Le mercredi 24 janvier 2024, Marc BERTRAND, Médiateur de la Wallonie et de la Fédération Wallonie-Bruxelles, a remis officiellement à M. André FREDERIC, Président du Parlement de Wallonie, et à M. Rudy DEMOTTE, Président du Parlement de la Fédération Wallonie-Bruxelles, les rapports annuels 2021 et 2022 de l’Institution.

Au cours de l’exercice 2021, 5437 réclamations ont été enregistrées : 5036 relevaient des compétences du Médiateur, dont 3284 pour la Wallonie et 1752 pour la Fédération Wallonie-Bruxelles.
Pour l’exercice 2022, ce sont 5400 réclamations dont 3377 pour la Wallonie et 1570 pour la Fédération. Ces chiffres démontrent une certaine stabilité dans le nombre de dossiers traités.

Pour consulter le double rapport, cliquez ici

Domaines d’intervention

En Wallonie, ce sont les administrations en charge de l’économie (299 en 2021 et 319 en 2022), de la fiscalité (479 en 2021 et 851 en 2022), du logement et de l’énergie (401 & 608), qui ont fait l’objet du plus grand nombre de plaintes auprès du Médiateur.

Pour la Fédération Wallonie-Bruxelles comme les années précédentes, c’est l’administration en charge des bourses d’études qui génère le plus de réclamations (517 en 2021 et 451 en 2022), suivie de l’administration en charge des équivalences de diplômes (445 dossiers en 2021 et 593 en 2022).

A partir de l’analyse de tous les cas qui lui ont été soumis, le Médiateur formule 20 recommandations d’ordre général et 77 recommandations spécifiques, adressées pour certaines, aux autorités politiques (lorsqu’une modification décrétale ou règlementaire est nécessaire), et pour d’autres, aux administrations (lorsqu’il s’agit d’une modification d’une circulaire ou d’une pratique administrative).
Le rapport et les recommandations qui y sont formulées seront présentés prochainement devant les différentes commissions parlementaires.

Un Médiateur aux compétences élargies

A noter qu’en 2022, un processus législatif concernant le service de médiation a été initié devant les deux Parlements par plusieurs parlementaires. En effet, des propositions de décrets conjoints ont été déposées, discutées, amendées et approuvées en juillet 2023. Une analyse plus détaillée sera reprise dans le rapport 2023. On peut cependant noter que ces propositions visent à accroître les domaines d’intervention du médiateur, notamment aux organismes dotés de la personnalité juridique exerçant des missions de service public et financés pour plus de la moitié ou contrôlés par la Fédération Wallonie-Bruxelles ou par la Wallonie. Cette proposition vise également à transposer la directive européenne sur la protection des lanceurs d’alerte, en donnant au médiateur la fonction de « canal externe » de signalement des irrégularités constatées ou suspectées dans les administrations de la Wallonie et de la Fédération Wallonie-Bruxelles.

24.01.2024

Nach zwölf Jahren im Amt nähert sich die Tätigkeit des Bürgerbeauftragten Matthias Crone dem Ende. Zur Wahl seines Nachfolgers sagte er heute in Schwerin:

„Dr. Christian Frenzel gratuliere ich herzlich zu seiner Wahl. Seine umfangreichen Erfahrungen aus der Landesregierung, aus seiner richterlichen und seiner ehrenamtlichen Tätigkeit sind eine sehr gute Grundlage für das Amt des Bürgerbeauftragten. Ich freue mich über das große Vertrauen, das ihm der Landtag gegeben hat. Das wird seine unabhängige Arbeit stärken. Wem Vertrauen geschenkt wird, der kann auch durch gute Arbeit Vertrauen schaffen.

In einer Zeit mit vielen Sorgen und Fragen ist ein unabhängiges Amt wichtig, wo unvoreingenommen Kritik aufgenommen oder Hilfe geleistet wird. Hier hat der Bürgerbeauftragte eine besondere Verantwortung. Ich habe überhaupt keinen Zweifel, dass Dr. Christian Frenzel dieser gerecht werden wird. Er wird unterstützt von einem erfahrenen und motivierten Team, das ihm genauso hilfreich zur Seite stehen wird, wie es bei mir der Fall war.
Ich wünsche Herrn Dr. Frenzel alles Gute auf den neuen Wegen und – ich darf das ergänzen - Gottes Segen“.

