IOI Ombudsman News 6/2026

Date of article: 13/02/2026

Daily News of: 13/02/2026

Country:  WORLD

Author:

Article language: en

 

NPM Workshop brought together participants from all six IOI Regions

IOI | Workshop for National Preventive Mechanisms successfully held in Oslo

The IOI was pleased to continue the successful training series for Ombudsman with a mandate as National Preventive Mechanism (NPM) with a workshop in Oslo, which was generously hosted by the Office of the Norwegian Parliamentary Ombud and successfully delivered by the IOI’s long-standing and experienced partner, the Association for the Prevention of Torture (APT).



» more information

» google translate (Francais)
» google translate (Español)

 

 

Optimising case resolution through ADR and investigation

AORC | Save the Date: Webinar "Enhancing Efficiency in Case Resolution" – 3 March 2026

Join the African Ombudsman Research Centre, the research and training arm of the African Ombudsman and Mediators' Association, for their webinar Enhancing Efficiency in case resolution. This event, organised in partnership with the International Ombudsman Institute (IOI), will take place on Tuesday, 3 March 2026 at 10 am (GMT+2). Kindly click here to see the Save-the-Date note.



» more information
» más en Español
» plus en Francais

» google translate (Francais)
» google translate (Español)

 

 

Webinar on "The Role of the Ombudsman in Realizing the Right to Safe and Clean Drinking Water"

Curaçao | Ombudsman Curaçao Organizes Webinar: The Role of the Ombudsman in Realizing the Right to Safe and Clean Drinking Water

On Friday, 20 March 2026, the Ombudsman of Curaçao, in collaboration with the International Ombudsman Institute (IOI), will organize a webinar in the context of World Water Day (22 March). In this webinar, the Ombudsman of Curaçao brings together representatives of ombudsman institutions from different IOI-regions, and also gives attention to the citizen’s perspective, as articulated by the Curaçao civil society.



» more information

» google translate (Francais)
» google translate (Español)

 

 

 

AUSTRALIA | NSW Ombudsman investigation finds statutory failings in DCJ handling of ROSH reports

A newly released NSW Ombudsman investigation has denounced DCJ’s longstanding practice of closing ROSH reports on the stated basis that it has inadequate resourcing to undertake the necessary investigation and assessment of risk. “No Capacity to Allocate” – The Department of Communities and Justice’s practice of closing ROSH (Risk of Significant Harm) reports found this practice is contrary to DCJ’s statutory responsibilities, but has become ingrained as ‘business as usual’.



» more information

» google translate (Francais)
» google translate (Español)

 

 

Office of the Ombudsman Punjab secures educational scholarships for 78 students

PAKISTAN | Effective Action by Ombudsman Punjab Secures Educational Scholarships Worth Rs. 6 Million for 78 Students

The Office of the Ombudsman Punjab secured the release of Rs. 6 million in pending educational scholarships for 78 students across the province, following complaints regarding prolonged delays caused by administrative bottlenecks. The students had reported that despite being eligible on merit, their scholarships remained unpaid due to procedural delays within relevant departments and educational institutions.



» more information

» google translate (Francais)
» google translate (Español)

 

 

Sistemas internacionales de etiquetado para la clasificación de alimentos procesados

YUAN DE CONTROL, TAIWÁN | Preocupados por los riesgos para la salud de los alimentos ultraprocesados, los miembros del Yuan de Control presentaron un informe de investigación

Los miembros del Yuan de Control, Tien Chiu-chin y Tsai Chung-yi, preocupados por los posibles riesgos para la salud y la carga de los costes sanitarios derivados asociados al consumo de alimentos ultraprocesados, presentaron un informe de investigación que fue examinado y aprobado por la Comisión de Asuntos de Bienestar Social e Higiene Ambiental del Yuan de Control.



» more information

» google translate
» google translate (Francais)

 

 

The Flemish Ombudsman Myriam Parys speaks about high water bills on Flemish radio programme

BELGIUM | The Flemish Ombudsman about high water bills on Flemish radio

On 4 February 2026, Flemish Ombudsman Myriam Parys explained on the Flemish radio programme WinWin how water bills are calculated, why tariffs differ, and what citizens can do themselves — from checking their meter regularly to performing a simple leak check. She stressed the importance of clear and transparent communication from water companies.



