On November 7, 2024, the Judicial School of the Regional Labor Court of the 6th Region (Brazil) hosted the Luso-Brazilian Colloquium on Prevention and Compensation of Workplace Accidents, an important event aimed at reflecting on issues related to workplace health and safety in Portugal and Brazil. The colloquium brought together judges, judicial staff, the legal community, and professors from both institutions, fostering critical discussions on the effectiveness or shortcomings of legal frameworks in this field.
Representing the Faculty of Law of Universidade Lusófona and as researchers of the Francisco Suárez Advanced Legal Studies Center (CEAD), Professor Carolina de Freitas e Silva addressed the topic "Worker Protection Rules and Judicial Safeguards in Portugal", while Professor António Monteiro Fernandes presented "Substantive Aspects of Workplace Accident Compensation: Liability and Evidence".
A few days later, from November 11 to 13, 2024, the auditorium of the Higher School of Advocacy (Brazilian Bar Association - Pernambuco Section) hosted the 10th Pernambuco Congress on Safe Work, themed “Workplace Health and Safety: Indicators of Environmental, Social, and Governance Responsibility”. This event was organized by the Regional Labor Court of the 6th Region in collaboration with the institutions that make up the Interinstitutional Working Group of the 6th Region (GETRIN 6).
The congress aimed to disseminate data and information on workplace health and safety, reflect on public policies for environmental protection and social support for workplace accident victims, and strengthen social and interinstitutional dialogue on the topic. Universidade Lusófona, as the only foreign educational institution in GETRIN 6, reaffirmed its commitment to this cause.
The event featured five thematic panels:
- ESG in labor relations;
- ESG in engineering and workplace safety;
- ESG, mental health, and work;
- ESG and supply chains;
- ESG and workplace accidents.
Professor António Monteiro Fernandes, also a CEAD Francisco Suárez researcher, delivered the opening lecture entitled "The European Regulatory Framework on Workplace Health and Safety and the Challenges of Corporate Management". Professor Marlene Ferreira Mendes, another CEAD Francisco Suárez researcher, presented on "Workplace Environment and Mental Health: An Analysis from the Perspective of Health and Safety Law".
Both events were held under the framework of the Technical Cooperation Agreement, signed on July 25, 2023, between the Regional Labor Court of the 6th Region, the Faculty of Law of Universidade Lusófona – Centro Universitário de Lisboa, and the Francisco Suárez Advanced Legal Studies Center (CEAD), through the Judicial School of the Regional Labor Court. This agreement aims, among other objectives, to promote the “sharing of knowledge and experiences on workplace health and safety and accident prevention”, as well as to foster “the development of joint educational programs and research projects”.
The organization of both events on behalf of Lusófona was led by Professor Carolina de Freitas e Silva, further demonstrating the Faculty of Law of Universidade Lusófona's commitment to advancing knowledge and fostering international cooperation in the legal-labor field.
