Ana Maria Gomes
Encyclopedia
Ana Maria Rosa Martins Gomes, better known as Ana Gomes, GCC
, (Lisbon
, 9 February 1954) is a Portuguese politician, who suspended her career as a diplomat to enter party politics
in 2003. In 2004, she was elected as a Member of the European Parliament
(PortugueseSocialist Party member of the European Socialist Party) and was reelected in June 2009. She is married with one daughter, three stepchildren and six grandchildren.
Ana Gomes is currently a City Council member of Sintra.
She has been a career diplomat since 1980 and served in the Portuguese Missions at the UN
in New York and Geneva, and also in the Embassies in Tokyo and London. Between 1999 and 2003, she was Head of Mission and Ambassador in Jakarta, where she played an important role both in the process leading up to the independence of East Timor
and in the reestablishment of diplomatic relations
between Portugal and Indonesia.
In the European Parliament, her main areas of activity are: human rights, security and defence, international relations
, gender issues
and development. In 2010 she signed the Spinelli Group
manifesto.
European Parliament recommendation to the Council of 13 March 2008 (2007/2181(INI))
China's policy and its effects on Africa (Development Committee)
European Parliament resolution of 23 April 2008 (2007/2255(INI))
Women in International Politics (Women's Rights and Gender Equality Committee)
European Parliament resolution of 16 November 2007 (2006/2057(INI))
Small Arms and Light Weapons and Sustainable Development (ACP-EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly)
Resolution of the ACP-EU JPA (ACP-EU/3892/06/fin), by Ana Gomes (Portugal) and William Duguid (Barbados)
Ana Gomes took part in the following Election Observation Missions (EOM):
More information
Political responsibilities:
Committee of the Socialist Party
1981 - Community Law Course, National Institute of Administration, Lisbon
1988 - Summer course at the International Institute for Human Rights, University of Strasbourg
, Expresso
, Jornal de Leiria, Jornal de Notícias, Público and Visão.
Book Todo-o-Terreno - 4 Anos de Reflexões (RCP Edições, November 2008, Lisbon)
Order of Christ (Portugal)
The Military Order of Christ previously the Royal Order of the Knights of Our Lord Jesus Christ was the heritage of the Knights Templar in Portugal, after the suppression of the Templars in 1312...
, (Lisbon
Lisbon
Lisbon is the capital city and largest city of Portugal with a population of 545,245 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Lisbon extends beyond the administrative city limits with a population of 3 million on an area of , making it the 9th most populous urban...
, 9 February 1954) is a Portuguese politician, who suspended her career as a diplomat to enter party politics
Political party
A political party is a political organization that typically seeks to influence government policy, usually by nominating their own candidates and trying to seat them in political office. Parties participate in electoral campaigns, educational outreach or protest actions...
in 2003. In 2004, she was elected as a Member of the European Parliament
European Parliament
The European Parliament is the directly elected parliamentary institution of the European Union . Together with the Council of the European Union and the Commission, it exercises the legislative function of the EU and it has been described as one of the most powerful legislatures in the world...
(PortugueseSocialist Party member of the European Socialist Party) and was reelected in June 2009. She is married with one daughter, three stepchildren and six grandchildren.
Ana Gomes is currently a City Council member of Sintra.
She has been a career diplomat since 1980 and served in the Portuguese Missions at the UN
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
in New York and Geneva, and also in the Embassies in Tokyo and London. Between 1999 and 2003, she was Head of Mission and Ambassador in Jakarta, where she played an important role both in the process leading up to the independence of East Timor
East Timor
The Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste, commonly known as East Timor , is a state in Southeast Asia. It comprises the eastern half of the island of Timor, the nearby islands of Atauro and Jaco, and Oecusse, an exclave on the northwestern side of the island, within Indonesian West Timor...
and in the reestablishment of diplomatic relations
Diplomacy
Diplomacy is the art and practice of conducting negotiations between representatives of groups or states...
between Portugal and Indonesia.
In the European Parliament, her main areas of activity are: human rights, security and defence, international relations
International relations
International relations is the study of relationships between countries, including the roles of states, inter-governmental organizations , international nongovernmental organizations , non-governmental organizations and multinational corporations...
, gender issues
Gender
Gender is a range of characteristics used to distinguish between males and females, particularly in the cases of men and women and the masculine and feminine attributes assigned to them. Depending on the context, the discriminating characteristics vary from sex to social role to gender identity...
and development. In 2010 she signed the Spinelli Group
Spinelli Group
The Spinelli Group is a pro-European initiative that was founded with a view to reinvigorate the strive for federalisation of the European Union , by creating a network of citizens, think tanks, NGOs, academics, writers and politicians who support the idea of a federal and united Europe...
manifesto.
Positions (2009-2014)
- Member of the Committee on Foreign AffairsCommittee on Foreign Affairs (EU)The Committee on Foreign Affairs , previously called Political Affairs, is a committee of the European Parliament...
- Member of the Subcommittee on Human Rights
- Member of the Subcommittee on Security and Defence
- Substitute Member of the Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs
- Member of the Delegation for relations with Iraq
- Substitute Member of the Delegation for relations with the United States
- Substitute Member of the Delegation to the ACP-EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly
Positions (2004-2009)
- Vice-chair of the Subcommittee of Security and Defence and PSE Coordinator for Security and Defence issues
- Member of the Foreign Affairs Committee
- Member of the ACP-EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly
- Substitute Member of the Development Committee
- Substitute Member of the Women's Rights and Gender Equality Committee
- Member of the Temporary Committee on the alleged use of European countries by the CIA for the transport and illegal detention of prisoners
- Member of the Ad-hoc Delegation for relations with Iraq
- Substitute Member of the Delegation for relations with the USA
- Substitute Member of the Delegation for relations with the NATO Parliamentary AssemblyNATO Parliamentary AssemblyFounded in 1955, the NATO Parliamentary Assembly serves as the consultative interparliamentary organisation for the North Atlantic Alliance. Its current President is Karl A...