» more information

» google translate (Francais)
» google translate (Español)

 

 

 

EUROPE | Ombudswoman opens inquiry concerning AI use in evaluation of EU funding proposals

European Ombudswoman Teresa Anjinho has opened an inquiry into the measures governing the use of artificial intelligence (AI) by external experts in the evaluation of EU funding proposals. The inquiry will focus on whether the institutions concerned put in place sufficient safeguards regarding AI use. Following a complaint by a Polish company related to the evaluation of a proposal for funding under the Horizon Europe EIC Accelerator programme, the Ombudswoman has asked the European Commission and the European Innovation Council and SMEs Executive Agency (EISMEA) a number of questions.



» more information

» google translate (Francais)
» google translate (Español)

 

 

Le Médiateur Nicolas Lagasse présente son rapport annuel 2024 au Parlement

BELGIQUE | Le Médiateur présente son rapport annuel 2024 au Parlement : un moment essentiel de dialogue démocratique

Les lundi 2 et mardi 3 février, le Médiateur Nicolas Lagasse est passé devant les commissions du Parlement de Wallonie pour présenter le rapport annuel 2024. Un exercice particulier à deux égards : il s'agissait du premier passage en commission pour Nicolas Lagasse, entré en fonction en juillet 2025, qui présentait le rapport annuel de son prédécesseur, Marc Bertrand. Un baptême du feu maîtrisé et salué par les députés.



» more information

» google translate
» google translate (Español)

 

 

 

ESPAÑA | El Departamento de Educación da la razón al alumnado y obliga a un instituto de L'Hospitalet de Llobregat a modificar su normativa interna sobre el derecho de huelga

La Inspección de Educación asesorará a la dirección del instituto para que modifique sus normas internas y garantice plenamente el derecho del alumnado a tomar decisiones colectivas sobre la asistencia a clase.



» more information

» google translate
» google translate (Francais)

 

 

 

ISRAEL | The Ombudsman Office Hosted a Roundtable Conference for Public Sector Ombudspersons

In December 2025, the Office of the Ombudsman of Israel hosted a roundtable conference, under the auspices of Matanyahu Englman, State Comptroller and Ombudsman of Israel, focused on the methodologies used in handling public complaints. Attendees included ombudspersons and public complaint managers from government ministries, statutory authorities, and state-owned companies.



» more information

» google translate (Francais)
» google translate (Español)

Read more

Chief Ombudsman Presented 2025 Annual Report of the Ombudsman Institution to the Joint Parliamentary Committee

Date of article: 10/02/2026

Daily News of: 13/02/2026

Country:  Turkey

Author:

Article language: en

Chief Ombudsman Mr. Mehmet Akarca presented 2025 Annual Report of the Ombudsman Institution to the Joint Committee, composed of the members of the Petition Committee and the Human Rights Inquiry Committee of the Grand National Assembly of Türkiye (GNAT).

During his presentation, Mr. Akarca shared information regarding the work of the Institution in 2025, including data on the number of complaints, files examined, decisions issued, and amicable settlements.

Mr. Akarca emphasized that the Ombudsman Institution has evolved beyond being merely a constitutional body and has become a strong institution that establishes trust between individuals and the administration. He stated that 2025 was a year in which confidence in the Ombudsman Institution was proved to be strengthened according to the concrete indicators.

He reported that the number of complaints to the Institution increased by 42.49 percent compared to the previous year.

Mr. Akarca noted that, including pending complaints carried over from previous year, the total number of examined files reached 21,837, and continued:

“Throughout the year, 20,473 complaints were finalized with the same determination and diligence, providing a strong response to the pursuit of justice. 20.47 percent, or 4,191 of the complaints finalized during 2025 were “admissible”. In 2025, 30.40 percent of complaints were regarding the public personnel regime, followed by justice, national defense and security with 16.81 percent, and education, youth and sports with 9.12 percent. The statistics of complaints by administration reveals that the highest number of applications, at 13.4 percent, were directed to the Ministry of Justice, predominantly concerning requests related to prison transfers. The Ministry of Health ranked second with 12.7 percent.”

