FAOLEX Database

Timor-Leste - Country Profiles

Constitution of the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste.
Date of text: 22 March 2002

Policies

Government Resolution No. 65/2025 approving the accession of the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste to the Agreement establishing the ASEAN Centre for Energy (ACE) and the Amending Protocol.
Date of text: 22 October 2025
Government Resolution No. 66/2025 approving the accession of the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste to the Agreement on the Establishment of the ASEAN Coordination Centre for Animal Health and Zoonoses (ACCAHZ).
Date of text: 22 October 2025
Government Resolution No. 2/2025 on the Humanitarian and Emergency Support Strategy.
Date of text: 22 January 2025
Decision No. 02/2024 approving the Three-Year Strategic Plan 2025-2027.
Date of text: 16 December 2024
Resolution No. 59/2024 approving the National Multisectoral Nutrition Action Plan 2024-2030.
Date of text: 06 November 2024

Legislation

Agricultural and rural development

Decree-Law No. 79/2023 approving the structure of the State Secretariat for Cooperatives (SECOOP).
Date of text: 11 October 2023
Decree-Law No. 77/2023 establishing the structure of the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries and Forests (MAPPF).
Date of text: 04 October 2023
Decree-Law No. 67/2023 on the Ministry of Rural Development and Community Housing.
Date of text: 14 September 2023
Decree-Law No. 49/2022 on Agricultural Cooperatives.
Date of text: 13 July 2022
Decree-Law No. 08/2013 on the National Development Programme of rural villages 'Sucos' (PNDS).
Date of text: 26 June 2013 (22 January 2025)

Climate change

Decree-Law No. 42/2022 creating the National Authority for Combating Climate Change, I.P. (AND).
Date of text: 08 June 2022
National Parliament Resolution No. 1/2023 ratifying the Doha Amendment to the Kyoto Protocol to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.
Date of text: 25 January 2023
Ministerial Order No. 2/2017 establishing the Working Group on Climate Change.
Date of text: 25 January 2017
National Parliament Resolution No. 7/2006 on the 1992 UN Framework Convention on Climate Change.
Date of text: 26 April 2006
Resolution of the National Parliament No. 6/2008 ratifying for accession the Kyoto Protocol to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.
Date of text: 07 May 2008

Cultivated plants

Decree-Law No. 36/2023 on Plant Health and Quarantine.
Date of text: 31 May 2023
Decree-Law No. 26/2022 creating the Programme to support the planting of “Ai Parapa”.
Date of text: 19 May 2022
Decree-Law No. 27/2022 creating the Programme to stimulate the renovation and expansion of coffee plantation areas.
Date of text: 19 May 2022
Ministerial Order No. 10/2016 establishing and regulating the functional structure of the General Directorate for Forests, Coffee and Industrial Plants (DGFCPI) of the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries (MAP).
Date of text: 03 February 2016
Ministerial Order No. 13/2016 establishing and regulating the functional structure of the Office for Inspection, Monitoring and Auditing (GIFA) of the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries (MAP).
Date of text: 03 February 2016

Disaster risk management

Law No. 1/2020 authorizing the President of the Republic to Declare the State of Emergency.
Date of text: 27 March 2020
Presidential Decree No. 29/2020 declaring the state of emergency, based on a real public disaster situation.
Date of text: 27 March 2020
Presidential Decree No. 32/2020 renewing the State of emergency.
Date of text: 27 April 2020
Ministerial Order No. 43/MOP/2023 on the structure of the General Directorate of Roads, Bridges, Flood Prevention and Control of the Ministry of Public Works.
Date of text: 04 October 2023
Government Resolution No. 41/2023 approving a contribution to the ASEAN Disaster Management and Emergency Relief Fund.
Date of text: 04 October 2023

Environment

Decree-Law No. 26/2012 establishing the Environmental Basic Legislation.
Date of text: 26 June 2012
Decree-Law No. 2/2017 approving the Urban Solid Waste Management System.
Date of text: 22 March 2017
Decree-Law No. 28/2023 establishing the Bases of Tourist Activities.
Date of text: 31 May 2023
Law No. 3/2012 on the legal authorization for Environmental Basic Legislation.
Date of text: 13 January 2012
Decree-Law No. 5/2011 on Environmental Licensing.
Date of text: 04 February 2011 (08 June 2022)

