Álvaro Gil-Robles facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Álvaro Gil-Robles
Álvaro Gil Robles at a reception made to welcome him by Felipe González
Ombudsman of Spain
In office 1988–1993
Personal details
Born	(1944-09-09) September 9, 1944 (age 80) Lisbon, Portugal

Álvaro Gil-Robles y Gil-Delgado was born on September 9, 1944, in Lisbon, Portugal. He is a Spanish jurist (a legal expert) and a strong supporter of human rights. He was the second Spanish Ombudsman (a public official who protects citizens' rights) in Spain, serving from 1988 to 1993. He also worked as the Acting Ombudsman for a few months before that.

About Álvaro Gil-Robles

Álvaro Gil-Robles grew up in a well-known Spanish family. His father, José María Gil-Robles y Quiñones, was a professor of law and an important political leader. His father had to leave Spain and live in Portugal after the Spanish Civil War. Álvaro's brother, José María Gil-Robles, later became the President of the European Parliament.

Álvaro Gil-Robles moved back to Spain in the early 1950s. He studied law at the Universidad Complutense de Madrid. In 1973, he earned his doctorate degree. His special study was about the legal role of the "defender of the people," which is what the Ombudsman does.

He became very active in public life. He was a member of the Spanish Association for Human Rights. He also led the Spanish Commission for Aid to Refugees (CEAR). This group helps people who have had to leave their homes. He was also the Vice-President of the CEAR Foundation, which is supported by Queen Sofía. From 1995 to 1999, he led a group that helped immigrants settle into society.

Álvaro Gil-Robles started teaching at the university in 1967. Later, he taught administrative law. In 1980, he joined the new Constitutional Court as a lawyer. This court makes sure that laws follow the country's constitution.

He helped write the law that created the Ombudsman position in Spain. In 1983, he became a deputy (assistant) to the Spanish Ombudsman. Then, in 1988, he was chosen to be the Ombudsman himself.

From 1999 to 2006, he served as the first Commissioner for Human Rights for the Council of Europe. This was a brand new job. In this role, he worked to protect human rights across many European countries. He was followed in this role by Thomas Hammarberg.

Between 2000 and 2005, he traveled to many countries. He visited public organizations to check on human rights. He then wrote reports about any problems he found. These reports were given to the governments of those countries. This helped them improve human rights for their citizens.

Countries Visited by the Commissioner

Here is a list of countries Álvaro Gil-Robles visited as Commissioner for Human Rights:

• 2000: Georgia and Moldova
• 2001: Andorra, Norway, Slovakia, Finland and Bulgaria
• 2002: Greece, Hungary, Romania and Poland
• 2003: Czech Republic, Slovenia, Portugal, Turkey, Cyprus, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia and Malta
• 2004: Luxembourg, Denmark, Sweden, Croatia, Russia, Switzerland and Liechtenstein
• 2005: Spain, Italy, Iceland, France and Kosovo

You can find his detailed reports on the homepage of the Commissioner for Human Rights.

See also

In Spanish: Álvaro Gil-Robles para niños