Underlining that the Ombudsman Institution produced solutions in many cases without the need for recommendation decisions, Mr. Akarca stated, “Thanks to the constructive dialogue the Ombudsman Institution established between the administration and citizens, rapid and effective access to justice has been ensured. As a concrete indicator of this approach, the number of files resolved through amicable settlement reached 2,042 in 2025. Of these, 1,086 were finalized through amicable settlement decisions, while 956 were resolved through referral decisions.”

Sharing that the Ombudsman Institution issued 901 recommendation decisions and 313 partial recommendation partial refusal decisions, Mr. Akarca added, “The total number of amicable settlement decisions, recommendation decisions, and partial recommendation partial refusal decisions constitutes 77.69 percent of the decisions issued on admissible applications. This rate demonstrates that the Ombudsman Institution either directly produces solutions or exhibits a strong will toward resolution in the majority of applications.”

Mr. Akarca also noted that the Ombudsman Institution continues to play a guiding role in ensuring that administrations act in accordance with the principles of the rule of fairness, human rights, and good administration.

Mentioning significant decisions in the fields of children’s rights, education, and social security, Mr. Akarca provided assessments regarding special reports, national and international activities, cooperation with universities, and efforts to promote the culture of seeking legal remedies.

The meeting was attended by Ombudsmen Mr. Ertunç Erkan Balta, Ms. Fatma Benli Yalçın, Mr. Abdullah Cengiz Makas, Mr. Özcan Yıldız, Mr. Şerif Yılmaz, and the Secretary General of the Ombudsman Institution Mr. Mehmet Doğan.

Read more

(FRA) National Preventive Mechanisms discuss fundamental rights monitoring in migration

Date of article: 12/02/2026

Daily News of: 13/02/2026

Country:  EUROPE

Author:

Article language: en

Asylum, migration and borders

FRA took part in a Council of Europe roundtable with selected National Preventive Mechanisms on fundamental rights monitoring and its challenges in the context of migration. Discussions paid particular attention to the new forms of fundamental rights monitoring under the EU Pact on Migration and Asylum.

Participating National Preventive Mechanisms, Council of Europe representatives and other participants, including the European Commission, the UN Subcommittee on Prevention of Torture, civic society organisations and FRA, exchanged experiences in monitoring from national perspectives. 

They discussed challenges in monitoring locations holding migrants and asylum applicants. They reflected on how to strengthen the preventive dimension of their work and how the new forms of monitoring under the EU Pact can be accommodated within their mandate. 

The Agency presented its current and planned work on operationalising its 2024 guidance on how to set up independent national monitoring mechanisms under the EU Pact, notably developing a common monitoring methodology for future monitoring bodies. FRA’s expertise and knowledge gained through its work operationalising its general guidance on monitoring under the EU Pact was recurrently sought throughout the event. 

The roundtable took place on 3 February in Larnaca, Cyprus. It was organised in the framework of the joint Council of Europe /EU Technical support for more effective and resilient National Preventive Mechanisms project.

Read more

Étude sur les trajectoires et expériences professionnelles des descendants d’immigrés diplômés du supérieur

Date of article: 10/02/2026

Daily News of: 13/02/2026

Country:  France

Author:

Article language: fr

Mardi 10 février 2026, le Défenseur des droits publie une étude sur les trajectoires et expériences professionnelles de descendants d’immigrés diplômés de l’enseignement supérieur, qui met en évidence des situations de déclassement professionnel, mais aussi de discriminations, racisme et sexisme ressentis à différents moments de leur parcours. Intitulée « Trajectoires et expériences professionnelles des descendants d'immigrés diplômés du supérieur selon le genre et l'origine. Approche par méthodes mixtes. », cette étude a été conduite par les chercheuses Yaël Brinbaum (LISE–CNRS-Cnam) et Ingrid Tucci (LEST–CNRS-Aix-Marseille-Université).

