Ce mercredi 10 juin, le Médiateur, Nicolas Lagasse, a remis le Quatorzième Rapport annuel (01.01.2025 – 31.12.2025) à Benoît Dispa, Président du Parlement de la Fédération Wallonie-Bruxelles, et à Willy Borsus, Président du Parlement de Wallonie. C'est le premier rapport que Nicolas Lagasse présente depuis sa prestation de serment le 16 juillet 2025.

Retrouvez le rapport annuel 2025 ici

Une Institution au service des droits des citoyens

Le Médiateur occupe une position singulière dans le paysage institutionnel : ni juge, ni avocat, il se situe à l'interface entre le citoyen et l'Administration. Sa mission est de conférer toute leur effectivité aux droits : en accueillant la parole du citoyen lorsque celui-ci s'estime confronté à un manquement aux principes de bonne administration, en dialoguant avec les services publics pour dégager des voies de conciliation, et en formulant des recommandations destinées à améliorer durablement les pratiques administratives. Dans son rapport 2025, le Médiateur adresse 70 recommandations aux membres des Gouvernements et à leurs Administrations — 10 nouvelles et 60 reconduites – auxquelles s'ajoutent 10 recommandations antérieures ayant trouvé une suite favorable en 2025.

Le droit à l'erreur : fil rouge de 2025

Placé sous le signe du droit à l'erreur du citoyen dans sa relation à l'Administration, ce rapport illustre, à travers des cas concrets, qu'une erreur commise de bonne foi ne devrait pas entraîner de conséquences disproportionnées. Ce principe — adopté en mars 2025 par Ombudsman.be, le réseau belge des Ombudsmans et Médiateurs — appelle à une Administration respectueuse du principe de proportionnalité, attentive à accompagner l'usager plutôt qu'à le sanctionner pour une maladresse.

4.897 dossiers traités en 2025

En 2025, le service a enregistré 4.897 réclamations (60 % concernant la Wallonie, 26 % la Fédération Wallonie-Bruxelles). Sur les dossiers instruits au fond, 1.330 ont été déclarés fondés, dont 862 ont abouti à une correction de la part de l'Administration. Les matières les plus représentées sont l'enseignement (au premier rang), la fiscalité, le logement — où la révision soudaine des primes Habitation par le Gouvernement wallon en février 2025 a généré un afflux notable de réclamations —, la distribution d'eau, l'urbanisme et l'environnement.

Médiation locale : deux poids, deux mesures selon la commune de résidence

Pour la première fois, le rapport consacre un chapitre entier à la médiation locale. S’il faut se réjouir que 49 communes et 1 CPAS sont déjà partenaires du Médiateur, force est de constater qu’il existe aujourd’hui une inégalité de traitement difficilement justifiable entre citoyens : 140 réclamations n'ont pu être instruites en 2025, faute de convention entre la commune concernée et le Médiateur. Qu'un citoyen puisse ou non faire valoir ses droits auprès du Médiateur selon la commune où il réside constitue une rupture d'égalité. Le Médiateur recommande que lui soit reconnue une compétence générale à l'égard de l'ensemble des collectivités locales : la qualité des droits d'un citoyen ne peut dépendre de la commune où il réside.

« Ce rapport est le premier que j'ai l'honneur de présenter aux Parlements. La mission du Médiateur est, au fond, une mission de confiance : rapprocher le citoyen de l'Administration et l'Administration du citoyen, dans un rôle d'intermédiaire exigeant et équilibré, pour que les droits ne restent pas lettre morte. La médiation n'est pas un aveu d'échec : c'est un outil de gouvernance moderne, au service de la qualité administrative et de la confiance des citoyens. Le droit à l'erreur nous a servi de fil rouge dans ce rapport, car il traduit, au plus près du terrain, cette exigence d'une Administration à la fois rigoureuse et humaine. »

Anche il Centro di tutela contro le discriminazioni ha pubblicato la propria Relazione sull’attività 2025: 200 i casi trattati. Persistono le discriminazioni nei confronti degli stranieri e i casi di omo-bi-transfobia; miglioramenti nel settore sanitario. Dalla responsabile Garbin, un invito a continuare a segnalare.

Anche il Centro di tutela contro le discriminazioni ha elaborato la propria Relazione sull’attività 2025: “Rispetto all’anno precedente”, così sottolinea la responsabile Priska Garbin, oggi impossibilitata a intervenire in aula, “le segnalazioni di discriminazioni sono aumentate considerevolmente: 200 i casi in cui abbiamo fornito consulenza - anche legale - e informazioni generali sul tema della parità di trattamento: si tratta di 61 casi in più rispetto all’anno precedente. Questa tendenza evidenzia quanto le esperienze di discriminazione continuino a essere una realtà quotidiana per molte persone”. La relazione è disponibile a questo link.

