The Timor Sea Office is part of the Office of Timor-Leste (East Timor) Prime Minister Mari Alkatiri. The primary task of the Timor Sea Office is to establish permanent maritime boundaries with Timor-Leste's neighbours, Australia and Indonesia.

Timor-Leste became the world's newest nation in May 2002, but one significant aspect of its right to self-determination remains to be exercised - Timor-Leste has no maritime boundaries with its neighbours. This means that the extent of Timor-Leste's maritime territory is yet to be determined.

An agreement on permanent boundaries will also generate significant revenue for Timor-Leste over the long-term, thereby avoiding aid dependency as this new nations tackles the challenges of national reconstruction and alleviating mass poverty.

Establishing permanent maritime boundaries in the Timor Sea is also the best way to provide the security and stability necessary to make the area an attractive investment environment. For these reasons, the goal of establishing boundaries in the Timor Sea is one of the top priorities of the Timor-Leste Government.

The Timor Sea Office has also assisted the Timor-Leste Government with establishing the legal and institutional framework for the development and management of petroleum resources in Timor-Leste's exclusive maritime and onshore areas.