Dr. Ákos Kozma meets with the Heads of the Hungarian Prison Service

Date of article: 05/09/2022

Daily News of: 15/09/2022

Country:  Hungary

Author: Office of the Commissioner for Fundamental Rights of Hungary

Article language: en

The Ombudsman summarised the experiences of his visits to penitentiary institutions in recent years at a meeting for the heads of the Hungarian Prison Service on 2 September 2022 in Budapest. 




In his presentation, the Ombudsman highlighted the most important conclusions, findings, and expectations of the Ombudsman's reports on visits and inspections under the Optional Protocol to the Convention Against Torture (OPCAT) National Preventive Mechanism (NPM).

Other speakers at the workshop included Major-General, Chief Advisor on Penal Enforcement, Deputy Chief of Security and Detention of the National Commander János Schmehl, the Secretary-General of the Office of the Commissioner for Fundamental Rights of Hungary (OCFR) Dr.  Balázs Könnyid, and the Director of Police Complaints of the OCFR Dr. Domonkos Wildner.

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El Defensor del Pueblo ya ha atendido a 201 víctimas de abusos sexuales en el ámbito de la Iglesia católica

Date of article: 13/09/2022

Daily News of: 15/09/2022

Country:  Spain

Author: National Ombudsman of Spain

Article language: es

El Defensor del Pueblo ya ha atendido a 201 víctimas de abusos sexuales en el ámbito de la Iglesia católica, en los dos meses que lleva operativa la Unidad de Atención a las Víctimas (UAV).

Los expedientes incoados hasta ahora por la UAV corresponden mayoritariamente a hombres (167) y el resto (34), a mujeres.

Los testimonios registrados han sido recogidos por teléfono, por correo electrónico, por correo postal o a través de la página web del Defensor del Pueblo.

De todas las víctimas, 67 han sido entrevistadas por los técnicos especializados de la UAV.

Estos datos han sido trasladados a la Comisión Asesora creada por el Defensor del Pueblo para elaborar un informe que elevará al Congreso de los Diputados, a partir de la encomienda de la Cámara Baja, sobre las denuncias por abusos sexuales en el ámbito de la Iglesia católica. La Comisión se ha reunido hoy por segunda vez, tras la primera, el pasado 5 de julio. Un día después, el 6, la UAV inició su labor, por lo que se acaba de cumplir dos meses desde su creación. Desde entonces se están recibiendo y escuchando a personas que acuden a exponer sus testimonios.

Según el presidente de la Comisión y Defensor del Pueblo, Ángel Gabilondo, “estamos satisfechos con el ritmo de llegada de los testimonios y con la cantidad de víctimas que se han dirigido a nosotros, pero lo que realmente nos importa y preocupa, más que el número, es escuchar a las víctimas y hacerlo con respeto, con seriedad, con discreción y con confidencialidad. Las víctimas que decidan contactar con nosotros pueden contar con ello. Y, a partir de ahí, elaborar un informe con consideraciones, propuestas y sugerencias que será trasladado al Congreso”.

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Equality Today | Issue 25 | September 2022

Date of article: 13/09/2022

Daily News of: 15/09/2022

Country:  EUROPE

Author: European network of equality bodies - EQUINET

Article language: en

Equality Today | Issue 25 | September 2022

 

Check in this issue:

#Equinetnews
#NationalLegislation
#LocalLevelEquality

#EuropeanCareStrategy
#CharterOfFundamentalRights

Upcoming

Events

11 October, 10:00 – 12:30 CET, via Zoom 
Equality bodies’ role in implementing the European Pillar of Social Rights Action plan
Register by 5 October

This online roundtable will discuss potential opportunities of the European Pillar of Social Rights Action Plan, highlighting viable strategies for implementing the Action Plan and the roles equality bodies can play.
 
