Intervention of the Minister of Foreign Affairs at the High-Level Segment of the 43rd session of the United Nations Human Rights Council

It is with great honour that I speak today at this High-Level Segment of the Human Rights Council in Portuguese, one of the most spoken languages in the world, and which we hope will soon become an official language of the United Nations. 

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Portugal, a pioneering country and forerunner of the abolition of the death penalty, continues to strive for its definitive abolition. This year we will again support and promote the biennial resolution on the moratorium on the death penalty, which will be presented at the Human Rights Council. In other headquarters, such as the Council of Europe and the OSCE, we have also taken an active stance on this issue. 

Portugal remains committed to the fight against Torture and other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, and, last November, a very constructive and open dialogue with the relevant Committee took place. 

The Committee on the Rights of the Child has also recently valued the legislative changes and measures adopted by Portugal. Children are often the first and most vulnerable victims of human rights violations. In 2019, we celebrated the 30th anniversary of the Convention on the Rights of the Child, a very important milestone to which the High-Level Panel on Human Rights mainstreaming will be dedicated. Despite the progress made, much remains to be done in terms of protecting children and their rights and guaranteeing the conditions for their full development.