Geneva, 31 March 2026 – The Ombudsman for Human Rights and Justice of Timor-Leste, Virgílio da Silva Guterres “Lamukan”, organized a three-party meeting on the sidelines of the GANHRI 2026 Annual Meeting in Geneva, bringing together Nicole Hogg, Secretary General of the Association for the Prevention of Torture (APT), and Ambassador António da Conceição of the Timor-Leste Permanent Mission to Geneva. The discussion focused on the ongoing efforts to advocate for the ratification of the Optional Protocol to the Convention against Torture (OPCAT).
During the meeting, the Ombudsman provided an update on several national advocacy actions already taken to advance OPCAT ratification in Timor-Leste. These include a formal recommendation letter sent to the President of the National Parliament, a subsequent meeting with the President of the National Parliament, as well as workshops and dialogues co-organized with APT and AJAR Timor-Leste, which saw active participation from stakeholders across government, parliament, and civil society organizations.
Ambassador António da Conceição welcomed the initiative and reaffirmed Timor-Leste’s strong stand on human rights, noting that the country’s own struggle for independence makes it imperative to continue valuing and fighting for human rights. He welcomed the ideas raised during the meeting and confirmed that he would communicate with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, after which a Council of Ministers resolution would be prepared and sent to Parliament for ratification. The Ambassador also acknowledged the valuable work of APT, observing that such efforts often yield meaningful results.
Nicole Hogg, Secretary General of APT, shared an update on APT’s global work to prevent torture and highlighted the deep connection between APT and OPCAT. She explained that APT’s founder believed in the necessity of visiting places where individuals are deprived of their rights out of public sight, because such visits can prevent torture, expose abuses, and bring positive change for those held behind closed doors. She further stated that APT continues to work towards securing more ratifications of OPCAT. If Timor-Leste ratifies, she added, the country would become a regional leader on torture prevention.
The Ombudsman reaffirmed that PDHJ will continue its advocacy for the ratification of OPCAT and stated that he will soon communicate with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to discuss concrete steps and the way forward for ratification.
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