Portugal and the Universal Periodic Review: The UN Policies on Human Trafficking

背景是，这将是对联合国普遍定期审查(UPR)帮助保障葡萄牙人口贩运和性剥削受害者权利的有效性的首次学术调查。它将调查人权理事会工作组的模式、政府在国家报告中提交的材料、关于超生技术的建议得到“注意”或“支持”的程度、关注这一问题的利益攸关方提交的材料以及非政府组织UPRInfo组织的会前会议结果的数据。研究问题将集中在：(A)普遍定期审议评估和打击葡萄牙境内的性剥削和性剥削的模式；(B)评估联合国会员国和人权理事会工作组的建议在多大程度上转化为国内法律改革。我将调查国际和国内两级的压力点，这些压力点揭示了我国预防高血压的法律和政治问题上的冲突。数据的整理主要是通过对普遍定期审议和葡萄牙政府关于高血压问题的文件进行理论调查的方法。在与我的主管讨论时，这种整理数据的方法可以适当地辅以研究访问、更广泛的利益攸关方文件和报告(例如，日内瓦普遍定期审议的文件、葡萄牙政府各部和葡萄牙非政府组织的文件)。本论文意在影响：(A)联合国普遍定期审议的运作以及模式和政策基础设施；(B)增加透明度，找出葡萄牙政治和法律进程中的任何障碍，首先是与普遍定期审议接触，其次是制定保护普遍定期审议受害者的国家法律。人们越来越认识到普遍定期审议和联合国可持续发展目标之间的协同作用，因此我将审查这种混合方法(将普遍定期审议和可持续发展目标编织在一起)对促进可持续发展目标5、8和16的影响。在M4C标准授予的3.5年内工作，时间表将是：第1年-审查葡萄牙完成的3个普遍定期审议周期，并在2024年7月举行的第47届人权理事会会议上确定第4个周期的潜在问题。第2年--审查葡萄牙根据《葡萄牙刑法》制定的关于贩运人口的国家法律、打击贩运人口的国家计划(2014-2017年和2018-2021年)、外交部和国民议会在执行普遍定期审议建议方面的作用，以及葡萄牙民间社会与总统府的接触。第3-3.5年--写下根据普遍定期审议和葡萄牙国家立场整理的数据得出的结论。提出建议，以改进国家法律，以打击性暴力和性剥削，并保障与这一犯罪有关的受害者的权利。

The context is that it will be the first academic investigation of the effectiveness of the UN's Universal Periodic Review (UPR) to help safeguard the rights of those effected by human trafficking (HT) and sexual exploitation in Portugal. It will investigate the modalities of the Working Group of the Human Rights Council, the government's submissions within the National Report, the extent to which recommendations on HT are 'noted' or 'supported', the stakeholder submissions focusing on this issue and the data on the outcomes of the pre-sessions organised by the NGO, UPRinfo. This data will act as an interpretive lens to assess the extent to which Portugal adheres to the UPR recommendations to combat HT and safeguard the rights of victims.The research questions will be focused upon: (a) the modalities of the UPR for assessing and combatting HT and sexual exploitation in Portugal; and (b) to assess the extent the recommendations by UN member states and the Working Group of the Human Rights Council are translated into domestic legal change. I will investigate the pressure points at both the international and domestic levels which reveal the conflicts on the legal and political issues for the prevention of HT in my country.The collation of the data will be mostly through a methodology of a doctrinal investigation of the UPR and Portuguese governmental documentation on the issue of HT. In discussion with my supervisors, this method of collating data may be appropriately supplemented by research visits, wider stakeholder documentation and reports (for example, the files of UPRInfo in Geneva, Portuguese governmental ministries and Portuguese NGOs).It is intended that this thesis will impact upon: (a) the operation of the UN's UPR and the modalities and policy infrastructure; and (b) to increase transparency and identify any blockages in the Portuguese political and legal processes firstly engaging with the UPR and secondly creating national law to protect the victims of HT. There is a growing realisation of the synergy between the UPR and the UN's Sustainable Development Goals, so I will review the impact of this hybrid approach (of weaving together the UPR and the SDGs), for furthering the SGDs 5, 8 and 16.Working within the M4C standard award of 3.5 years the timeline would be: Year 1 - Review Portugal's 3 completed UPR cycles and identify potential issues for the 4th Cycle in the 47th HRC Session in July 2024. Year 2 - Review Portugal's national law on human trafficking under the Código Penal Portugues (the Portuguese Penal Code), the National Plans Against Trafficking in Human Beings (2014-2017 and 2018-2021), the role of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the national parliament in the implementation of UPR recommendations, and then Portuguese civil society engagement with HT. Year 3-3.5 - write up the findings from the data collated on both the UPR and the Portuguese national position. Providerecommendations for the improvement of national legal change to combat HT and sexual exploitation and safeguard the rights of victims associated with this crime.