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The Ombudsman’s Office welcomes the recent amendment to the Rules of Procedure of the Guimarães Municipal Assembly, which expands citizens’ participation in all sessions of the body, including extraordinary ones. This amendment was approved on 27 September 2024, following an intervention by the Ombudsman’s Office, prompted by a complaint questioning the failure to hold a period for the public to…
On March 19, the Ombudsperson, Maria Lúcia Amaral, took part in the congress organised at the Faculty of Law of the University of Lisbon on ‘50 years of Law in Portugal: anatomy of a system in transition’.
The Ombudsman’s Office is concerned about the lack of protection for migrants with documents that have expired, and calls for the dissemination of information on the subject to be stepped up among public administration services and foreign citizens in Portugal. This concerns the situation of migrants from countries outside the European Union (EU) and applicants for international protection, since a…
The Ombudsman’s Office has suggested that parish councils offer citizens an alternative to the use of the white stamp as a means of authenticating certifying documents signed by the respective presidents, namely certificates of residence or economic situation. The recommendation came about following a complaint in which it was found that citizens may find it impossible to use these documents…
In the exercise of its mandate as the National Human Rights Institution (NHRI), in April the Ombudsman submitted the alternative report with a view to the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) to which the Portuguese state will be subject at the end of 2024. Recognised as an accredited NHRI with A status, in full compliance with the Paris Principles, the Ombudsman…
The Ombudsman has sent a recommendation to the Order of Nurses to amend its Disciplinary Regulations, in order to remove the prohibition on the presence of a lawyer when witnesses are examined in disciplinary proceedings. To read the Recommendation, click here [in Portuguese only].
On 3 and 4 June, the Ombudsman, Mária Lúcia Amaral, received a delegation from Georgia, led by Ombudsman Levan Ioseliani, for a working visit that culminated in the signing of a cooperation agreement on the promotion and protection of human rights. This visit to Portugal, which allowed for an intense exchange of experiences and good practices, was organised as part…
The Portuguese Ombudsperson, Maria Lúcia Amaral, and the Deputy Ombudsman, Ravi Afonso Pereira, participated in the General Assembly and Annual Conference of the Global Alliance of National Human Rights Institutions (GANHRI), that took place between 14 and 16 March, in Geneva, on the occasion of the commemorations of the 75th Anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the…
The Ombudsman’s Office, the National Human Rights Institution (NHRI), took part in the United Nations Social Forum 2024, held on 31 October and 1 November in Geneva. The event, attended by the Office’s Deputy Sofia Duarte, was attended by representatives of governments, NHRIs and civil society organisations from various countries, among others. representatives of governments, NHRIs and civil society organisations…
The Ombudsman’s Office, represented by Sofia Duarte, was present at the Annual Assembly of the European Network of National Human Rights Institutions (ENNHRI), held in Brussels on 28 and 29 October, which brought together more than 30 National Human Rights Institutions (NHRIs) from across Europe. The highlight of the meeting was the debate on ENNHRI’s new strategic plan for the…