of a data protection framework leaves citizens vulnerable, while the absence of cybersecurity and cybercrime laws hinders our ability to respond to online harms,” said Ombudsman Guterres. “The PDHJ is using its mandate to compel state action, and we welcome GANHRI’s strong outcome statement, which reinforces our work.”
Conference Calls for Rights-Based Digital Transformation
In her opening remarks, GANHRI Chairperson Amina Bouayach stressed that human rights must be at the core of digital transformation. UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk warned that human rights systems have yet to keep pace with digital challenges, stating, “National human rights institutions are uniquely positioned to be at the helm of this shift.”
The Conference underscored the need for mandatory human rights impact assessments for AI and automated decision-making, with particular concern over technology-facilitated gender-based violence. The unanimously adopted Outcome Statement reaffirms that international human rights law applies fully online and commits NHRIs to strengthen monitoring, provide expert advice on digital legislation, and advocate for legal frameworks that place human rights at the centre of digital governance.
Other Meeting Highlights
Beyond the main conference, the GANHRI Annual Meeting included governance sessions, knowledge exchanges on protecting people on the move at borders, and the launch of a new monitoring tool on the right to a healthy environment by UNDP, OHCHR, and GANHRI. During the General Assembly, members also decided to hold the 15th GANHRI International Conference later this year in Jordan, focusing on the role of NHRIs in addressing climate change and its human rights implications.
The PDHJ delegation committed to leveraging the GANHRI Outcome Statement to accelerate national action on data protection, cybersecurity, and cybercrime laws, ensuring that Timor-Leste’s digital transformation remains firmly grounded in human rights.
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