La Oficina de Información y Atención Ciudadana (OIAC) del Defensor del Pueblo andaluz se desplaza a la comarca de la Vega del Guadalquivir este martes 30 de enero para atender las quejas y consultas que quieran hacerle llegar la ciudadanía. En concreto, esta Oficina atenderá a la ciudadanía en el centro de servicios sociales de Lora del Río de 09:30 a 14:00 y de 16:00 a 18:00 horas.

En este desplazamiento el equipo atenderá a los vecinos y vecinas de las localidades de Alcalá del Río, Alcolea del Río, Brenes, Bélmez, Burguillos, Cantillana, La Algaba, Lora del Río, Peñaflor, Tocina, Villanueva del Río y Minas y Villaverde del Río. El centro  de servicios sociales de Lora del Río está ubicado en la calle cardenal Cervantes, 13. El miércoles 31 se mantendrá una reunión con los trabajadores sociales de la comarca.

El objetivo de esta visita presencial es acercar los servicios de la Institución a la ciudadanía de esta comarca con el fin de garantizar sus derechos frente a la actuación de las administraciones públicas en vivienda, salud, educación, servicios sociales, medio ambiente, justicia o transporte público, así como en cuestiones relacionadas con los servicios de interés general, caso de reclamaciones de telefonía, entidades financieras y suministros de luz y agua.

Con el fin de prestar el mejor servicio a las personas o colectivos que se dirigen personalmente a la Oficina, se recomienda cita previa llamando al teléfono 954 21 21 21 o enviando un correo electrónico a citapreviadpa@defensor-and.es. También se puede concertar la cita a través de nuestras principales redes sociales: facebook o twitter.

The Human Rights Ombudsman of the Republic of Slovenia is on a two-day working visit to the Principality of Monaco. At the invitation of Marina Ceyssac, the High Commissioner for the Protection of Rights, Liberties and for Mediation, Ombudsman Peter Svetina, in his role of Vice-President of the Association of Mediterranean Ombudsmen and the Director of the European section of the International Ombudsman Institute, is participating in Monte Carlo at the celebration marking the tenth anniversary of the Monaco institution for the protection of human rights carried out under the auspices of His Highness Prince Albert II of Monaco. In his conversation with Ombudsman Svetina and Commissioner Ceyssac, Prince Albert highlighted the longstanding friendly relations between the Republic of Slovenia and the Principality of Monaco. On this occasion, Peter Svetina invited his Monégasque colleague for an official visit to Slovenia.

“Even though ombudspersons across Europe do not all operate in the same geopolitical circumstances and do not face completely comparable challenges, we are still bound by the same values like an invisible glue: humanity, nobleness, compassion, heartiness, and selflessness. We are tied together by our care for the dignity of our fellow human beings who, due to different circumstances, have their rights trampled on,” emphasised Ombudsman Svetina in his celebratory address to the event participants. “When I think about our work, I cannot imagine how we could retain the trust of people turning to us with their problems, if we would not put ethics and morals on a pedestal. If we would not operate with a high degree of integrity and a sense for our fellow man. People who turn to us for help frequently lament that institutions are moving away from the individual who is often lost in papers, decisions, and orders. Passivity, lack of clarity, pressures, and influences on the decision-making processes, as well as the complicated normative framework, in which people are lost, sadly often solely online access which many do not have the necessarily skills for, lack of information, and frequently also of a clear vision justifiably reinforce dissatisfaction and uncertainty among people,” he said.

He touched upon the significance of the duty of disclosure, which is closely connected to the principle of good administration, which derives from Article 41 of the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union. He underlined that this principle is generally implemented in national legal orders as the general administrative principle, yet on the national level it is seldom set down in constitutions or concretised in practice. An interesting fact is that in Slovenia this principle is especially protected by the Human Rights Ombudsman Act, which in Article 3 stipulates that in his work, the Ombudsman follows the provisions of the constitution and international legal acts on human rights and fundamental freedoms, and that in his interventions, he can refer also to the principles of equity and good administration. He added that for several years, the principle of good administration has unfortunately been among the most frequent violations that he as the Ombudsman has been finding in Slovenia. This is also why, as he stated, he believes in the importance of education and the empowerment of public servants to assume personal responsibility in their actions for the protection of people’s rights. “It is only through personal responsibility and by keeping in mind the person on whose destiny we are deciding that we can strengthen a society that is humanitarian, inclusive, and forgets nobody,” believes Peter Svetina.

This is also why he believes that it is extremely important that the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union elevates this right to the level of citizens’ rights. Such definition concretises the understanding of good administration, which is also relevant for the implementation of the Charter on the national level. Moreover, it can indirectly contribute to the understanding of this right in cases when national bodies are failing to implement the EU legislation.

