On March 8th 2023 a meeting was held at the Office of the Commissioner for Human Rights. Marcin Wiącek met with the UN Special Rapporteur on violence against women and girls Reem Alsalem, who was on an official visit to Poland. The meeting was also attended by Deputy Ombudsman Valeri Vachev, Director of the Equal Treatment Team of CHR Magdalena Kuruś and Deputy Director of the Team for Presidential Affairs and International Cooperation Maciej Kruk. 

The conversation concerned the current state of legal protection against violence, experienced especially by women and girls. During the meeting, the Commissioner indicated the need to introduce comprehensive legal regulations necessary to improve the situation of women. In this regard, the Ombudsman drew attention to the need to undertake legislative work after the judgment of the Constitutional Tribunal of October 22, 2020 (case no. K 1/20) on abortion. The problems faced by women belonging to vulnerable groups were also discussed, in particular in the context of migrant women coming to Poland - war refugees from Ukraine and irregular migrants, Roma women, people with disabilities. Issues related to anti-discrimination education implemented in schools were also raised - the most important findings of the CHR report "Equal treatment at school" were quoted in this respect. In addition, the Ombudsman presented comments on the legal protection of various minority groups against bias-motivated crimes and discussed the current legal status of resolutions on the so-called LGBT-free zones. 

Reem Alsalem was appointed Special Rapporteur on violence against women and girls, its causes and effects in July 2021. She is an independent consultant on gender issues, refugee and migrant rights, transitional justice and humanitarian response. During her visit to Poland, the UN expert assessed the efforts made to implement Poland's international and regional commitments, as well as the legal, institutional and political framework for preventing and responding to violence against women and girls. She focused on issues related to ending feminicide, domestic violence, human trafficking, sexual violence and exploitation, and access to sexual and reproductive rights. She also investigated the systemic causes of gender-based violence in Poland. She assessed the situation of adolescent girls, women and girls from ethnic minority groups, refugee and migrant women, women and girls of different sexual orientations and gender identities, as well as women active in the public sphere. The Special Rapporteur will present a report on her visit to Poland in June 2024.

Ensuring that citizens and children are involved in decisions that affect them. Upholding fundamental (children’s) rights in cases of evictions and migration. The question of whether (and, if so, how) the government is learning from experiences in its compensation programmes. These are just some of the issues from the Ombuds Agenda 2023 on which the National Ombudsman, the Ombudsman for Children and the Ombudsman for Veterans will be focusing particular attention this year.

The Ombuds Agenda 2023 includes six themes, each made up of several multi-annual programmes. Across each programme, we are planning investigations, activities and recommendations and will be monitoring whether our suggestions for improvement have been adopted by the government. The themes broadly reflect wider problems in society and the 30,000 complaints and communications we receive every year about the relationship between citizens and government.

Influence

The ombudsmen believe it is important for citizens and children to have an influence on decisions that affect them. Having a say and participating can help boost support for government policy and increase citizens’ trust in the government.

In early 2023, we will be completing investigations into participation and influence within the Social Support Act and the Participation Act. We are also launching an investigation into participation and influence in the Youth Act.

In anticipation of the Environment and Planning Act and new legislation to strengthen participation at local level, we are updating the National Ombudsman’s Participation Guide and the Ombudsman for Children’s ‘The Best Decision’ tool kit. The Participation Guide provides direction in how to handle citizens’ input and consultation properly. ‘The Best Decision’ tool kit helps professionals to prioritise children’s interests in decision-making.

Investigation into compensation programmes

Several compensation programmes are running in which the government has to compensate groups of citizens, children, veterans and entrepreneurs for damages. These include the child allowance affair, the damage caused by gas exploration in Groningen and Drenthe, working with Chromium VI at the Ministry of Defence and the floods in Limburg. The National Ombudsman is launching an investigation into these programmes. We will explore whether (and, if so, how) the government is learning from experiences in current and completed compensation programmes.

Evictions and migration

The upholding of fundamental (children’s) rights by the government is an important theme for the ombudsmen. We are focusing particular attention on housing, migration and deprivation of liberty.

At the start of this year, the National Ombudsman and the Ombudsman for Children completed an investigation into evictions involving families in vulnerable situations. This revealed that the government is not always meeting its obligations in terms of human and children’s rights when families are being forced out of their homes. In 2023, we are conducting a (follow-up) investigation into the evictions of families forced to leave their homes because of demolition or renovation work.

In the field of migration, the National Ombudsman and the Ombudsman for Children are launching an investigation into issues in the asylum system.

The Ombudsman for Veterans understands that the care provided for veterans in detention is not as it should be. We will therefore be investigating whether the recommendations made in the light of our previous investigation into veterans in detention (2021) are being properly applied. Where necessary, we will make efforts to make sure they are.

Poverty

The ombudsmen note that increasing numbers of citizens face financial worries because of the rising cost of living. In 2023, the National Ombudsman will therefore be investigating whether and to what extent municipalities are succeeding in reaching residents who face financial issues on time and are providing help before the problems become worse. We will also be monitoring action on recommendations from three previous investigations into problems faced by asylum seekers with refugee status, young people on welfare benefits and young disabled persons. The Ombudsman for Children would like to see a strategy for childhood poverty in place across all areas of life where children’s development is impeded. For this reason, the Ombudsman for Children is advising the Ministry of Social Affairs and Employment (SWZ) on the further development of the National Child Guarantee Plan and the approach being taken to tackle money worries, poverty and debt.

