PRESS RELEASE

Monday, 4 June 2018

Mr Andreas Pottakis elected President of the Association of Mediterranean

Ombudsmen (ΑΟM)1

Τhe Greek Ombudsman Andreas Pottakis was elected President of the Association of

Mediterranean Ombudsmen (AOM).

AOΜ comprises 28 countries from three continents. Its institutional role is

noteworthy in the international diplomatic environment, given that it actively

participates in shaping policies concerning immigrant and refugee issues and, in

general, supervises the implementation of the principles of the Rule of Law, in the

field of political rights in particular.

AOM exercises a significant influence on independent international organisations of

Ombudsmen, given that it brings about Ombudsmen from areas of conflict and areas

where the refugee crisis is rampant. It monitors the operating conditions in some of

the biggest refugee camps in the world and also gives opinions and proposes

solutions

on specific problems which require the cooperation of the involved Independent

Authorities.

Ombudsmen from France, Italy, Spain, Serbia, Albania, FYROM, Slovenia, Croatia,

Turkey, Cyprus, Israel, Palestine, Jordan, Lebanon, Egypt, Morocco and Algeria are

members in AOM. Apart from Mr. Pottakis, Francisco Fernandez Marugan (Spanish

Ombudsman) and Erinda Ballanca, (Albanian Ombudsperson) were elected Vice

Presidents and Anthony C. Misfud (Maltese Ombudsman) was elected Secretary

General and Treasurer. Moreover, the Ombudsmen from France, FYROM, Israel,

Palestine, Slovenia, Cyprus and Tunisia have also been elected as Board Members.

It is recalled that Mr Andreas Pottakis has been recently elected Regional Director of

the International Ombudsmen Institute for IoI-Europe while the Deputy

Ombudsperson Mrs Kalliopi Lykovardi has been elected member of the Board of

Equinet, the European Network of Equality Bodies.

The next General Assembly of AOM will be hosted in Athens in two years.

Information: 2131306670 2131306712, email: Press@synigoros.gr

1 https://www.ombudsman-med.org/introduction-to-the-association/?lang=en