Administrative and peacekeeping mission (1999?2002)
The
United Nations Transitional Administration in East Timor
(
UNTAET
), (
Portuguese
:
Administracao Transitoria das Nacoes Unidas em Timor Leste
), was a United Nations mission in
East Timor
that aimed to solve the
decades long
East Timorese crisis
in the area occupied by Indonesian military. UNTAET provided an interim civil administration and a peacekeeping mission in the territory of East Timor, from its establishment on 25 October 1999,
[1]
until its independence on 20 May 2002, following the outcome of the
East Timor Special Autonomy Referendum
. The transitional administration was established by
United Nations Security Council Resolution 1272
in 1999.
A rarity for
United Nations peacekeeping missions
, UNTAET involved the United Nations
directly administering the territory
of
East Timor
. The mission's responsibilities included providing a
peacekeeping
force to maintain security and order; facilitating and co-ordinating relief assistance to the East Timorese; facilitating emergency rehabilitation of physical infrastructure; administering East Timor and creating structures for sustainable governance and the rule of law; and assisting in the drafting of a new constitution and conducting elections.
[1]
UNTAET was established on 25 October 1999, the mission was led by
Sergio Vieira de Mello
of Brazil (
Special Representative of the Secretary-General for East Timor
). The
International Force East Timor
(INTERFET) transitioned to the UNTAET Peacekeeping Force (PKF) in February 2000 and was commanded by
Filipino
military officer
Lieutenant General
Jaime de los Santos
(Force Commander UNTAET).
[2]
[3]
UNTAET was abolished on 20 May 2002, with most functions passed to the East Timor government. The military and police forces were transferred to the newly created
United Nations Mission of Support to East Timor
(UNMISET).
UNTAET was wound up upon
East Timorese independence
but a United Nations presence in East Timor would continue through a newly established United Nations Mission of Support in East Timor (
UNMISET
).
Contributing nations
[
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]
A coalition of nations sent troops to support the peace keeping mission. The forces were led by
Australia
, which provided the largest contingent and the out of theatre base for operations, supported by
Portugal
who sent the second largest contingent
[4]
securing the key central areas of the country,
[5]
followed by
New Zealand
, who took responsibility for the southern West sector with supporting troops from
Ireland
,
Fiji
,
Nepal
, and
Singapore
.
France
also sent special forces who joined the
ANZACs
on the first day, as well as contingents from
Brazil
,
Canada
,
Denmark
,
Italy
,
Kenya
,
Japan
,
Malaysia
,
Singapore
,
South Korea
,
Thailand
, the
Philippines
,
Sweden
, and the
United Kingdom
. While the
United States
supported the transition authority, it did so mainly by underwriting contracts to replace destroyed infrastructure and thus avoided a direct military involvement, allowing the ANZAC led force to take the lead. The United States did, however, deploy a contingent of American police officers to serve with the
International Police
.
See also
[
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]
References
[
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]
Further reading
[
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]
- Goldstone, Anthony (2004). "UNTAET with Hindsight: The Peculiarities of Politics in an Incomplete State".
Global Governance
.
10
: 83?98.
doi
:
10.1163/19426720-01001008
.
- Gunn, Geoffrey C. and Reyko Huang (2004; 2006),
New Nation: United Nations Peacebuilding in East Timor
(Faculty of Economics, Nagasaki University, Southeast Asia Monograph Series No.36. (reprint, author, Tipografia Macau Hung Heng Ltd., Macau)
ISBN
99937-706-1-2
- Martin, Ian; Alexander Mayer-Rieckh (Spring 2005). "The United Nations and East Timor: From Self-Determination to State-Building".
International Peacekeeping
.
12
(1): 125?145.
doi
:
10.1080/1353331042000286595
.
S2CID
143653698
.
- Pemper, Tammy (2019).
Scorched Earth: Peacekeeping in Timor during a campaign of death and destruction.
Big Sky Publishing. A biography from a peacekeeper's perspective, based on actual events in the days leading up to UNTAET.
External links
[
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]
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