ABSTRACT
The author's first assignment, as DSRSG and UNDP Resident Representative, was management of the Special Fund, which compensated former Indonesian public servants and pensioners for their loss of employment following Timor-Leste's separation from Indonesia. Australia, Portugal and the European Commission had contributed most significantly to the Fund, along with Indonesia. The idea was to entice former Timorese civil servants and pensioners who had fled to West Timor to return to Timor-Leste. The Tripartite Agreement of 5 May 1999 pertained only to the holding of a referendum on Timor-Leste's future under the control of the Republic of Indonesia. It did not mention the rights of the Indonesian government employees. A major undertaking SRSG Sharma was engaged in was to help establish a cordial working relationship between Timor-Leste and Indonesia, in line with Security Council Resolution S/RES/1410 (2002), paragraph 12.
