Timor-Leste and Australia Discuss Challenges of New Technologies in Electoral Processes
The Minister of the Presidency of the Council of Ministers, Agio Pereira, met on September 24th, 2026, at the Government Palace in Dili with Australian Electoral Commissioner Jeff Pope—accompanied by Australia’s Ambassador to Timor-Leste, Caitlin Wilson—to discuss the organisation of elections and the new challenges associated with democratic processes, and to examine opportunities to strengthen cooperation between the two countries in this area.
The meeting took place during Jeff Pope's visit to Timor-Leste from September 21st to 24th, during which the Australian Electoral Commissioner met with representatives of Timorese institutions to discuss election organisation.
During the meeting, the Australian Electoral Commissioner congratulated Timor-Leste on successfully holding successive elections and highlighted the high level of citizen participation. Jeff Pope stated that Timor-Leste should be proud of the results achieved and emphasised that the Timorese democratic experience serves as a positive example for other countries, particularly those emerging from conflict.
Minister Agio Pereira emphasised the importance of institutional preparedness and adopting appropriate responses to the challenges posed by rapid technological evolution.
Disinformation, social media, and artificial intelligence were among the key topics addressed. The parties analysed the challenges these technologies and platforms pose to democratic processes in various countries, including the rapid spread of false or manipulated information, the use of fake identities, and the creation—via artificial intelligence—of images, audio, and video that can be presented as authentic. They also analysed challenges related to social media monitoring, information verification, and the capacity of institutions to respond to disinformation in a timely manner.
In this context, the parties exchanged experiences on ways to strengthen civic and electoral education, as well as digital and media literacy, to help citizens critically evaluate information before accepting or sharing it. The role of independent media in providing credible information on electoral processes was also emphasised.
The Minister also addressed Timor-Leste's preparations for the upcoming municipal elections, including institutional readiness, civic education, and citizen participation. In this context, the parties explored opportunities for cooperation and the exchange of experiences between the two countries.
Women's political participation was another topic addressed, with reference to measures adopted by Timor-Leste to promote female representation and to the challenges posed by abuse, threats, and reputational attacks on digital platforms, which can discourage participation in public life.
Jeff Pope expressed a willingness to continue cooperation in areas of mutual interest, and both parties agreed to maintain dialogue and share experiences on electoral processes, civic education, and the challenges arising from the evolution of digital technologies.
Representatives from the Office of the Minister of the Presidency of the Council of Ministers and from the Australian Embassy also attended the meeting.
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