The legacy and lessons of the Interim UN Administration in East Timor

Abstract

Between October 1999 and May 2002 UNTAET exercised sovereign control over East Timor, and, in terms of experience of government, the state-building mission was seen by many as a test case. While taking into account the so-called «singularity» of the mission, this article seeks to assess the legacy of UNTAET and the lessons to be drawn from this experience. After a review of the main events at different levels, the article suggests that as a legacy the results are contradictory. UNTAET was not an amazing success, nor was it a total failure. As far as the possible lessons are concerned, the author argues that the problems which UNTAET faced should classified into two different categories: (a) efficiency; and (b) responsibility and legitimacy. The UNTAET experience suggests that it is possible to overcome the first type of difficulty completely, but the problems of the second type can only be attenuated.