Probleme beim Bürgergeld, 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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El Defensor del Pueblo Andaluz, Jesús Maeztu, ha estado hoy en la entrevista de Despierta Andalucía, de Canal Sur TV, para responder a las preguntas sobre el Informe Anual 2022 de la Defensoría que presentó el día anterior, miércoles 26, en el Pleno del Parlamento.

A preguntas de los periodistas, el Defensor ha mostrado su preocupación por el retroceso en derechos y ha alertado sobre la salud mental, los retrasos en la dependencia o los cortes de luz que vienen sufriendo muchos barrios vulnerables de Andalucía, entre otros asuntos. “Es inadmisible que los asumamos como algo cotidiano y normal”, ha lamentado Jesús Maeztu.

Escucha la Entrevista del Defensor en Despierta Andalucía

The Parliamentary Ombudsman, Judge Emeritus Joseph Zammit McKeon, met with the Malta Refugee Council in an information session. The aim of the meeting was to raise further awareness on the role and functions of the Parliamentary Ombudsman, especially as they pertain to Malta’s non-governmental organisations (NGOs) working in the field of forced migration.

The Malta Refugee Council is a network of Maltese NGOs devoted to advocating for the fundamental human rights of individuals who are forcibly displaced.

Dr Neil Falzon, Director at Aditus Foundation, introduced the meeting, outlining the Council’s mission. He emphasised that their work involves advocating for legislation, policies, and practices that align with Malta’s international obligations and best practices in the sector. Moreover, he stated that the Council strives to foster a welcoming and inclusive environment for refugees.

Judge Emeritus Zammit McKeon indicated that the Office of the Ombudsman is actively reaching out to areas in society that may need the services of the Ombudsman. This outreach is intended to bring the institution closer to the people and make it more accessible to those seeking redress for maladministration. He highlighted the importance of information sessions such as these in strengthening cooperation between the Ombudsman’s Office and NGOs.

Dr Monica Borg Galea, Head of Investigations at the Ombudsman’s Office, delivered a presentation on the role and functions of the Ombudsman during the session. Following her presentation, members from various NGOs engaged in a constructive dialogue, raising questions and sharing the challenges they encountered in the field of migration.

The President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Mr. Ilham Aliyev, has approved the Constitutional Law of the Republic of Azerbaijan on amending the Constitutional Law on the Commissioner for Human Rights (Ombudsman) of the Republic of Azerbaijan.

According to the document, the Ombudsman is authorized to implement the functions of an independent monitoring mechanism for the implementation of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) and the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC), as well as for monitoring and promoting equal rights and non-discrimination.

In addition, the Ombudsman can conduct an analysis of the implementation process of state programs, strategies, national action plans, and concepts in the field of human rights and provide opinions and recommendations to the relevant authority for monitoring and evaluation in the respective area.

According to the amendments, the President of Azerbaijan presents the nominations of three candidates to the Parliament for the selection of a new Ombudsman within 30 days, until the expiration of the Ombudsman's authority. The Parliament will make the relevant decision on the Ombudsman's selection within 15 days.

Furthermore, the Ombudsman is empowered to conduct on-site investigations on complaints, document the results, and take measures to investigate complaints in the manner prescribed by Chapter II of this Constitutional Law. Also, the Ombudsman has the authority to take measures to prevent and alleviate human rights violations by inviting representatives of state bodies, municipalities, and other institutions during the implementation of the national preventive mechanism and the independent monitoring mechanism. The Ombudsman shall, within 10 working days, provide the complainant with written information about the actions and results taken regarding the examination of his/her complaint.

Besides, when investigating complaints about violations of the right of access to information, the Ombudsman may request essential information (documents, materials) or their copies from information owners.

The changes and other legal norms serve to ensure the reliable protection of human rights and freedoms in our country.

We express our heartfelt gratitude to the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Mr. Ilham Aliyev, on behalf of the Commissioner for Human Rights (Ombudsman) of Azerbaijan and its staff for the support provided in achieving a more effective protection of human rights and freedoms.

In a letter to the Prime Minister of Greece, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, published today, the Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights, Dunja Mijatović, stresses that Greece has the legal obligation to conduct effective investigations into the Pylos shipwreck, which resulted in the death of more than 80 persons with many hundreds still missing, to establish the facts and, where appropriate, to lead to the punishment of those responsible.

The Commissioner expresses concern about reports of pressure having been exercised on survivors and about allegations of irregularities in the collection of evidence and testimonies, which may have led to a minimisation of the focus on certain actors in this tragedy, including the Greek Coast Guard. In the case of Safi and Others v. Greece, the European Court of Human Rights spelled out the parameters of an effective investigation into a similar event. Among those parameters, the Commissioner notes that independence is critical to securing the trust of the victims’ relatives, the survivors, the public and Greece’s international partners. While stressing that investigations cannot be limited to the role of alleged smugglers, she requests clarifications on the scope of the investigations initiated after the shipwreck.

Referring to the right of missing persons’ families to know the truth, the Commissioner seeks information on the efforts made to ensure that the remains of deceased migrants are located, respected, identified, and buried.

Expressing concerns at restrictions on survivors’ freedom of movement and the way asylum interviews have been conducted, she requests information on the concrete measures that Greece has taken to abide by its human rights obligations regarding reception conditions and access to the asylum procedure.

"In my view, the shipwreck of 14 June is unfortunately not an isolated incident”, writes the Commissioner. This should prompt a reconsideration of the approach to refugees and migrants arriving by sea at the political, policy and practical level. In this context, the Commissioner urges the Prime Minister to ensure that Greece abides by its international obligations regarding search and rescue, both under maritime law and human rights law.

Finally, the Commissioner reiterates her call for the Greek government to actively create and maintain an enabling legal framework and a political and public environment which is conducive to the existence and functioning of civil society organisations and to the work of human rights defenders and investigative journalists, and to stop their criminalisation and other forms of harassment.

• Read the Commissioner's letter addressed to the Prime Minister of Greece
• Read the reply from the Minister of Migration and Asylum