The II International Symposium on Human Rights and Citizenship is a joint initiative of Universidade Portucalense Infante D. Henrique (UPT), Portugal, and Universidade Salvador (UNIFACS), Brazil, consolidating an academic partnership that has lasted for over a decade.

For this second edition, which will take place on July 1st and 2nd, 2025, the chosen theme is “Human Rights in Crisis? Tensions between Global Challenges and Local Situations.” This theme reflects contemporary issues that challenge the protection of human rights in a world increasingly marked by growing inequalities, political crises, climate emergencies, and democratic setbacks in different regions.

By bringing together researchers, academics, activists, and civil society representatives, this II International Symposium aims to create a critical space for reflection and discussion on how global dynamics impact the protection of rights in local contexts. The event seeks to foster ideas and proposals that contribute to the development of effective responses through public policies, collective actions, educational initiatives, and other strategies involving academia, governments, and civil society.

This institutional network, initially formed by the two organizing universities, has been joined by several supporting institutions, including the University of Ixlahuaca CUI (Mexico); the State Universities of Bahia (UNEB, Brazil) and Feira de Santana (UEFS, Brazil); the Federal Universities of Maranhão (UFMA, Brazil), Ceará (UFC, Brazil), and Sergipe (UFS, Brazil); the University of Brasília (UnB, Brazil); the Brazilian Institute of Human Rights (IBDH, Brazil); the Attorney General’s Office of the State of Ceará (PGE-CE, Brazil); and the Latin American Academy of Criminal and Penitentiary Law (ALDP).

In this 2nd Edition of the International Symposium on Human Rights and Citizenship, the curators, scientific committee, and organizing institutions recognize the urgency of academic engagement in addressing critical human rights issues. As a guiding foundation for the development of public policies and other protective actions, this edition’s program will focus on thematic lines that remain aligned with those of the previous edition.