From the 12th to the 15th of March, a Mediation Training for African Ombudsman was held in Durban, South Africa. The IOI in collaboration with the African Ombudsman Research Centre  (AORC) had organized a program, tailor-made for the needs of African Ombudsinstitutions, hosted by the Public Protector of South Africa.

The 12^th World Conference of the International Ombudsman Institute will be held in Dublin, Ireland between 17 - 22 May 2020. Please put the date in your diaries. Details will be revealed in the coming months.

Hosted by the Office of the Ombudsman of Ontario, in Canada, during the 26th and the 27th of June 2019, this conference will highlight institutions that promote and protect Indigenous languages in light of the UN’s International Year of Indigenous Languages, as well as focus on the impact of technology on the future of minority language protection worldwide.

REGISTRATION IS NOW OPEN!

A Royal Decree was issued on 5 March 2019 appointing HE Muhannad Hijazi as Chairman of the Integrity and Anti-corruption Commission to succeed HE Mohammed Al Allaf.

La Procuración Penitenciaria de la Nación (PPN) expresa su preocupación por el incremento de la sobrepoblación carcelaria en el Complejo Penitenciario Federal de la Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires (CPFCABA), ubicado en Villa Devoto. En las últimas semanas, se dispuso el traslado de más de 100 detenidos, sin tener en consideración que esa cárcel federal ya se encontraba sobrepoblada previamente.

The Public Protector welcomes the Eastern Cape High Court’s dismissal on Thursday, March 08, 2019 of an application by provincial government Director-General, Ms. Marion Mbina-Mthembu, to have Adv. Busisiwe Mkhwebane’s findings on the plundering of public resources in the name of the funeral and memorial services of the late former President, Nelson Mandela, reviewed and set aside.

Conforme los datos preliminares para las PASO del 28 de abril se presentaron ante el Tribunal Electoral, 28 listas con precandidaturas a diputados provinciales. La autolimitación partidaria se reflejó en que 50% de éstas respeta la paridad de género y un 30 % están encabezadas por mujeres.

Augustinas Normantas, Head of the Seimas Ombudsmen's Office and Vytautas Valentinavičius, Head of the Human Rights Division together with Jean-Sébastien Blanc, Director of Thematic Programmes of the Association for the Prevention of Torture (APT), accredited to the United Nations, discussed the peculiarities of treatment of patients with tuberculosis in prisons and mental health institutions.

In recent years, the Czech Ombudsman repeatedly warned about shortcomings in the procedure of the Ministry of Education (hereinafter “the Ministry”) in reviewing the results of school-leaving examinations (the “maturita” exam used in numerous types of secondary schools). Based on the Ombudsman’s comments, the Ministry has amended the so-called “maturita decree” and modified certain procedures and forms so that the students would now have better information on where and how to lodge a complaint.

Following visits to educational centers, the Ombudsman, acting as the National Prevention Mechanism (MNP), addressed a recommendation to the Directorate-General for Reintegration and Prison Services (DGRSP) to overcome various identified shortcomings.

In continuation of his Courtesy calls on the Diplomatic and Consular Corps in Freetown, the Ombudsman of the Republic of Sierra Leone, Leon Jenkins-Johnston has paid a visit to the Embassy of Ireland in Sierra Leone, where he met with the Second Secretary Niamh Kavanagh and Program Advisor – Governance Josephus Ellie.

Press Conference - The Ombudsman announces two direct investigations reports on “Government’s Follow-up Mechanism Regarding Psychological Health Assessment of School Children” and “Marine Department’s Arrangements for Private Vessel Moorings”.

Acting Inspector-General of Taxation and Taxation Ombudsman (IGTO), Andrew McLoughlin, has released the review investigation report into the Australian Taxation Office’s (ATO) use of garnishee notices.