- Member of the Intergroup on Western Sahara
- Member of the Group of Friends European Parliament/East Timor
Reports
The European Union's role in Iraq (Foreign Affairs Committee)European Parliament recommendation to the Council of 13 March 2008 (2007/2181(INI))
China's policy and its effects on Africa (Development Committee)
European Parliament resolution of 23 April 2008 (2007/2255(INI))
Women in International Politics (Women's Rights and Gender Equality Committee)
European Parliament resolution of 16 November 2007 (2006/2057(INI))
Small Arms and Light Weapons and Sustainable Development (ACP-EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly)
Resolution of the ACP-EU JPA (ACP-EU/3892/06/fin), by Ana Gomes (Portugal) and William Duguid (Barbados)
Missions
As an MEP, Ana Gomes participated in a number of European Parliament missions to Afghanistan, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Chad, China, Democratic Republic of Congo, East Timor, Kosovo, Lebanon, Indonesia (including Aceh), Iraq, Israel, Palestine, Sudan (Darfur), Turkey, USA, etc.Ana Gomes took part in the following Election Observation Missions (EOM):
- Ethiopia (2005) - Head of the EU's EOM
- Democratic Republic of CongoDemocratic Republic of the CongoThe Democratic Republic of the Congo is a state located in Central Africa. It is the second largest country in Africa by area and the eleventh largest in the world...
(2006) - Member of the European ParliamentEuropean ParliamentThe European Parliament is the directly elected parliamentary institution of the European Union . Together with the Council of the European Union and the Commission, it exercises the legislative function of the EU and it has been described as one of the most powerful legislatures in the world...
's EOM - East Timor (2007) - Head of the European Parliament's EOM
- Angola (2008) - Member of the European Parliament's EOM
More information
Diplomatic career
- 1980 - Entered the Diplomatic Service through public competition, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Lisbon
- 1982-1986 - Diplomatic Advisor of the President of the Republic, General Ramalho Eanes, Lisbon
- 1986-1989 - First Secretary at the Portuguese Permanent Representation at the UN and other International Organisations (responsible for Human Rights and Humanitarian Law), Geneva
- 1989-1991 - Counsellor at the Portuguese Embassy in Tokyo
- 1991-1994 - Political Counsellor at the Portuguese Embassy in London
- 1992 - Member of the European Union Presidency team working on the Middle East Peace Process
- 1992 -1994 - Member of the Portuguese Delegation at the UN Human Rights Commission in Geneva
- 1994 - Head of the Europe Unit, Political Affairs Department, Ministry of Foreign AffairsForeign ministerA Minister of Foreign Affairs, or foreign minister, is a cabinet minister who helps form the foreign policy of a sovereign state. The foreign minister is often regarded as the most senior ministerial position below that of the head of government . It is often granted to the deputy prime minister in...
, Lisbon - 1995 -1996 - Chief of Staff of the Secretary of State for European Affairs, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Lisbon
- 1997-1998 - Coordinator of the Portuguese Delegation at the UN Security Council, New York
- 1999 - 2000 - Director of the Portuguese Interests Section at the Embassy of the Netherlands, Djakarta
- 2000 - 2003 - Ambassador of Portugal in Indonesia, Jakarta
Political activities
Ana Gomes has been a member of the Socialist Party since March 18, 2002.Political responsibilities:
- 2002 - Elected Member of the National and Political Committees of the Socialist Party
- 2003 - 2004 - National Secretary for External Relations of the Socialist Party
- 2004 - ongoing - Socialist Member of the European Parliament and Member of the National
Committee of the Socialist Party
Academic background
1979 - Law Degree, Classical University of Lisbon1981 - Community Law Course, National Institute of Administration, Lisbon
1988 - Summer course at the International Institute for Human Rights, University of Strasbourg
Publications
Numerous articles published in the Courrier Internacional, Diário de NotíciasDiário de Notícias
Diário de Notícias is a Portuguese daily newspaper, founded in Lisbon, on December 29, 1864 by Tomás Quintino Antunes and Eduardo Coelho. It gradually became one of the best known Portuguese newspapers...
, Expresso
Expresso (Portuguese newspaper)
right||thumb|Expresso Expresso is the flagship publication of the Group IMPRESA, and was founded by Francisco Pinto Balsemão in 1973...
, Jornal de Leiria, Jornal de Notícias, Público and Visão.
Book Todo-o-Terreno - 4 Anos de Reflexões (RCP Edições, November 2008, Lisbon)
Awards
- Ruth Pearce Award for Human Rights by Human Rights NGOs, Geneva, 1989
- Personality of the Year Award - 1999, Expresso weekly newspaper, Lisbon, 1999
- Personality of the Year Award - 1999, Association of International Correspondents, Lisbon, 1999
- Human Rights Award of the Assembly of the Republic (Portuguese parliament), 1999
- Activist of the Year - 2008, The Parliament Magazine, Brussels, 2008
Membership in Civil Society Organisations
- Member of the Student Union, Classical University of Lisbon, Lisbon (1974–1976)
- Member of the Board of the Union of Portuguese Diplomats (1982–1986 and 1994–1996)
- Member of the Portuguese chapter of Amnesty International
- Member of International Development NGOs CIDAC and Engenho & Obra
- Member of the Portuguese Association of Women Jurists
Decorations
- Grand Cross of the Military Order of Christ, awarded by President Jorge Sampaio in 2000
- Others (Portuguese and foreign)