The Georgian Public Defender delegation was in Portugal on June 3, 4, and 5, 2024, where they held meetings at the Portuguese Ombudsman’s Office.
The delegation held crucial meetings with key Portuguese officials, including the Portuguese Ombudsman, Maria Lucia Amarali, the head of the Portuguese Commission for Labor and Employment Equality (CITE), Karla Eliana de Costa Tavares, the Deputy Prosecutor General of Portugal, Carlos Aderito, and the Vice-President of the Supreme Court of Portugal, Nuno Goncalves, to discuss mutual human rights concerns and potential areas of collaboration.
At the two-day working meeting at the Portuguese Ombudsman’s Office, the Georgian Public Defender representatives learned about the Portuguese Ommudsman’s authority and work experience.
Discussed the details of citizen reception and hotline services, the function of mediation, and how to conduct citizenship or do business at your initiative. The practice of decision-making and report preparation were shared. At the meeting with Miguel Feldman, the head of the National Prevention Mechanism of Portugal, the principles of the work of the National Mechanism were discussed.
It should be noted that after receiving the status of a candidate of the European Union, the public defender apparatus must share the experience of European National Human Rights Institutes.
As a result of fruitful discussions, the human rights institutions of Georgia and Portugal signed a memorandum, paving the way for future cooperation and the exchange of best practices.
At the meeting with the representatives of the Commission for Equality in Labor and Employment, the representatives of the Public Defender’s Office learned about the labor rights of women and men employed by the work of the Commission, pay difference, child care leave or other benefits, and cases of exemption based on gender discrimination, compulsory decision making deadlines and Procedures; The activities of the Commission in the society were also discussed In the direction of raising awareness.
Introductory meetings were held at the Supreme Court and the Chief Prosecutor’s Office, where the representatives of the public defender got to know how these systems work and their relationship and cooperation with the Ombudsman Institute.
