Cabo Verde

Cabo Verde's national standing national mechanism is the Interministerial Commission for the Preparation of National Human Rights Reports (CIERNDH) which is coordinated by the Office of the Prime Minister.

The interministerial commission was established through Resolution No. 55/2017 of June 15, amended by Resolution No. 98/2022 of October 26 and by Resolution No. 56/2025, of July 1.

Composition

The Interministerial Commission, in addition to the Executive Secretary and the Technical Secretariat, is also composed of one representative and one alternate from each of the following areas of governance:

• Finance;
• Family, Inclusion and Social Development;
• Foreign Affairs;
• Internal Administration;
• Justice;
• Education;
• Health;
• Infrastructure, Spatial Planning and Housing;
• Migration.

The Interministerial Commission operates under the authority of the member of Government responsible for the area of Justice, with the possibility of delegation.

Secretariat

The Interministerial Commission is coordinated by a permanent Executive Secretary, responsible for ensuring the operationalization and regular functioning of the Commission.

The State Budget annually provides an allocation for the regular functioning of the Commission, included in the budget of the Ministry of Justice.

Institutional memory and training

There is no formal system for preserving memory. Administrative records (physical and electronic documents) are used. Occasional and specific trainings are being organized within the scope of technical assistance from the United Nations and the African Commission.

Methods of work

The Technical Drafting Team meets frequently, and the Commission holds plenary sessions for the discussion and approval of preliminary reports. A Reporting Regularization Plan has been approved. The Team meets frequently to comply with the schedule established in the Plan.

MANDATE

The interministerial commission's mandate is to ensure the drafting and submission of initial and periodic reports arising from the International Human Rights Conventions and additional Protocols to which Cabo Verde is a party.

The national mechanism engages with all UN and regional human rights mechanisms.

Process for the preparation of state reports

The Commission sends official notes to the Ministries and different institutions requesting information. The received data/information are processed, compiled, and verified before being included in the report. The ministries then submit data and the technical team drafts reports (1 executive secretary + 2 technicians). Once the draft report is final, there is a plenary session when the Commission and the Council of Ministers approves the final report. To ensure a good planning, the drafting team meets frequently according to a Reporting Regularization Plan.

The Interministerial Commission holds plenary sessions for the discussion and approval of preliminary reports.

Linkages with the 2030 Agenda and its Sustainable Development Goals

The Ministry of Finance and Business Promotion, which coordinates SDG implementation, holds a seat on the Commission.

Channel of communication with the National Statistics Office

The INE participates in the Commission’s activities and provides information whenever requested.

CONSULTATION

Public consultations and dialogues with NGOs, civil society, and the National Human Rights Institution are organized.

There is a National Human Rights Plan, executed by the National Commission for Human Rights and Citizenship, in coordination with government departments. An Implementation Plan for the UPR Recommendations (4th Cycle) has also been approved. The NMIRF has received support from OHCHR, ACHPR, and national bodies on training on report drafting, including with seminars on UPR, African Charter on Rights and Welfare of the Child, African Charter on Human & Peoples’ Rights, and Maputo Protocol. There is a need for additional training in report preparation and there is limited human, material, and financial resources.

João Duarte, Executive Secretary, e-mail: Joao.Duarte@palgov.gov.cv, mobile no. +238 991 24 08; José Carlos Martins, Legal Adviser to the Minister of Justice, e-mail: jose.c.martins@mj.gov.cv, mobile no. +238 999 20 43.