#EquinetNews

Equinet Secretariat Changes
As of 26 August, Sophie Hale has left the Equinet Secretariat to pursue new and exciting opportunities. The Equinet Secretariat and Executive Board would like to thank Sophie for the excellent work she has developed as Equinet’s first Membership & Network Development Officer. 

Moving forward, Teresa Pedreira will become Communication and Member Engagement Officer, acting as members’ main reference point within Equinet. Governance and Network Development aspects remain with Anne Gaspard (Co-Director on Network Strategic Engagement), with the support of our new Membership and Network Development trainee, Martina Rota (martina.rota@equineteurope.org). Martina is due to start working with us on 20 September.  

In addition, we have three other trainees starting with Equinet at the beginning of September

You will be able to find the contacts of all new staff members via the Equinet Staff pages, which will be updated as soon as they start.  



Polish Ombudsman meets with Equinet Co-Director Anne Gaspard
On 5 September 2022, Anne Gaspard, Co-Director of Equinet visited the Office of the Commissioner for Human Rights in Warsaw to meet with Poland’s Ombudsman Marcin Wiącek as well as with Deputy Commissioner Valeri Vachev and Aleksandra Szczerba from the Team for Equal Treatment. During the meeting, Marcin Wiącek shared the challenges faced by the Ombudsman Office in guaranteeing protection against discrimination in the country. The group also discussed how the upcoming legislation on standards for equality bodies can protect and support equality bodies when similar issues arise.
 
#NationalLegislation
Spain approves new innovative equality laws 
This summer the Spanish government has approved two important equality laws: the New Spanish Comprehensive anti-discrimination law and the Comprehensive Guarantee of Sexual Freedom Law (“only yes means yes” law). Learn more about this recent development of the Spanish anti-discrimination legislation.
 

#LocalLevelEquality

Barcelona Discrimination Observatory Report 2021
The Observatory of Discrimination in Barcelona has recently published its 2021 Annual Report, which provides an overview of discrimination in the city and looks at the measures taken to counter it, the challenges that remain to be addressed and recommendations for the future. The Report contains a section focused particularly on discrimination in housing and is available in English, Catalan and Spanish.
 

#EuropeanCareStrategy

European Commission presents the European Care Strategy 
Launched on 7 September, the strategy aims to ensure quality, affordable and accessible care services across the European Union and to improve the situation for both care receivers and the people caring for them, professionally or informally. In the document, the EC recognizes Equinet’s role in ‘...identify[ing] measures to tackle possible unfavourable treatment in Member States of workers who take family leave, including through cooperation between equality bodies and other actors’.
 

#CharterOfFundamentalRights

Publication: Charter of Fundamental Rights of the EU case studies - Trainer's manual
The Fundamental Rights Agency (FRA) has recently published a trainer’s manual which aims at providing guidance on both the organisation and the implementation of Charter trainings based on a series of case studies, which will be extended in the future. This manual is part of FRA's range of Charter training materials, which include e-learning courses that can be used by trainers when providing trainings to relevant groups of legal practitioners. 
 
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(ENO) You may now register for the Web accessibility and ENO queries procedure hybrid webinar

Date of article: 12/09/2022

Daily News of: 12/09/2022

Country:  EUROPE

Author: European Network of Ombudsmen

Article language: en

Registration - Seminar on Web accessibility and the ENO queries procedure

Hybrid (digital and on-site) seminar.

Your personal information is needed in order to request access badges to the European Parliament if you are joining the event in person.

European Ombudsman office
87 rue Froissart
1000 Brussels (Belgium)
12 October 2022

Please register by 21 September 2022 (in-person participation), or by 6 October 2022 (on-line participation).

 

https://enonet.eu/survey/index.php/644252

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Sozialsprechstunde: Bürgerbeauftragte berät in Heide wieder persönlich

Date of article: 12/09/2022

Daily News of: 12/09/2022

Country:  Germany - Schleswig-Holstein

Author: Regional Ombudsman of Schleswig-Holstein

Article language: de

Probleme bei Hartz IV, 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.

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