Fisheries and aquaculture

Decree-Law No. 6/2004 on the legal regime for the management and regulation of fisheries and aquaculture.
Date of text: 21 April 2004
Decree-Law No. 21/2008 on the Implementation of Satellite System for Monitoring Fishing Vessels (VMS).
Date of text: 16 June 2008
Law No. 12/2004 on Crimes related to Fisheries.
Date of text: 29 December 2004
Ministerial Order No. 3/2024 on the Functional Structure of the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries and Forestry.
Date of text: 02 February 2024
Ministerial Order No. 13/2016 establishing and regulating the functional structure of the Office for Inspection, Monitoring and Auditing (GIFA) of the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries (MAP).
Date of text: 03 February 2016

Food and nutrition

Decree-Law No. 61/2022 approving the School Feeding Programme.
Date of text: 24 August 2022
Government Decree No. 3/2025 establishing the conditions for awarding the subsidy under the School Feeding Programme.
Date of text: 02 April 2025
Decree-Law No. 91/2022 creating the Mission Unit for Combating Stunting.
Date of text: 22 December 2022 (20 November 2024)
Decree-Law No. 36/2022 establishing the mandatory purchase of foodstuffs produced in the national territory within the scope of public procurement.
Date of text: 19 May 2022
Decree-Law No. 10/2022 approving measures to reinforce the distribution of basic food baskets to the most needy Timorese families and to support local economic operators and creating a special provisioning regime for this purpose, within the scope of the Economic Recovery Plan.
Date of text: 04 March 2022

Forestry

Law No. 14/2017 establishing the General Forestry Regime.
Date of text: 02 August 2017
Ministerial Order No. 3/2024 on the Functional Structure of the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries and Forestry.
Date of text: 02 February 2024
Ministerial Order No. 10/2016 establishing and regulating the functional structure of the General Directorate for Forests, Coffee and Industrial Plants (DGFCPI) of the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries (MAP).
Date of text: 03 February 2016
Ministerial Order No. 29/2023 on the expansion of Mechanism for Sustainable Management of Community-Based Natural Resources in River Basins.
Date of text: 31 May 2023
Ministerial Order No. 64/DM/MAP/XI/2022 regulating registration, possession and use of chainsaw machines.
Date of text: 21 December 2022

Gender

Decree-Law No. 18/2017 establishing the Legal Regime of Protection in Maternity, Paternity and Adoption under the Contributory Social Security Regime.
Date of text: 24 May 2017
Decree-Law No. 74/2023 on the Secretary of State for Equality.
Date of text: 14 September 2023
Decree-Law No. 8/2016 approving the State Secretariat for the Socio-Economic Support and Promotion of Women.
Date of text: 04 May 2016
Ministerial Order No. 60/2023 establishing the Functional Structure of the State Secretariat for Equality.
Date of text: 25 October 2023
Ministerial Order No. 62/2024 establishing the Organic-Functional Structure of the Ministry of Social Solidarity and Inclusion.
Date of text: 04 October 2024

Indigenous peoples

Ministerial Order No. 16/2017 establishing the formal Recognition of Traditional Sucos and Indigenous Villages.
Date of text: 31 March 2017
Ministerial Order No. 5/2022 amending Ministerial Order No. 16/2017 on the formal Recognition of Traditional Sucos and Indigenous Villages.
Date of text: 22 January 2022

Land and soil

Law No. 6/2017 on Basic Law of Land Use Planning.
Date of text: 19 April 2017
Decree-Law No. 10/2016 approving the General Rules of the Territorial Land Use Planning (POT) of the Ataúro Island.
Date of text: 04 May 2016
Law No. 13/2017 establishing the Special Regime for the Definition of the Real Estate Ownership.
Date of text: 05 June 2017
Decree-Law No. 1/2026 approving the Special Administrative Region of Oe-Cusse Ambeno.
Date of text: 02 February 2026
Decree-Law No. 36/2025 establishing the legal regime for the management and use of State-owned real estate.
Date of text: 15 October 2025

Livestock

Decree-Law No. 10/2014 establishing the requirements to be met by instalment, operation and licensing of slaughterhouses for bovine, buffalo, sheep, goats and swine animals.
Date of text: 14 May 2014
Decree-Law No. 41/2023 establishing the General Regulation on Quarantine.
Date of text: 31 May 2023
Decree-Law No. 11/2014 approving the Animal Identification, Registration and Circulation Scheme.
Date of text: 14 May 2014
Ministerial Order No. 3/2024 on the Functional Structure of the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries and Forestry.
Date of text: 02 February 2024
Ministerial Order No. 13/2016 establishing and regulating the functional structure of the Office for Inspection, Monitoring and Auditing (GIFA) of the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries (MAP).
Date of text: 03 February 2016

