Why it's time for Timor-Leste

30-second summary

• One of Asia's youngest countries, Timor-Leste's next stage of development needs to be powered by its young population.
• The UNDP's Roy Trivedy may have only been there for a few weeks but he's already excited about the potential and possibilities - but it's time for action, not talk.
• The country's government need to make right investments, such as allocating 25 per cent of the national budget to education and training of youth.

The Timor-Leste National Human Development Report 2018 was launched in Dili a couple of weeks ago.

Reports like this often generate a brief period of high profile media coverage in capital cities and then end up lining the bookshelves of policy makers and academics in key urban centres.

But having arrived in the country just three weeks ago as incoming UN Resident Coordinator and UNDP Resident Representative, it has been great to see that the country's government, Flinders University and the UNDP - which worked together to produce the report - are determined to ensure that it does not follow the usual trajectory.

Instead, we are using it to generate a nationwide public discussion and debate across all sectors about the key issues' that will shape the country's future development, including during the run-up to the 12 May parliamentary elections. But we recognise that ultimately the impact of the report must be judged by the follow-up action that it generates.

Turning to the young

The report argues that Timor-Leste has a unique opportunity to accelerate sustainable growth, improve development outcomes and achieve progress in line with its development aspirations and the Sustainable Development Goals.

Timor-Leste is one of the youngest in the world with 74 per cent of the population aged under 35, making it the second youngest in the Asia-Pacific region, after Afghanistan, and 15th youngest globally. Consequently, it is vital to engage and involve young people in the country's development.

The report shows that in addition to the existing age profile of Timorese citizens, with the largest proportion of citizens in the ‘most productive' age range, in recent years the fertility rate in the country has also been declining (from 7.8 children per Timorese mother in 2013 to 4.3 in 2016) and moving closer to the global average. The report argues that this combination of factors makes it possible for Timor-Leste to maximise the opportunities for sustainable growth and reap the benefits of a demographic dividend. But this is neither automatic nor inevitable. To make the most of this opportunity, the follow-up work now needs to start.

Start investing - now!

The right investments need to be delivered in a timely and relevant manner. For Timor-Leste to achieve this vision it will require the new government formed after the upcoming election to accelerate implementation and carefully consider the main recommendations including: allocating 25 per cent of the national budget to education and training of youth; strengthening the quality of education; incentivising the private sector to invest in more training and creation of decent work opportunities; and widening access to primary health care and family planning.

It is exciting to see that this work has already started with passionate discussions involving young people, civil society representatives, business leaders, policy makers and development partners in Dili.

At a public seminar and policy debate held the day after the report launch, a panel consisting of youth, civil society and government representatives discussed and debated the report's conclusions. Important questions were raised about the need to ensure implementation of existing policies - such as the National Youth Policy - to achieve results and ensure that youth living in rural areas can access the same education and training opportunities as those based in Dili. Youth representatives also acknowledged that they have a vital role to play in using their skills to find solutions to national challenges and motivate other young people.

Through this process, the aim is also to build a cadre of highly motivated and committed people and institutions throughout the country who can implement programmes that galvanise action to enable to Timor-Leste to maximise the opportunities provided by the youth dividend.

Exciting times for sure - watch this space for further updates.

FURTHER READING

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• Viet Nam: The next chapter. Amidst the sea of scooters that line the streets of Ha Noi, Bakhodir Burkhanov and his colleagues at the UNDP go about their work. He tells us about helping move an already fast-developing country forward
• Mind the gap: from theory to implementation for the SDGs.  The applause that greeted the ratification of the SDGs was well merited, says the UNDP's Max Everest-Phillips. But meeting these targets will require some course adjustment
• Papua New Guinea's pathway to progress. As the UN's Resident Coordinator in Papua New Guinea, Roy Trivedy does not lack for challenges. But what the country lacks in infrastructure it makes up for in a rich blend of culture, natural resources and huge
• Crossroads of capabilities. When Michael Woolcock is not at the World Bank headquarters or teaching at Harvard, he can be found more often than not on the frontline, investigating social development and service delivery interventions in developing countries. He suggests some strategies for unlocking implementation capability for governments worldwide
• Why context is key in development. After 23 years at the World Bank, Brian Levy knows a thing or two about development. He explains why maximising impact requires more than a top-down approach deployed from afar
• Development matters: much done, more to do. Nancy Birdsall has spent a lifetime in development, focusing on driving impact and lifting the world's poorest to better heights. With fresh challenges continuing to proliferate, she tells us how policymakers can help