Ana Gomes is a Member of the European Parliament since 2004 and was re-elected in 2009. She is also a City Council Member without executive functions at the Sintra City Council. Working as a diplomat since 1980, Ana Gomes suspended her career to enter party politics in 2003. Married, one daughter, three stepchildren and six grandchildren.

As a diplomat, she 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.



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)