Jose Ramos-Horta was born in Dili, East Timor, Dec. 26th, 1949.
In 1974 he participated in the establishment of FRETILIN (Revolutionary Front for East Timor Independence). He was appointed Minister of Foreign Affairs for the East Timor Democratic Republic, on its declaration of independence in 1975. Following the Indonesian invasion in 1976, he continued his activities overseas, lobbying for support from the international community. For a long time he represented FRETILIN at the United Nations in New York, presenting East Timor's foreign policy.

At present he represents the National Council of Timorese Resistance (CNRT) and is based in Australia. In 1994, at the European Parliament's Human Rights Committee, he announced a three-stage peace proposal seeking self-determination for East Timor, and achieved wide recognition. He has also played an important role in "reconciliation talks" for East Timor, realized by intermediation by the UN.

He qualified for his MA in Peace Studies at Antioch University, and in 1987 he was a guest researcher at Anthony College, Oxford University, and studied international law at The Hague International Law Academy, and Strasbourg International Human Rights Study Center. Now he lectures on foreign policy and international mechanisms at the Faculty of Law, University of New South Wales, Australia.

In 1993 he received the Professor Thorolf Rafto Human Rights Prize, and in 1995 the Gleitzman Foundation Award. In 1996 he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, together with Bishop Carlos Filipe Ximenes Belo, in recognition of their work towards a just and peaceful solution to the conflict in East Timor. Jose Ramos-Horta is now working on creation of an organization for mediation of local conflict issues by Nobel Prize Peace winners, including the Dalai Lama.