Biography
Ana Gomes was Member of the European Parliament for 3 terms (2004-2019), as a member of the Portuguese Socialist Party and, therefore, of the S&D - Socialist and Democrats Group.
She served in the Foreign Affairs Committee, Development Committee, Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs, and in the SubCommittee for Security and Defence and un the SubCommittee on Human Rigts.
She was member of the Delegation for the Relations with the United-States, Délégation for the Relations with Iraq and the Delegation to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Union for the Mediterranean.
She headed several EU/ EP Electoral Election Missions (Ethiopia, Timor Leste, Sudan, Myanmar, Georgia, among others).
She served in the Special inquiry Committees on the CIA Flights, on TAX 1 and TAX2 (Luxleaks scandal) and was VicePresident of the Inquiry Committees on PanamaPapers, on ParadisePapers (TAX3) and was S&D coordinator at the Special Committee on Terrorism (TERR).
She was Rapporteur for Libya, Iraq, Saudi Arabia and the PCA with Indonesia, on the "EU CBRN Action Plan" report, the "Maritime Dimension of CSDP" report, on the "Human Rights and corruption" report, on "Big Data and Fundamental Rights" among other files.
She actively campaigned for a EU Magnitsky Act.
Ana Gomes' academic background is Law.
She was a career diplomat since joining the Portuguese Foreign Service in 1980 and suspended her diplomatic career in 2003 to enter party politics.
She served in the Portuguese Missions at the UN in Geneva and New York and also in the Embassies in Tokyo and London.
Between 1999 and 2003 she was Head of the Portuguese Interests Section and then Ambassador in Jakarta, where she played a role in the process leading up to the independence of Timor Leste and in the reestablishment of diplomatic relations between Portugal and Indonesia.
Today she continues her political activism as a campaigner for human rights, integrity and transparency in public life, against corruption and organized crime. She keeps a weekly programme of commentary at Portuguese TV channel SIC Notícias ("The opinion of Ana Gomes").
She is married, one daughter, 3 step children and 7 grand-children.
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 Affairs, 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 - Head 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.
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 - 2009 - Socialist Member of the European Parliament and Member of the National Committee of the Socialist Party
2011 - Member of the Political Committee of the Socialist Party
Academic Background
1979 - Law Degree, Classical University of Lisbon
1981 - 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 Notícias', 'Expresso', '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 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
Member of the Advisory Board of the Security and Defence Agenda
Decorations
Grand Cross of the Military Order of Christ, awarded by President Jorge Sampaio in 2000
Others (Portuguese and foreign)