The Ombudsman’s Office received a delegation from the Council of Europe’s Advisory Committee for the Framework Convention on the Protection of National Minorities, as part of its fifth monitoring visit to Portugal, to discuss the human rights situation in the country. The meeting took place on 26 March 2025 at its headquarters, in Lisbon. During the meeting, the representatives of…
On 24 March, the Ombudsman’s Office took part in the 58th Session of the United Nations Human Rights Council, which considered and debated the final report of the Working Group on the 4th cycle of the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) of Portugal. Represented by the Deputy Ombudsman, Ravi Afonso Pereira, the State body valued Portugal’s efforts to fulfil its international…
The Ombudsman submitted a request to the Constitutional Court for a declaration of unconstitutionality, with general binding force, of the rules of Law no. 28/2024, of 28 February, which restored Casa do Douro as a public association and approved its statutes. The Ombudsman believes that Article 1 of Law 28/2024, which reinstated Casa do Douro as a public association, and…
From March 10 to 12, Geneva hosted the Annual Assembly and Conference of the Global Alliance of National Human Rights Institutions (GANHRI), featuring the active participation of the Human Rights Network of Portuguese-speaking Countries. The formal presentation of this Network and its members marked a significant milestone in its consolidation and global recognition, reinforcing its commitment to advancing human rights…
On February 24 and 25, the Ombudsman’s Office received a delegation from the Kenyan Administrative Justice Commission as part of the European Technical Assistance and Information Exchange (TAIEX) programme on the right to information and administrative justice. The purpose of the working visit was to strengthen the capacities and competences of the Kenya Administrative Justice Commission’s research department in the…
In her capacity as interim president of the CPLP Human Rights Network, the Ombudsperson, Maria Lúcia Amaral, traveled to Bissau on February 19 and 20, where she held a series of institutional meetings with the aim of strengthening bilateral cooperation and preparing the presentation and consolidation of the Network at international level, with the Global Alliance of National Human Rights…
On 5 and 6 February, the Ombudsman’s Office took part in a European meeting of peers to discuss the European Union (EU) Pact on Migration and Asylum. Organised by the Dutch Ombudsman, the event aimed to debate the implications of the Pact in the field of fundamental rights, as well as to share expectations and experiences about its impact on…
The Ombudsperson, Maria Lúcia Amaral, was heard at the Eventual Commission for the integrated follow-up of the implementation and monitoring of the Anti-Corruption Agenda. The hearing took place on 11 February at the Portuguese Parliament. To watch the hearing, click here.
The National Prevention Mechanism (MNP), which works under the auspices of the Ombudsman, is today publishing a thematic report [link] on detention conditions and procedures at National Republican Guard (GNR) territorial posts, following visits over the last two years. The report, which has already been presented to the Guard Inspectorate, outlines the MNP’s main concerns about material conditions and detention…
On 22 January, the Ombudsperson, Maria Lúcia Amaral, participated as a speaker at the VII Seminar on Internal Security, on the theme of ‘Human Rights and Police Activity’, an event organised by the Military Academy, at its premises in Lisbon. The Ombudsperson gave the seminar’s final lecture, which you can read here [in Portuguese only].
