Summary: Non-signatory Timor-Leste adopted the convention in 2008 and officials indicate that resource constraints have prevented its accession. In December 2015, Timor-Leste voted in favor of the first UN General Assembly resolution in support of the convention. Timor-Leste last participated in a meeting of the convention in 2011. It is not known to have used, produced, transferred, or stockpiled cluster munitions.

Policy

The Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste has not acceded to the Convention on Cluster Munitions.

The government is not believed to have started the internal process to consider accession of the convention, apparently due to resource constraints and other priorities.[1]

On 7 December 2015, Timor-Leste voted in favor of the first UN General Assembly (UNGA) Resolution on the Convention on Cluster Munitions, which urges states outside the convention on “join as soon as possible.”[2]

Timor-Leste participated in the Oslo Process that created the convention and joined in the consensus adoption of the convention text in Dublin on 30 May 2008, but did not sign the convention at the Signing Conference in Oslo in December 2008.

Timor-Leste attended a regional conference on cluster munitions in Bali, Indonesia in November 2009. It has participated as an observer in two of convention’s Meetings of States Parties, in 2010 and 2011, but did not make any statements. Timor-Leste has voted in favor of UNGA resolutions condemning the use of cluster munitions in Syria, most recently in December 2014.[3]

Timor-Leste is a State Party to the Mine Ban Treaty. It is not party to the Convention on Conventional Weapons.

Use, production, transfer, and stockpiling

Timor-Leste is not known to have used, produced, transferred, or stockpiled cluster munitions.