The Office of the Provedor for Human Rights and Justice is an independent national human rights institution which has a mandate to cover matters relating to human rights and good governance.

In March 2002 the Constituent Assembly of the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste approved and decreed the country's Constitution. Section 27 of the Constitution provides for the establishment of an Ombudsman.

On 26 May 2004 the National Parliament passed Law No. 7/2004, approving the Statute of the Office of the Ombudsman for Human Rights and Justice and establishing the Timor-Leste Provedor de Direitos Humanos e Justica (the Office of the Ombudsman (Provedor) for Human Rights and Justice).

The Office of the Provedor has a broad human rights mandate. It deals with cases of human rights violations, complaints, education and promotion, monitoring and generally integrating human rights into legislation and practices of Timor-Leste.