Overview of Human Rights in Cape Verde

Cape Verde is a multiparty parliamentary democracy. The government generally respects the civil and human rights of its citizens. However, there are still some areas of concern.

Law enforcement officials are known to abuse detainees. The judicial system is extremely slow and thus lengthy pretrial detention and excessive trial delays are almost the norm in Cape Verde. Poor prison conditions are a concern.

The media practices self-censorship for fear of being shut down if they report positions contrary to the official stance of the government.

Child abuse, child labor and child prostitution are all concerns and the international community has been watching to see how the government will respond.

Human Development Index (HDI) Rank:

106th out of 177

Note: Human Development Index (HDI) is a composite index that measures the level of well-being of nations in the world. It uses factors such as poverty, literacy, life-expectancy, education, gross domestic product, and purchasing power parity to assess the average achievements in each nation. It has been used in the United Nation’s Human Development Report since 1993.