Mineral resources and energy

Law No. 12/2021 approving the Mining Code.
Date of text: 30 June 2021
Law No. 13/2005 on Petroleum Activities.
Date of text: 23 August 2005 (04 December 2019)
Petroleum Act
Date of text: 29 July 2005
Ministerial Order No. 1/2026 approving the Regulation on the Transport and Export of Mineral Samples.
Date of text: 26 January 2026
Decree-Law No. 63/2023 approving the National Authority for Minerals.
Date of text: 06 September 2023

Sea

Decree-Law No. 3/2003 on the establishment of the Port Authority and on the approval of the bylaws thereof.
Date of text: 10 March 2003
Decree-Law No. 39/2020 establishing the Maritime Authority System.
Date of text: 23 September 2023
Decree-Law No. 29/2023 establishing the structure of the National Maritime Authority (AMN).
Date of text: 31 May 2023
National Parliament Resolution No. 01/2017 on the Treaty between the Government of the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste and the Government of Australia on specific maritime adjustments in the Sea of Timor and Transitional Agreement regarding the validity of the Timor Sea Treaty/TST.
Date of text: 16 January 2017
Decree-Law No. 4/2016 creating the Council for Final Delimitation of Maritime Boundaries (CDDFM).
Date of text: 16 March 2016

Social protection

Law No. 12/2016 creating the Social Security Contribution Regime.
Date of text: 14 November 2016
Decree-Law No. 18/2017 establishing the Legal Regime of Protection in Maternity, Paternity and Adoption under the Contributory Social Security Regime.
Date of text: 24 May 2017
Decree-Law No. 47/2024 establishing the Community Housing Programme.
Date of text: 23 December 2024
Decree-Law No. 54/2023 on the Ministry of Social Solidarity and Inclusion.
Date of text: 01 September 2023
Decree-Law No. 10/2022 approving measures to reinforce the distribution of basic food baskets to the most needy Timorese families and to support local economic operators and creating a special provisioning regime for this purpose, within the scope of the Economic Recovery Plan.
Date of text: 04 March 2022

Water

Decree-Law No. 4/2004 on water supply for public consumption.
Date of text: 11 February 2004
Joint Ministerial Order No. 43/2017 approving the Regulation on the powers of municipal authorities and municipal administrations in the field of water and sanitation.
Date of text: 21 July 2017
Government Resolution No. 42/2023 on the need to monitor and preserve the water supply system.
Date of text: 04 October 2023
Deliberation No. 16/September/ANAS, I.P./2021 creating the Technical and Tariff Council of the National Authority for Water and Sanitation.
Date of text: 13 April 2022
Agreement between the Government of the Federal Republic of Germany and the Government of the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste on financial cooperation.
Date of text: 24 April 2013

Wild species and ecosystems

Decree-Law No. 28/2023 establishing the Bases of Tourist Activities.
Date of text: 31 May 2023
Decree-Law No. 6/2020 establishing the Legal Regime for the protection and conservation of biodiversity.
Date of text: 06 February 2020
Decree-Law No. 5/2016 creating the National System of Protected Areas.
Date of text: 16 March 2016
Decree-Law No. 27/2023 creating the Timor-Leste Tourism Authority and approves its Statute.
Date of text: 31 May 2023
Ministerial Decision No. 5/GM/I/2015 creating the Natural Aquatic Reserve within the Coastal Area of Suco de Batugade.
Date of text: 25 February 2015

Miscellaneous

Law No. 7/2020 approving Measures to Prevent and Combat Corruption.
Date of text: 26 August 2020
Law No. 10/2011 approving the Civil Code.
Date of text: 14 September 2011
Law No. 8/2016 on Consumer Protection.
Date of text: 08 August 2016
Law on Labour No. 4/2012.
Date of text: 21 February 2012
Decree-Law No. 16/2004 regulating cooperatives.
Date of text: 01 October 2004 (24 October 2022)

International Agreements

Government Resolution No. 29/2023 approving the Agreement on the Establishment of the Joint Committee for Cooperation between the Government of the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste and the Government of the State of Kuwait.
Date of text: 07 June 2023
Presidential Decree No. 4/23 approving the Complementary Protocol to the General Agreement on Economic, Commercial, Technical, Scientific and Cultural Cooperation between the Government of the Republic of Angola and the Government of the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste on the creation of a Bilateral Commission.
Date of text: 04 January 2023
Treaty between Australia and the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste Establishing their Maritime Boundaries in the Timor Sea 2018.
Date of text: 06 March 2018

Related Country Profiles