At a panel discussion held in Oslo on transitional justice experience of Timor-Leste, former SRSG Hasegawa acknowledged successful peacebuilding of Timor-Leste and then pointed out the need for national leaders and people to change yet again their mind-set and mentality for nation building as its requirement differs from peacebuilding.
Professor Sukehiro Hasegawa, former Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General in Timor-Leste, commended Timorese leaders for succeeding to building sustainable peace by leaving the past behind, prioritizing national identity and unity over their personal gain, integrating universal values including human rights, managing to inculcate the people on what is right, and attaining the mindset that incorporates both Western and Eastern values.
Hasegawa at the same time pointed out the need to change again the mindset and mentality of leaders and people in order to achieve sustainable development. Nation building and development require not only political stability but also transparent and accountable governance, professional economic management, skilled manpower and technical know-hows, and institutional capacity. Government leaders need to exercise strong ethical and managerial leadership and reduce what is commonly known as KKN (corruption, collusion and nepotism) practices and avoid “resource curse” following easily available financial resources from natural resources exploration in the Timor Gap.
