The 1996 Nobel Prize Laureate and Former President of Timor-Leste José Ramos-Horta expresses his concern that the United Nations is sidelined and unable to mobilize international good will and discharge its responsibilities in addressing humanitarian and security crises taking place in Africa, Asia and the Middles East. The solutions to these challenges, he suggests, can be found only when the major powers get together and build bridges among them and enhance their mutual understanding and consensus in order to address the global challenges the humanity is facing.
A small country of Timor-Leste exists as an oasis of tranquility having achieved best relationship with neighboring countries of Australia as well as Indonesia which has achieved the consolidation of democracy. ASEAN is becoming a strong regional institution fostering peace and stability in the region. He hopes that the Tokyo Peacebuilding Forum will find more optimistic scenarios that his rather pessimistic views.