L’étude a été réalisée à partir de l’exploitation des données de l’enquête Trajectoires et Origines (TeO2) réalisée en 2019-2020 par l’Ined et l’Insee, et d’une post-enquête qualitative menée auprès de 38 personnes descendantes d'immigrés du Maghreb, d’Afrique subsaharienne, d’Asie du Sud-Est et de Turquie, toutes diplômées du supérieur (Bac+2 minimum). 

Orientation et diplômes du supérieur : des disparités selon le genre et l’origine

L’étude montre que l’accès aux diplômes du supérieur varie beaucoup selon l’origine et le genre. Les hommes descendants d’immigrés sont moins souvent diplômés que ceux de la population majoritaire, en particulier les descendants d’Algérie. Les femmes, quelle que soit leur origine, sont plus diplômées que les hommes, mais restent moins souvent diplômées du supérieur que les femmes sans ascendance migratoire. Ces écarts s’expliquent en partie par une origine sociale en moyenne moins favorisée (personnes plus souvent issues de familles monoactives, plus rarement enfants de cadres…).

Des parcours professionnels plus souvent discontinus en particulier pour les femmes

L’étude met en évidence des inégalités de trajectoires professionnelles, en particulier parmi les femmes diplômées : à niveau de diplôme équivalent, les descendantes d’immigrés subsahariens, marocains et tunisiens connaissent plus fréquemment des parcours discontinus que les femmes sans ascendance migratoire. Ces parcours sont plus souvent marqués par des périodes de chômage et des changements fréquents d’emplois. 

En revanche, les hommes descendants d’immigrés ont une trajectoire d’insertion professionnelle similaire à celle des hommes sans ascendance migratoire, à l’exception des descendants d’immigrés de Turquie/Moyen-Orient qui connaissent des trajectoires plus souvent discontinues. 

Des expériences de déclassement objectives et/ou ressenties

Les expériences de déclassement professionnel sont fréquentes. Certains diplômés occupent ainsi des emplois en dessous de leur niveau de qualification : c’est le cas d’un homme descendant d’immigrés d’Afrique subsaharienne sur deux, contre un peu plus d’un tiers de la population majoritaire. Seuls les descendants d’immigrés d’Asie du Sud-Est sont significativement moins souvent déclassés que la population majoritaire. Les femmes descendantes d’immigrés sont également plus souvent déclassées que la population majoritaire, quelle que soit leur origine migratoire. 

Le déclassement est aussi ressenti subjectivement, en particulier par les descendants d’immigrés d’Afrique subsaharienne et les descendantes d’immigrés algériens, qui se sentent plus souvent embauchés en dessous de leurs compétences. 

L’étude montre que les parcours professionnels des descendants d’immigrés s’accompagnent souvent d’expériences de discriminations. Celles-ci prennent différentes formes : propos stigmatisants, assignations à des postes subalternes, soupçons d’illégitimité, freins à la carrière… Les femmes subissent souvent un cumul de discriminations liées au sexe et à l’origine, tandis que certains hommes dénoncent le manque de diversité aux plus hauts niveaux de hiérarchie au sein des entreprises. Face à ces situations, certains choisissent de changer d’emploi ou de se mettre à leur compte.

L’étude souligne l’importance de renforcer les actions de sensibilisation et de formation aux discriminations, dès l’école et tout au long des parcours de formation et de la vie professionnelle.

 

Télécharger

Read more

Public Defender meets with the Head of the Council of Europe Office in Georgia

Date of article: 12/02/2026

Daily News of: 13/02/2026

Country:  Georgia

Author:

Article language: en

On 10 February 2026, Public Defender of Georgia, Levan Ioseliani and the First Deputy Public Dedenfer, Tamar Gvaramadze met with the Head of the Council of Europe Office in Georgia, Natalia Voutova.

At the meeting the future prospects of the existing long-term co-operation between the Public Defender and the Council of Europe were discussed.

Read more

Link to the Ombudsman Daily News archives from 2002 to 20 October 2011