Origine etnica il motivo di segnalazione più frequente

La maggior parte delle segnalazioni, così ha riferito Garbin, riguardano ancora la discriminazione basata sull’origine etnica. “Le persone con background migratorio riferiscono di subire svantaggi in ambiti centrali della vita quotidiana”, evidenzia Garbin: “In particolare, nella ricerca di un alloggio o di un lavoro emergono ostacoli strutturali: un aspetto percepito come “straniero” o un nome non locale riducono spesso le possibilità di ottenere un’abitazione adeguata o un impiego coerente con la propria qualifica”. La mediazione immobiliare rappresenta un problema ricorrente, che coinvolge molte persone e rende visibili disuguaglianze strutturali.

Disabilità: barriere e scarsa considerazione delle malattie invisibili

Un altro ambito rilevante riguarda le persone con disabilità. Oltre alle barriere architettoniche ancora presenti, che limitano l’accesso a spazi pubblici e privati, sono stati spesso sottoposti casi relativi a disabilità non visibili: “Persone con disturbi psicologici o con long Covid hanno spesso riportato esperienze minimizzanti  o offensive”, spiega Garbin: “La loro condizione di salute viene talvolta messa in dubbio o non adeguatamente considerata, con conseguenti difficoltà nella vita quotidiana e professionale”.

Miglioramenti nel settore sanitario

Un segnale positivo proviene dall’iniziativa del Dipartimento Salute: sotto la guida del primario Dr. Luca Sebastianelli (Neuroriabilitazione, Ospedale di Vipiteno) è stato istituito un gruppo di lavoro dedicato a pazienti con ME/CFS - encefalomielite mialgica/sindrome da affaticamento cronico.

Questo gruppo ha sviluppato un percorso diagnostico chiaro e strutturato, che consente un riconoscimento rapido e preciso di determinate patologie. Inoltre, grazie alla collaborazione tra professionisti, è stato definito un percorso terapeutico uniforme ma flessibile, pensato per garantire cure personalizzate e migliorare in modo duraturo la qualità di vita delle persone coinvolte.

Aumentano le segnalazioni di omo-, bi- e transfobia

È stato registrato un incremento delle segnalazioni di discriminazione legate all’orientamento sessuale e all’identità di genere: omo-, bi- e transfobia continuano a rappresentare sfide sociali rilevanti. “In questo contesto va ricordato il diritto delle persone giovani che, dopo aver frequentato una scuola superiore, hanno adeguato la propria identità di genere”, sottolinea Garbin: “Esse hanno diritto a un nuovo diploma di maturità che rispecchi correttamente la loro identità: un passo fondamentale verso riconoscimento e parità”.

Conclusioni

“L’aumento delle segnalazioni”, conclude Garbin, “dimostra che la discriminazione rimane una realtà diffusa in molti ambiti. Allo stesso tempo, iniziative mirate, soprattutto nel settore sanitario, mostrano come sia possibile realizzare miglioramenti strutturali concreti: per questo, il Centro di tutela contro le discriminazioni invita a segnalare con determinazione ogni forma di discriminazione e a collaborare per costruire una società aperta, rispettosa e orientata alle pari opportunità”.

El Defensor del Pueblo andaluz en funciones, Jesús Maeztu, ha asistido hoy a la sesión constitutiva del Parlamento de Andalucía en el inicio de la XIII legislatura tras las elecciones celebradas el pasado 17 de mayo.

Jesús Aguirre ha sido elegido presidente del Parlamento de Andalucía, por lo que repetirá el cargo que ya ocupó en la duodécima. Completarán la Mesa del Parlamento Ana Mestre (PP-A) como vicepresidenta primera, Fernando López Gil (PSOE-A) como vicepresidente segundo y Manuel Andrés González (PP-A) como vicepresidente tercero de la Mesa, así como José Ramón Carmona (PP-A) como secretario primero, Olga Manzano (PSOE-A), secretaria segunda, y Julia Ibáñez (PP-A) como secretaria tercera.

La sesión constitutiva, celebrada en el Salón de Plenos provisional habilitado en la sala Alberto Jiménez Becerril, ha comenzado con la conformación de la Mesa de Edad, presidida por el diputado de mayor edad, el propio Jesús Aguirre, asistido en calidad de secretarios por los dos más jóvenes, Javier Montes y Luis Rodrigo, ambos de Adelante Andalucía. Esta Mesa de Edad ha dirigido las votaciones sucesivas, por las que han resultado elegidos los miembros de la Mesa del Parlamento.

Speech delivered at the Annual Conference of the Gender Equality Commission (GEC) "Women forging lasting peace. Dismantling barriers to gender-inclusive conflict resolution and peacebuilding."

Minister, Chairperson, dear friends,

I began my international human rights work during the wars in the former Yugoslavia. Those wars were, as many of you will recall, marked by high levels of sexual violence. What was also notable at the time was that next to no attention was paid, at least by policymakers in the international organisations, to the actual and potential role for women in the building of peace.

