Marcin Wiącek, Mária Patakyová, Ákos Kozma and Stanislav Křeček - ombudsmen of the Visegrád 4 countries issued a joint statement on the situation in Ukraine.

We, Signatories of this Joint Statement, strongly condemn the Russian military attack on the sovereign State of Ukraine which started on 24 February 2022. The Russian military actions constitute a gross and unprecedented violation of international law and an attack on values of a democratic and civilized society. We also condemn all Russian military actions directed against civilians and civilian objects or in any other way constituting a breach of international humanitarian law. 

In this regard, we welcome the urgent interim measure ECHR 068 (2022) from 1 March 2022 adopted by the European Court of Human Rights requesting the Government of Russia to refrain from military attacks against civilians and civilian objects, including residential premises, emergency vehicles and other specially protected civilian objects such as schools and hospitals, and to ensure immediately the safety of the medical establishments, personnel and emergency vehicles within the territory under attack or siege by Russian troops. We also welcome the decision of the International Criminal Court Prosecutor, Karim A.A. Khan QC, to open the investigation concerning the situation in Ukraine. 

We appreciate and support the statements of the International Ombudsman Institute and the European Network of National Human Rights Institutions supporting Ukraine calling for the observation of international law and peaceful solution of the conflict. 

Visegrád 4 countries are and most probably will be among states which will receive huge numbers of refugees from Ukraine. As Ombudspersons of these states, we believe that it is both our legal and moral duty to provide effective and timely support and assistance to Ukrainian citizens and all people fleeing war-torn Ukraine on our territories, with special attention to the most vulnerable groups of people like children, older person, persons with disabilities, pregnant women, etc. 
The Russian military aggression against Ukraine cannot be justified by any means and arguments. We jointly express our deepest regrets concerning all the victims of the ongoing armed conflict and the suffering of the Ukrainian people. 

We sincerely wish and hope that the armed conflict will be brought to an end as soon as possible through diplomatic efforts and without further unnecessary bloodshed. 
 

Attachments:

• Statement of support to Ukraine V4 Ombudsmen.pdf

In a joint statement, ombudsmen from the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Poland and Hungary condemned the Russian military attack on Ukraine. In their view, the Russian military actions constitute a gross and unprecedented violation of international law and an attack on the values of a democratic and civilised society.

In their joint statement, the ombudsmen point out that the countries of the Visegrad Four are and most probably will be among the countries that will receive huge numbers of refugees from Ukraine. „As Ombudspersons of these states, we believe that it is both our legal and moral duty to provide effective and timely support and assistance to Ukrainian citizens and all people fleeing war-torn Ukraine on our territories, with special attention to the most vulnerable groups of people like children, older person, persons with disabilities, pregnant women, etc." the statement says.

According to the Czech Ombudsman Stanislav Křeček, the unified position and approach of the Visegrad Four countries is particularly important at the moment: „I see this joint declaration of the ombudsmen as a contribution to strengthening cooperation between the V4 countries, which was also mentioned, for example, by Prime Minister Petr Fiala after the meeting of the prime ministers of the Visegrad Four countries last week. It is our countries that are the first to be targeted by people affected by the war in Ukraine. And we must help them in their difficult situation," the Czech Ombudsman said.

The V4 Ombudsmen also condemned all Russian military actions against civilians and civilian objects or in any other way constituting a breach of international humanitarian law. They therefore welcome the preliminary ruling of the European Court of Human Rights requesting the Government of Russia to refrain from military attacks against civilians and civilian objects, including residential premises, emergency vehicles and other specially protected civilian objects such as schools and hospitals, and to ensure immediately the safety of the medical establishments, personnel and emergency vehicles within the territory under attack or siege by Russian troops.

“We sincerely wish and hope that the armed conflict will be brought to an end as soon as possible through diplomatic efforts and without further unnecessary bloodshed,” agreed the representatives of the ombudsman institutions of the Visegrad Four countries.
 

• V4 Ombudsmen - Joint Statement

Ein besorgter Vater wandte sich an die Volksanwaltschaft mit der Bitte um Unterstützung. Auf einer großen Fläche am Rande Wiens, in Süßenbrunn, wurde auf einem ca. 60.000m² großen Areal eine Hundeauslaufzone eingerichtet, in der mittendrin ein Kinderspielplatz liegt. Für Familien mit Kindern sei das gefährlich, kritisiert Herr W., da es auf dem ungeschützten Spielplatz immer wieder zu bedrohlichen...

On 8 March 2022, Ombudsman Dr. Ákos Kozma delivered a talk at the 555th Meeting of the 26th Session of the Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities monitoring the international implementation of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD).

As the Commissioner for Fundamental Rights underlined in his talk,

“As an ombudsman institution, we welcome the efforts made in the spirit of the CRPD over the recent years, and in each and every case, we publicize the findings of our inquiries in the form of reports in order to comply with the mentality conveyed by the CRPD.”

The Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities – gradually elaborated in the course of nearly ten years – was adopted by the UN on 13 December 2006. Since Hungary was among the first states to adhere to it, the CRPD entered into force in our country as early as on 3 May 2008.

La defensora Emily O'Reilly y el ararteko Manuel Lezertua han sido recibidos por la presidenta del Parlamento Vasco y los miembros de la Mesa de la Cámara. Posteriormente, ambos defensores se han trasladado al Palacio de Ajuria Enea donde han tenido un encuentro con el lehendakari Iñigo Urkullu.

Esta tarde la defensora tendrá una reunión de trabajo con miembros del equipo del Ararteko.

Mañana miércoles, impartirá en Leioa, en el paraninfo de la Facultad de Ciencia y Tecnología de la UPV/EHU, una conferencia titulada "Rendición de cuentas, transparencia y participación ciudadana: a la búsqueda de estándares europeos de ética pública".

Emily O'Reilly fue nombrada defensora del pueblo Europea en julio de 2013. Anteriormente, fue la primera mujer en ocupar los cargos de defensora del pueblo y comisaria de Información de Irlanda en 2003. Emily O'Reilly es escritora y tiene una trayectoria anterior como periodista. Su carrera ha sido merecedora de un importante reconocimiento nacional e internacional.