On Monday March 1, 2020 the UNDP Timor-Leste Parliament Project presented Members of Parliament with a package of digital tools designed to facilitate civic engagement and contact with citizens, especially among teenagers and youth.

The package, which includes Tetun-language democracy and governance-themed WhatsApp stickers, is part of a broader project to bridge gaps in legacy and digital media and communications as well as enable easier access to parliamentary representatives and governance processes.   

Internet access in Timor-Leste has only become widely available in the last five years and social media such as Facebook and WhatsApp are the predominant digital platforms used for communicating and receiving news.

With around 75% of the population being under the age of 35, the UNDP Parliament Project’s digital communications activities aim to create positive and constructive digital communication habits which engage youth, while also while improving smart phone-use skills.  

2021 will see a broad scale digital transformation of the National Parliament supported by the UNDP Parliament Project. This will include the opening of the ‘Uma Komunikasaun’ (communications house) and development of a ‘People’s Parliament’ mobile app ­– both functioning to vastly improve public understanding of, and access to parliamentary decision-making processes.