Catarina de Albuquerque, a distinguished professional with a law degree from the University of Lisbon and a master’s degree in International Law from Geneva, has made significant contributions throughout her career.
Albuquerque served as a legal consultant at the Office of Documentation and Comparative Law and worked as a professor and researcher in human rights. From 2013 to 2019, she was vice-president of the Portuguese Association for Victim Support and also presided over the Council of the Nova School of Law. In 2008, she was appointed by the UN as the first Special Rapporteur for the Human Right to Safe Drinking Water and Sanitation, a role she held until 2014.
The tribute paid by the president of the Assembly of the Republic highlights her crucial contribution to the UN General Assembly’s recognition of these rights in 2010.
She conducted missions in over 20 countries, advocating for public policies to promote equity and universal access. In 2014, she joined Sanitation and Water for All, a global UN partnership, as executive director and CEO.
Albuquerque received numerous accolades, including the Gold Medal for Human Rights from the Assembly of the Republic in 2009 and the Order of Merit in 2013.
