Lisbon, 29 September 2020: A follow-up meeting to the publication of the Fourth Opinion of the Advisory Committee on the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities was organised by the Portuguese Government. It provided an opportunity to hear about measures already undertaken or envisaged by the authorities to implement the main recommendations contained in the Resolution on the implementation of the Framework Convention by Portugal adopted by the Committee of Ministers on 17 June 2020, to discuss new proposals to improve the situation of Portuguese Roma communities, and to exchange on good practices implemented in other States Parties to the Framework Convention.

The meeting was opened by Ms Mariana Vieira Da Silva, Minister of State for the Presidency, Ms Cláudia Pereira, Secretary of State for Integration and Migration, and Ms Marie Hagsgård, Acting Chair of the Advisory Committee on the Framework Convention. It was attended, partly through videoconference, by about 35 participants, including representatives from relevant state authorities and institutions, Roma and human rights associations, mediators and students, as well as representatives of municipalities of Porto, Moura, Torres Vedras and Figueira da Foz which had been visited by the Advisory Committee in May 2019.

Members of Parliament belonging to Afro-descendant communities and representatives of the Association of Mirandese Language and Culture joined the afternoon awareness-raising session on the principles and main provisions of the Framework Convention. The Acting Chair of the Advisory Committee on the Framework Convention and the Secretariat welcomed this first opportunity to have a follow-up event in Portugal and thanked the Portuguese authorities for their warm hospitality, openness for discussion and forward-looking attitude.