Coordination at national level

• Author: Lopes, Dulce; Vicente, Joana
• Pages: 81-81

81

9 COORDINATION AT NATIONAL LEVEL

The office of the HCM has responsibility for issues relating to immigration and ethnic

minorities, and is under a duty to combat racism, but it has no responsibility for

coordinating other bodies working in this area. The Authority for Working Conditions,

formerly the General Labour Inspectorate, deals with some anti-discrimination issues, but

it does not have responsibility for coordination either.

Within the Ministry of Justice, the Legislative Policy and Planning Office (Gabinete de

Política Legislativa e Planeamento – GPLP) is responsible for planning the implementation

of directives and other EU instruments, but at a formal rather than substantive level.

There are several municipal anti-racism and anti-discrimination plans in Portugal.

Therefore, a variety of entities with somewhat fragmented responsibilities in the areas of

equality and non-discrimination exist, and the coordination of their activities is not as clear

as would be desirable, which runs contrary to the transversal and global nature of anti-

discrimination policy.