Timor-Leste is a proud member of the Community of Portuguese Language Countries (CPLP) , the international community of nations where Portuguese is an official language, spanning four continents.
Timor-Leste in the CPLP
Timor-Leste became the CPLP’s eighth member on 20 May 2002 , the day the country restored its independence and made Portuguese an official language alongside Tetum. Timor-Leste has since held the community’s Pro-Tempore Presidency (2014–2016) and the post of CPLP Executive Secretary (2021–2023). Fellow members are Angola, Brazil, Cabo Verde, Equatorial Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Mozambique, Portugal and São Tomé and Príncipe.
Education Cooperation
Education is one of the most active areas of CPLP cooperation for Timor-Leste. Key strands include:
- Consolidating the Portuguese language in the school system, through teacher training and language programmes with partners such as Portugal and Brazil and the Camões Institute
- The International Institute of the Portuguese Language (IILP), including work to create a CPLP information centre for Asia and the Pacific
- Scholarships and academic mobility for Timorese students and teachers in CPLP member states
- Curriculum and materials cooperation supporting Portuguese as a language of instruction from basic through secondary education
Learn More
See the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation’s CPLP page and the CPLP official site.