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Trust Built on Long-standing Cooperation between Japan and Timor-Leste
– A view of a desk officer at the ODA Evaluation Division, MOFA –

It was from May 19 to 20, 2022, that the inauguration ceremony of H.E. Dr. Jose Ramos-Horta as the new President of the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste was held in Dili, the capital of the country.

For this ceremony, members of the evaluation team for the “Evaluation of Japan’s ODA to the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste,” conducted as part of MOFA’s FY2021 ODA Evaluation (see p.9 for further details), had the honor of being invited among others. Professor HASEGAWA Sukehiro, President of the Global Peacekeeping Association of Japan (Chief Evaluator), Professor DAIMON Takeshi from Waseda University, and Professor INADA Juichi from Senshu University travelled from Japan to Dili to attend the ceremony. At Dili, they had the opportunity to speak privately with H.E. President Ramos-Horta, and Professor Hasegawa directly handed the Evaluation Report to His Excellency.

Furthermore, in September 2022, the evaluation team were able to report to H.E. Mrs. Adaljiza Albertina Xavier Reis Magno, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation of the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste, on the results of the study, taking the opportunity of Her Excellency’s visit to JICA during her stay in Japan to attend the state funeral for the former Prime Minister, ABE Shinzo.

For more than three centuries, Timor-Leste had seen the occupation of other countries including Portugal and Indonesia. It happens to be exactly 20 years ago that the country achieved independence on May 20, 2002, after intense military conflict. Japan began its reconstruction and humanitarian assistance to Timor-Leste even prior to its independence, and has long continued to support its nation-building efforts including the dispatch of the Self Defense Force (SDF) Engineer Unit to the United Nations Peacekeeping Operations (PKO) and other assistance during the temporary political turmoil that followed.

The Evaluation of Japan’s ODA to Timor-Leste not only analyzed Japan’s ODA for the country over the past five years as its main scope but also generated recommendations and lessons learned for future assistance with the intention to draw the overall picture of Japan’s past assistance in light of the diplomatic relations between the two countries during the past 20 years. As part of the study, with Professor Hasegawa’s personal networks, the team was able to conduct online interviews with key figures and war-time heroes who had led Timor-Leste to independence and obtained candid views about Japan’s ODA. These included H.E. President Ramos-Horta, H.E. Mr. Kay Rala Xanana Gusmão, Leader of the National Congress for Timorese Reconstruction (CNRT) (first President of Timor-Leste), and H.E. Dr. Rui Maria de Araújo, former Prime Minister.

While the results of this study could be found in this annual report, what I felt was of particular importance as I joined these interviews as a MOFA desk officer was the fact that those who held top positions, including Presidents and Prime Ministers, were keeping such detailed memories on Japan’s past assistance, even down to the practical contents. All the leaders expressed their heartfelt appreciation toward Japan for its support and assistance rendered in the past, and at the same time thought highly of Japan’s approach that gives serious consideration to what can be done to improve the lives of the East Timorese people. In my view, this reflected their trust in Japan, which has long continued its support and assistance to the country. (I would like to also add that H.E. President Ramos-Horta told us he was a great fan of Japanese filmmaker KUROSAWA Akira, and spoke delightedly about how he has watched all of Kurosawa’s films.)

Furthermore, in other interviews, positive feedbacks were also given on Japan’s approach, in that Japan focuses on human resource development in a sincere manner, which means Japan does not put top-down pressures on partner countries with mandatory orders but rather takes the same standpoint and engages in discussion with its counterparts on the same level to support the direction that encourages partner countries to make their own decisions on the development of their country. Japan’s longstanding approach is the very definition of “teaching a man to fish” instead of “giving a man a fish,” and the feedback received reflects how this approach has been successfully communicated to partner countries.

President Hasegawa, the Chief Evaluator of the evaluation team, supported the sustainable development of Timor-Leste on the ground immediately after its independence as the Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary-General for Timor-Leste, and has continued to devote himself to promoting its development and bilateral relations with Japan even after he left the position. Waseda University, to which Professor YAMADA Mitsuru, Professor DAIMON Takeshi, and Professor UESUGI Yuji of the evaluation team belong, has long been accepting international students from Timor-Leste and dispatched faculty and students to the National University of Timor-Leste, thereby contributing to the human resource development of the country. Mr. HIGUCHI Yohei and Ms. NIWA Chihiro, who joined the evaluation team as local consultants, have also been engaged in efforts to support the development of Timor-Leste or involved in NGO activities in the field for long years.

This evaluation also provided me with the opportunity to witness the unwavering trust that local residents have toward the long-standing efforts by NGOs, JICA experts and volunteers, or members of Japanese corporations. This is the result of the cumulative hard work that these people have put in over many years, toiling with sweat and tears as they immersed themselves into the local life. Perhaps these steady endeavors by Japan’s “Timor-Leste cheer squad,” comprising of those engaged in ODA projects, private companies, and academia, or the gratitude and trust that the local residents have toward these people are something that cannot be described in numerical form in the Evaluation Report. However, it is what I conclude from participating in the evaluation process that this gratitude and trust from the people of Timor-Leste represent the very impact of Japan’s ODA that has spilt over from the consistent efforts of Japanese people over the years.

Professor Hasegawa, handing the Evaluation Report to H.E. President Ramos-Horta
(Courtesy of Global Peacebuilding Association of Japan)