New theme: Life-course and development

Problems such as poverty, criminality and violence can be passed down through the generations. In 2023, the Ombudsman for Children is investigating how family problems affect children's lives and development and influence their trust in politics and society.

Read more

The Ombuds Agenda 2023 is made up of the following six themes: Fundamental Rights, Participation and Influence, Access to Public Services, Poverty, Quality of Life and, finally, Life-course and Development. Read more about our activities in the different multi-annual programmes for each theme.

Bijlagen

Ombuds Agenda 2023

It offers easy access to the EU’s Fundamental Rights Charter in all official languages in a mobile-friendly format.

It also contains related EU and international law as well as relevant case law. It covers up-to-date case law from the European Court of Justice, the European Court of Human Rights and national courts.

Not only that, the app gives users easy access to related FRA publications.

In the latest version of the app you can also test your knowledge of when and how the Charter applies. You will be quizzed on five scenarios from real-life court cases, asking you if the Charter applies for each scenario.

The app is available for both Android and Apple devices.

Im Jahr 2022 veröffentlichten Volksanwältin Gaby Schwarz und die Volksanwälte Bernhard Achitz und Walter Rosenkranz drei zusätzliche Berichte, die am 14. März im Volksanwaltschaftsausschuss des Nationalrats diskutiert wurden. Diese Berichte befassen sich mit Sonderthemen, die die Volksanwaltschaft zusätzlich zu ihrer regulären Prüftätigkeit eingehend untersuchte und deren Ergebnisse in folgender Form Niederschlag finden:

"Jugend in Haft"

Der Bericht „Jugend in Haft“ ist das vorläufige Ergebnis eines Prüfschwerpunktes der Volksanwaltschaft und ihrer Kommissionen. Er wendet sich den Lebens- und Aufenthaltsbedingungen von inhaftierten Jugendlichen und jungen Erwachsenen zu. Zugleich beleuchtet er die Arbeitsbedingungen der Betreuerinnen und Betreuer und befasst sich mit strukturellen Fragen des Jugendstrafvollzuges.

„Klar ist, dass junge Menschen nur dann in Haft genommen werden sollten, wenn das unbedingt notwendig ist. Gerade für junge Menschen ist eine Inhaftierung oft ein besonders einschneidendes Erlebnis. Sind sie einmal in Haft, dann ist es notwendig sie bestmöglich zu unterstützen, damit sie wieder zurück in ein geregeltes Leben finden können“, so Volksanwältin Gaby Schwarz.

Hier geht es zum Bericht.

„NGO-Forum Soziale Grundrechte“ für Verankerung in Verfassung

Im Sonderbericht „NGO-Forum Soziale Grundrechte“ sammelte die Volksanwaltschaft Forderungen zahlreicher Organisationen der Zivilgesellschaft für die Verankerung der Sozialen Grundrechte in der Verfassung. „Es gibt einen breiten Konsens, dass Österreich ein Sozialstaat ist – das bildet die Verfassung aber nicht ab“, sagt der für Soziales zuständige Volksanwalt Bernhard Achitz. Einen umfassenden österreichischen Grundrechtskatalog schnellstmöglich in Angriff zu nehmen, ist auch im Regierungsprogramm vorgesehen. „In Österreich gibt es nach wie vor Lücken im sozialen System. Wenn die sozialen Grundrechte in der Verfassung verankert wären, dann wäre ein Lückenschluss leichter durchsetzbar“, so Achitz.

Hier geht es zum Bericht.

"Terroranschlag 2. November 2020"

„Nach dem Terroranschlag in Wien am 2. November 2020 prüfte die Volksanwaltschaft – wie es ihrem verfassungsmäßigen Auftrag entspricht – ob ein Verwaltungsmissstand im Bereich des polizeilichen Handelns vorlag“, erklärt der für die Polizei zuständige Volksanwalt Walter Rosenkranz. Im Zuge des Prüfverfahrens musste das BMI auch teils an seine Kooperationspflicht gegenüber der Volksanwaltschaft erinnert werden, habe man doch nicht alle angefragten Unterlagen ungeschwärzt geliefert bekommen. „Die Volksanwaltschaft empfahl dem BMI schließlich eine lückenlose disziplinarrechtliche Aufklärung, warum in BVT und LVT Wien bereits im Spätsommer 2020 trotz bekannter Verdachtsmomente nicht mit hohem kriminalistischem Druck gearbeitet wurde und zeitnah an die Staatsanwaltschaft berichtet wurde“, fasst Rosenkranz die Ergebnisse zusammen.

Hier geht es zum Bericht.

The Parliamentary Ombudsman, Judge Emeritus Joseph Zammit McKeon, has today met the Commissioner for Standards in Public Life, Chief Justice Emeritus Joseph Azzopardi.

The meeting discussed how both institutions could collaborate on areas of common interest that would strengthen transparency and accountability and promote correct behaviour by those in the public administration.