Provedor Staff Gain Good Governance and Anti-Corruption Skills
Staff members at the new Office of the Provedor (independent ombudsman for human rights, good governance, and anti-corruption) are receiving training in good governance and will focus on anti-corruption. The good governance training was conducted by former New Zealand Ombudsman Mel Smith and current Ombudsman General Manager Peter Brocklehurst, and highlighted the issues of maladministration, case handling, investigation techniques, and relations with other agencies. The Provedor’s Office will use the training sessions to develop its action plan for its maladministration mandate and specific case handling procedures. USAID supports the Provedor staff training program through its partner, Management Sciences for Development. The good governance course was funded jointly by USAID and UNOTIL, and the anti-corruption course is funded by USAID and the World Bank. (January 31, 2006)

US Representative to the UN Visits USAID Partners
Ambassador Sichan Siv, the US rep to UN Economic and Social Council, is visiting Timor-Leste this week to discuss UN reform with government officials and to learn about civil society and private-sector development. With USAID staff and partners he will attend roundtable sessions with NGOs in Baucau, the country's second largest city; meet with representatives of the private sector, the justice sector, civil society, and the media; discuss the upcoming 2007 national elections; and visit USAID partner Cooperativa Café Timor, the country's largest coffee producer and private-sector employer. (January 31, 2006)

Coconut Product Studies Highlight Export Opportunities
USAID's enterprise development partner, Dezenvolve Setór Privadu (DSP), is reviewing two new studies on the export potential of coconut products. The first study focuses on the growing niche market for virgin coconut oil, and the second assesses markets for byproducts, including bio-fuel, coconut-shell-activated carbon, geo-textiles for erosion control, and copra. The studies assess global trends, buyer requirements, and constraints to competitiveness, and propose a range of options for the private sector. (January 31, 2006)

USAID Partner to Host Finance and Insurance Roundtable
A new steering committee set up to propose a framework of a Timor-Leste business forum met for the first time last week to begin the process of identifying issues that affect business-sector growth. At the committee's request, USAID will support a roundtable discussion on the difficulties of accessing commercial finance and insurance in Timor-Leste. USAID's enterprise development partner, Dezenvolve Setór Privadu (DSP), will organize the session and invite the heads of the country's commercial banks and representatives from the Banking and Payments Authority (Timor-Leste's central bank), the International Finance Corporation, the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund, and other organizations involved in the financial sector. (January 31, 2006)