“This is also one of the reasons why, in my engagement in the international space, I strive for as much raising awareness and education on this topic as possible, as well as on the tasks and competences of ombudsmen which are, in some countries more and in others less, comparable. This is also why events like today’s are immensely important. Just like the strengthening of the role of the national human rights institutions and the institutions of the Ombudsman is of the utmost importance – their financial independence and operation according to the so-called Paris and Venice Principles. For it is crucial that we have suitable mandate and competence for the consideration of complaints, investigation of human rights violations, and for the monitoring and recommending measures for improvement. Only through strong and independent institutions, we can ensure that no individual is left without the appropriate protection of their rights. Connected we are stronger and solely in cooperation can we ensure that the institutions we ombudspersons lead have the necessary tools to efficiently fulfil their mission,” highlighted the Slovenian Human Rights Ombudsman Peter Svetina in his address in Monaco.

Probleme beim Bürgergeld, wie zum Beispiel mit der Übernahme der Kosten für Miete oder Heizung, mit der Hilfe zum Lebensunterhalt, dem Wohngeld oder auch mit Leistungen der Krankenkassen oder Schwierigkeiten beim Kindergeld - die Bürgerbeauftragte für soziale Angelegenheiten des Landes Schleswig-Holstein, Samiah El Samadoni, hilft bei allen Fragen rund um das Sozialrecht. Darüber hinaus berät die Bürgerbeauftragte auch als Leiterin der Antidiskriminierungsstelle des Landes und als Ombudsperson in der Kinder- und Jugendhilfe im Rahmen dieser Sprechstunde. Zudem ist die Bürgerbeauftragte auch Beauftragte für die Landespolizei und damit Ansprechpartnerin für Beschwerden von Bürger*innen und Eingaben von Polizist*innen.

“The intensification of challenges to the protection of human rights cannot be an excuse for giving up. Rather, the moment calls for a renewed commitment to the principles and standards for which our Organisation stands”, said today the Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights Dunja Mijatović, presenting her annual report for 2023 before PACE. “To regain lost ground and advance the cause of human rights, we must address the situation with determination and collective effort”.

This year’s report, the last of Commissioner Mijatović’s mandate, paints a worrying picture across Europe. The report highlights the human rights situation in conflict zones. Following her visit to Ukraine in March, the Commissioner focused on the crucial issues of the human rights situation of children transferred to Russia or Russian-occupied territories of Ukraine, and the human rights of Crimean Tatars in Russian-occupied Crimea. “While some reunifications have taken place, sustained international support for Ukrainian and Russian civil society organisations and individuals facilitating the reunification of Ukrainian children with their families or legal guardians remains essential”.

Following her visit to Armenia and Azerbaijan, including the Karabakh region, in October last year, the Commissioner calls on the authorities to ensure focus on human rights protection in their peace talks and establish strong human rights safeguards for all persons affected by the conflict.

In addition, there is a growing disregard for human rights standards, with hostile narratives threatening the fundamental principles of the universality and indivisibility of human rights. “This is most visible in the approach to migration management, with deeply alarming levels of tolerance to serious human rights violations against refugees, asylum seekers and migrants and neglect of rule of law principles taking root across Europe”, she stresses.

The increasing intolerance faced by LGBTI people, the retrogressive policies and rhetoric in several European countries undermining progress in protecting the rights of women and girls and the increasing polarisation within our societies are other trends illustrating a hostile environment for human rights.

The report also stresses the need to address the growing crises in the rights to adequate housing, health services, quality education, and an adequate standard of living, and the human rights impact of the triple planetary crisis of environmental pollution, climate change and biodiversity loss, and to protect human rights in the evolving context of the use of artificial intelligence.

2023 was also marked by the urgency of reversing the growing restrictions on civic space. “The disturbing decline in the safety and freedom of human rights defenders and journalists already has serious consequences for democracy and the protection of human rights throughout Europe”, she stresses.

Depicting an increasingly intricate and demanding human rights landscape, the Commissioner however underlines that there are many sources of hope and examples of resilience, such as the Heads of State and Government pledging to reaffirm their commitment to the norms and principles of the Council of Europe at the Summit in Reykjavik; the collective response to the war in Ukraine and the unwavering commitment of NGOs, journalists, human rights defenders, national human rights institutions and activists to stand up for human rights.

• Read the Commissioner for Human Rights' annual activity report 2023