Dili, 30 January 2026 – The Office of the Ombudsman for Human Rights and Justice (PDHJ) will be operating from a temporary location at Excelsior Resort, Behoris, Prais dos Coqueiros Avenida de Portugal, Dili, Timor-Leste starting 12 January of 2026. This interim move guarantees uninterrupted service while preparations for our new permanent headquarters are in progress.
PDHJ’s permanent office building is currently in the bidding process for a new construction and remains in an unsafe and unsuitable condition for daily operations. The temporary relocation is therefore necessary to ensure uninterrupted public services, safeguard the confidentiality of casework, and enable the institution to continue fulfilling its constitutional mandate effectively and without disruption.
In selecting a temporary premises, PDHJ prioritized securing unused or abandoned government buildings, including facilities such as the former Tribunal de Recurso building and Casa Europeia, and extensively negotiated for alternative spaces with lower rental costs. However, these options proved unviable as some government buildings were in poor physical condition, some were not made available, and others failed to meet operational requirements. Additional constraints included insufficient space, prices exceeding reasonable market value, limited accessibility, lack of adequate parking capacity (minimum 20 car parking slots and 20–50 motorcycle parking slots), and an inability to meet essential operational and safety requirements for staff and complainants.
Although Article 3 of Decreto-Lei n.º 1/2025 of 8 January (Code of Procurement and Public Contracts) excludes contracts for the leasing of immovable property from the public procurement regime, PDHJ, in line with its role as a promoter of good governance, voluntarily conducted a quotation-based market search using clear technical and operational criteria to identify a suitable premises. This approach was undertaken to ensure transparency, fairness, and accountability in the selection process. Following this process, Excelsior Resort was identified as the option that most fully meets PDHJ’s institutional needs and minimum operational standards.
The selected temporary office is designed to accommodate the institution’s full operational structure, including space for a total of 124 staff members across all core directorates and supporting units:
- Directorate of Human Resources
- Directorate of Administration and Finance
- Directorate of Public Assistance
- Directorate of Investigation
- Directorate of Fiscalization and Recommendation
- Legal, Administrative, and Research Assistance Unit
- Cabinet of the Executive Secretary
- Public Relations and Institutional Cooperation Office
- Office of the provedor and its two deputies
The premises provide the minimum facilities required for PDHJ to function effectively, including secure areas for confidential interviews, administrative and archival spaces, public accessibility, and appropriate safety standards.
Throughout the process, PDHJ’s primary criteria were to:
- Safely accommodate all staff and operational units,
- Maintain full operational efficiency,
- Protect the confidentiality and dignity of complainantsand
- Prevent any disruption to its public services.
While operating from the temporary office, PDHJ remains open to receiving new suggestions and continues to actively seek available government or public buildings, as well as more affordable leasing options, provided they meet the institution’s technical, operational, and safety criteria.
PDHJ clarifies that the budget allocation for leasing a temporary office was already provided within the budget framework approved by the National Parliament in the 2025 State Budget proposal. In 2024, the Government approved the plan to construct a new permanent PDHJ building, and preparatory processes, including site visits, were carried out. However, the construction process was halted in September 2024, resulting in the building not being initiated in 2025. Later, the Government decided to proceed with the construction of the building in 2025. Consequently, PDHJ is now using the previously allocated budget line for leasing a temporary office to ensure operational continuity while the construction process is ongoing. The monthly net rental cost for this temporary office is USD $22,600.00.
PDHJ emphasizes that the funds used for leasing are not taken from other budget items, but come from an existing, approved allocation. This approach is fully in line with applicable financial rules and procedures. Any policy-level disagreement regarding the inclusion of this allocation should be addressed during the parliamentary budget debate process. Nevertheless, PDHJ respects and values all opinions and inputs aimed at fostering better policies that reflect the country’s realities.
The rental cost reflects the prevailing market rate for a premises that meets these fundamental operational needs. PDHJ emphasizes that this expenditure is not a waste of public funds, but a necessary and temporary operational cost under exceptional circumstances. The contract is for a fixed, short-term duration while construction of the permanent building is completed.
Notwithstanding any challenges, PDHJ’s work cannot and will not be hindered or disrupted. PDHJ is a public independent state institution established under the Constitution of the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste, with its mandate anchored in Article 27, and further defined in Articles 150 and 151. As a State entity, PDHJ will continue to perform its duties in the national development and nation-building process, in full independence and in the public interest.
As an institution dedicated to transparency and accountability, PDHJ will continue to operate with the highest standards of fiscal responsibility expected by the public. This decision was taken solely to guarantee uninterrupted service delivery during this transitional period. PDHJ reaffirms that its core constitutional mandate—to defend human rights, promote justice, and ensure good governance—requires a functional and secure operational base.
– END –
***
Media Contact:
📞 Tel: (+670) 77709837, 78566745
📧 Email: media@pdhj.tl / abernardino@pdhj.tl / janadacruzsalsinha@gmail.com 🌐 Website: www.pdhj.tl
📘 Facebook: PDHJ Timor-Leste
🔗 LinkedIn: PDHJ Timor-Leste
📸 Instagram: @pdhj_timorleste
🎵 TikTok: @PDHJ_TimorLeste
This post is also available in: Tetun