A/HRC/42/37/Add.2 children attend and complete schooling. The Special Rapporteur recommends that the Government strengthen resources for implementation of this programme. 75. The Government of Timor-Leste has made commitments to the rights of persons with disabilities. The Constitution, in section 16, prohibits discrimination based on disability while section 21 specifically guarantees equal rights and responsibilities of persons with disabilities. The importance of addressing the rights of persons with disabilities is recognized in the Strategic Development Plan 2011–2030, the National Policy for Inclusion and Promotion of the Rights of People with Disabilities of 2012 and the Inclusive Education Policy of 2017, among others. Despite these commitments, key challenges persist. Persons with disabilities who met with the Special Rapporteur noted a lack of appropriate policies and services, especially in rural areas. They stated that they feel invisible as their situation is not adequately recorded in statistics, nor are they adequately addressed by government policies on education, health and access to justice. Global evidence shows that investing in disability brings benefits to all. The Special Rapporteur calls on the Government to ratify the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and strengthen efforts to increase the accuracy of data and the integration of disability in legislation, planning and budgeting. 76. In order to support traditional livelihoods and protect cultural heritage, the Special Rapporteur notes the importance that consultations be undertaken with women weavers in order to promote the protection of the designs of indigenous textiles (tais). V. Conclusions and recommendations A. Conclusions 77. The Special Rapporteur observes that Timorese indigenous cultures and languages are particularly diverse and have been retained throughout colonization and occupation. The vast majority of the population shares indigenous values and spiritual beliefs which are reflected in strong local institutions, the customary justice system and communal land management. Indigenous practices have translated into important gains in environmental protection and biodiversity that can serve as inspiring examples for other countries. Further harmonization between the formal and customary justice systems is important to strengthen access to justice for all. Timor-Leste has made strong commitments to human rights standards and national rights-based development policies; however, additional resource allocations are required to ensure their effective implementation and monitoring, notably in the areas of education, health and nutrition. B. Recommendations 78. The Special Rapporteur makes the following recommendations. Formal and customary justice 79. In order to increase the capacity of the formal justice system, the Special Rapporteur urges the Government to strengthen the training of legal professionals and increase resource allocation and institutional presence across the country. An assessment should be undertaken to inform the continuation of the mobile court system as an interim measure. Measures should be taken to train interpreters in local mother-tongue languages to ensure that the legal process is understood and accessible in rural areas. 80. The Special Rapporteur recalls that the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, in articles 5 and 34, affirms the right to maintain and strengthen indigenous legal institutions and juridical systems or customs, with the caveat that these should be in accordance with international human rights standards. 14

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