Career
On 8 August 2007, he became Minister of Foreign Affairs following the 2007 parliamentary election. In addition to his ministerial role, he is currently Chairman of the National Council of the Social Democratic Party. Professionally, Minister da Costa has worked with the Asian Development Bank (Asian Development Bank) for four years as Inter-Agency Coordinator and Project Administration and Implementation Specialist. He was also a United States Agency for International Development Advisor on Private Sector Development Project and Head of Information Coordination and Monitoring Unit.
Prior to the Independence of Timor-Leste, the Minister was a key figure in the CNRT (National Council for Timorese Resistance) Political Committee and the Coordinating Committee for the Diplomatic Front as the Permanent Representative to the European Union and International Organizations in Geneva covering the period 1985–2000.
Another key function of the Minister was the coordination of the Secretariat of the Inter Parliamentary-Group of the European Parliament for Timor-Leste. Currently Minister da Costa holds a number of voluntary positions including National Vice-president of the Timor-Leste Red Cross and is heavily involved with non-governmental organization’s and Cultural and Sporting organizations.
Minister da Costa is married to Madame Maria Helena Lopes de Jesus Pires.