Timor-Leste urges wider access to climate finance without added debt
Speaking for the Least Developed Countries Group in Bangkok, the deputy foreign minister called for affordable funding tailored to vulnerable nations.
Timor-Leste has called for vulnerable countries to receive greater access to climate funding without increasing their debt burdens. Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation Jesuína Maria Ferreira Gomes presented the position at the inaugural Xingu Finance Talks in Bangkok, Thailand.
Representing the Least Developed Countries Group, Gomes said financing should protect people, strengthen communities’ resilience to climate impacts and support sustainable development. She argued that funding mechanisms should reduce vulnerability rather than worsen it, and deliver tangible benefits to affected communities.
Gomes also called for financing that countries can access at affordable costs and that reflects their particular circumstances. She said this would help the most vulnerable nations, especially the least developed countries, strengthen their capacity to adapt and pursue climate-resilient development.
The COP30 presidency promotes Xingu Finance Talks through the Veredas Dialogue, bringing together governments, international financial institutions, businesses and academics. Its first edition focused on expanding fiscal space for climate investment and lowering capital costs through risk-sharing arrangements and guarantees. A technical workshop on October 11 examined practical solutions in both areas.
The discussions are intended to inform the Veredas Dialogue’s work on the Paris Agreement’s financial provisions. Timor-Leste also sought stronger climate financing, technology transfer and national capacity at the Second Committee of the 81st UN General Assembly session in New York on October 13, alongside international support adapted to vulnerable countries’ circumstances.
