The need to work towards the harmonization of the European Development agenda becomes obvious, especially in the light of the Paris Declaration and the European Union Conduct Code.

In the case of East Timor, the fact that it is the youngest country in the world and the poorest in Asia, with a turbulent recent history, has attracted a large number of donors and people who want to cooperate with a wide range of agendas and interests.

The European countries which finance cooperation activities in East Timor hold ad hoc meetings but up to now there has been little coordination in their plans. In this context, Portugal is the European country which is most closely linked to East Timor for historic reasons, and their cooperation has been the most important.

Other European countries and the European Commission have also been financing activities in this country either directly or through United Nations agencies, and Spain has been the most recent country to open an Cooperation Technical Office.

The initiative of the UDC is focused on working towards the process of harmonization. It is believed that the academic medium is the most suitable because it facilitates a good atmosphere for the exchange of opinions without the need for legal compromise, which could be the case in more formal meetings.

In this way, with a system of proposals, in which civilian society and the mass media also participate, the transparency and efficiency of this exercise are guaranteed and it allows the evaluation of the real compromise of our European partners.

Also, the connection with the government and the largest non-governmental organizations, reinforces the maturity and participation of the aforementioned in this type of exercise.

Finally, as a useful and effective exercise, it allows conclusions to be drawn and modus operandi at the disposition of international cooperation and can be applied in other countries if necessary.