It was only after the adoption of the Dayton Agreement that the essential role of women was allowed to manifest itself in terms of the consolidation of the hard-won peace. Civil society organisations on the ground played then and continue to play a most important role. I also recall the leadership provided by brave women within the United Nations structures. Today, I recall with appreciation the work of Elizabeth Rehn and Madeleine Rees.

A few years later, I was in Sierra Leone during its civil war. By then, some progress had been made in acknowledging the important role of women in the management of a pathway out of conflict. Already before the peace process began, civil society organisations, the National Human Rights Institution, and elements of government under the leadership of women were playing an essential role in developing the building blocks for peace. We were successful in ensuring that their voice was present in the peace negotiations that took place in Lome.

Today, I think it can be said without doubt that some of the strongest human rights foundations within the Sierra Leone Peace Agreement have at their roots the engagement of a civil society that was in large part led by women. That is also the reason that the peace process paid attention to issues of sexual violence.

A few years later, I found myself in Northern Ireland leading an institution, the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission, that had its very origins in the peace process in that part of the world, the Belfast Good Friday Agreement explicitly providing for the establishment of the commission. I mention it today because there is no doubt that the Commission was established on the basis of the targeted and specific advocacy of a group known as the Women's Coalition. And it is increasingly recognised that so much of what has made the Belfast Good Friday Agreement durable is as a result of the work of the Women's Coalition, led by Monica McWilliams.

Side by side with such developments in the field came the normative and institutional initiatives that we know so well. All of which I think it is important to acknowledge build on decades of work by women's organisations such as the Women's International League for Peace and Freedom. Let me mention just four key moments.

The first is the decision to prosecute sexual crimes at the international tribunals for Rwanda and former Yugoslavia.

Then there was the adoption in 2000 of Security Council Resolution 1325, and here at the Council of Europe in 2010 of Recommendation CM/Rec(2010)10.

And then of course just a year later there was the adoption of the Istanbul Convention, again in the Council of Europe.

These developments were in their turn accompanied by groundbreaking research confirming what was anecdotally known, such as that women's participation increases the probability of a peace agreement lasting at least two years by 20 percent and for 15 years by 35 percent.

And that women's participation produces more sustainable outcomes including increased durability and quality of peace and better implementation of agreed measures.

In other words, by the 2020s, so much progress had been achieved that it could be believed that despite huge gaps on the ground that the role of women in forging peace was solidly established.

What a shock then to see those photos of the US-led Ukraine peace talks in Jeddah in March of last year. There was not a woman in sight. What is more, accounts from the talks hardly addressed so many of the issues that are integral to the women peace and security approaches. More specifically one got the impression that the huge investment of Ukrainian women for peace had been disregarded. Here I think for instance of the work of Ukraine's Alliance for Gender Responsive and Inclusive Recovery.

The great powers approach to peace-making in Ukraine was a wake-up call and it was followed by a number of initiatives.

One of the most notable of these was the recent adoption of Ukraine's new women peace and security strategy that identifies roles for women in defence, security and peace building.

I also reacted, making advocacy to embed human rights in Ukraine's path to peace my top priority. In July last year, I delivered to the government a 10-point memorandum on the topic, listing the role of women in peace process as one of the 10.

I continue to work with the Memorandum. For instance, last November in Warsaw I convened human rights leaders to consider how to operationalise it. Notably the UN, the EU and the OSCE were represented by senior officials who are women. We were also honoured with the participation of Nobel peace prize laureate Oleksandra Matviichuk.

You might ask will our efforts make a difference, especially considering the transactional approach of some actors? I am hopeful, especially with the support of Ukraine and the increasing role being played for peace by states that have been strong women peace and security proponents.

An early test of my hope will be the outcome of the upcoming Ukraine Recovery Conference that will take place this month in Gdansk.

Dear friends,

please allow me to briefly return more generally to the topic of this conference. I think it is timely and very well framed.

It can I think play a role in propelling forward both standards and practice. As you consider that, I encourage you to engage four questions.

First, how can we overcome the persistence of the patriarchy and its associated misogyny and discrimination?

Second, how can we more effectively battle that most brutal expression of patriarchy - gender-based violence? Including of course in terms of promoting accession to and compliance with the Istanbul Convention.

Third, how can we better embed attention to women peace and security in peacetime and in conflict prevention? (A topic on which I consider the Recommendation CM/Rec(2010)10 to be very good indeed.)

And fourth, as is the case in so many other contexts, how can we build better partnerships for women peace and security? Partnership of states and multilateral organisations with civil society and partnerships across the multilateral organisations themselves.

In conclusion, I encourage us never to address women peace and security issues in a siloed way. They must be tackled as integral to the broader quest for peace and respect for human rights and for equality.

Madeleine Rees, former head of the Women's International League for Peace and Freedom (WILPF) put it well in a recent speech. She said “peace is about equilibrium. If we have inequalities, discrimination and binary narratives, we are automatically moving away from equilibrium, causing injustice and fear. And when you have fear, you have no peace.”

Thank you.

• Download the speech - CommHR(2026)46