Marianne Ryan, Alberta’s ninth Ombudsman, welcomes legislative changes that expand her office’s jurisdiction to include municipalities. The updated legislation takes effect April 1, 2018 and includes ‘municipalities’ to the jurisdiction, alongside Alberta government departments, designated professional organizations and the Patient Concerns Resolution Process of Alberta Health Services.

Numerous complaints have been submitted to the Parliamentary Ombudsman criticising the social security institution Kela for refusing to grant basic social assistance for medication prescribed by doctors, or other health care expenses since it changed its policy concerning the granting of basic social assistance for health care exprenses in autumn of 2017.

As part of its strategies to contribute towards realisation of the right to access to justice by Kenyans, the Commission has carried out free legal aid forums in Makueni County. The public forums, conducted in three different towns, are aimed at creating and enhancing citizens’ awareness on administrative justice and on their right to access to information and how it promotes access to justice.

The Ombudsman, Ms Connie Lau, held a press conference on April 17 to announce the results of two direct investigations, namely “Water Supplies Department’s Maintenance of Government Water Mains and Risk Management” and “Government Departments’ Handling of the Problem of Air-conditioner Dripping”.

Durante 2017 se registraron 103 crímenes de odio motivados por la orientación sexual, la identidad y/o la expresión de género, según el informe anual realizado por el Observatorio de Crímenes de Odio LGBT perteneciente a la Defensoría LGBT, dependiente del Instituto contra la Discriminación de la Defensoría del Pueblo de la Ciudad de Buenos Aires.

IOI President and Irish Information Commissioner Peter Tyndall hosted a conference to mark 20 years of the Freedom of Information Act (FOI) in Ireland on Friday 13 April in Dublin.  The half-day conference reflected on the impact of FOI in Ireland and its contribution to the reform of the public service.

British Colombia’s Ombudsperson Jay Chalke released Special Report No. 40, Holding Pattern: Call Wait Times for Income and Disability Assistance on April 17, 2018. Holding Pattern is the report of the Ombudsperson’s systemic investigation into the Ministry of Social Development and Poverty Reduction’s centralized telephone system and its impact on the applicants and recipients of income and disability assistance.

La Comisión de Derechos Humanos e Igualdad del Parlamento Vasco aprobó, recientemente, una declaración institucional a favor de los defensores y defensoras de los derechos humanos con motivo de la celebración, este año, del 70 aniversario de la aprobación, por las Naciones Unidas, de la Declaración Universal de los Derechos Humanos.

The Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman (PHSO) published the new three-year strategy. Central to this is the institution's goal to become an exemplary Ombudsman service. In developing this new strategic plan, it has received valuable input both from staff and a wide range of stakeholders.

La Defensoría de Niñas, Niños y Adolescentes de Santa Fe, a cargo de Analía Colombo, renovó este martes su compromiso de trabajo con UNICEF Argentina. Con una recorrida por las instalaciones de la nueva sede en Rosario –que entró en funcionamiento en enero pasado– el organismo provincial reafirmó el eje de su labor para promover la protección de los derechos de niñas, niños y adolescentes.

The total number of complaints delivered in 2017 to the Ombudsman was 8,191. People increasingly turn to the Ombudsman's Office with their problems in the sphere of social security and also number of complaints concerning work and employment increased by 39 percent.