“Effective and independent national human rights structures are guardians of human rights at the national level in the member states and key partners for me. They play a crucial role in the prevention, mitigation, and oversight of the human rights impacts of AI systems”, said the Commissioner at the occasion of an exchange of views with national human rights structures of Council of Europe member states organised by her Office in Amsterdam, the Netherlands.

“Technology is part of the world we live in and part of nearly every aspect of our lives. This phenomenon is constantly growing, and AI will only become more complex and sophisticated in the coming years. The design, development and deployment of AI systems significantly impact our living environments and the way we exercise human rights, posing threats among others to our privacy, equality, and access to justice. AI may be complicated, but member states’ core obligation remains straightforward: they must ensure that people’s human rights are safeguarded throughout these innovation processes. Given their mandate to monitor the protection and enforcement by member states of the rights enshrined in the European Convention on Human Rights, national human rights structures play an essential part in ensuring that this responsibility is met, including wherever AI is involved.”

Participants underlined the need for more comprehensive and human rights-based approaches to the use of AI and stressed important challenges in terms of transparency and access to information about the use of automated decision-making systems, including in public administrations.

“There still is an untapped potential for AI design, development and deployment that is incentivised by value-based objectives such as exposing and addressing existing prejudice and bias, boosting public participation, and amplifying the voices of those usually unheard” said the Commissioner at the end of the event. “National human rights structures and their European networks such as ENNHRI and EQUINET have taken commendable initiatives to increase their capacities to tackle human rights issues arising from the use of AI systems and to raise public awareness on the potential and risks of AI for human rights. It is crucial that they be involved in all processes related to AI and its regulation, particularly when it comes to the enforcement and supervision of standards at national level. AI design, development and deployment must be supervised through one or more authorities that are fully independent, adequately resourced, and mandated to handle, investigate, and monitor human rights-related complaints. They should also be required to cooperate closely with other independent institutions, notably national human rights structures.”

On 30 – 31 March, 2023, the Commissioner met with 30 heads and senior representatives of national human rights institutions, equality bodies and Ombudsman institutions of Council of Europe member states to discuss their experiences and the challenges and promising practices with respect to the implementation of her 2019 Recommendation ‘Unboxing AI – 10 steps to protect human rights’. A report with recommendations from the Commissioner for Human Rights on how to move toward the more effective enforcement of human rights standards in relation to AI design, development, and deployment is forthcoming.

Protocollo d’Intesa stipulato il 21 giugno 2022 tra la Regione del Veneto e il Garante regionale per i diritti della persona per l’attivazione della collaborazione dell’Avvocatura regionale finalizzata al supporto consulenziale legale. Individuazione dei procedimenti amministrativi del Garante regionale dei diritti della persona e dei documenti detenuti dall'ufficio del Garante esclusi dal diritto di accesso.

Decreto n. 1 del 22 febbraio 2023 (B.U.R. Veneto n. 27 del 24/02/2023 e nel B.U.R. Veneto n. 28 del 28/02/2023 - errata corrige).

  Decreto del Garante regionale dei diritti della persona n. 1 del 22 febbraio 2023

Published 

31.3.2023

On 23 March, referendaries from the Office of the Parliamentary Ombudsman conducted unannounced inspections of general advance polling stations in five municipalities in Southwest Finland. For the first time, inspections were also conducted at three special advance voting facilities at social welfare institutions in Uusimaa on 24 March. A specialist from the Human Rights Centre also participated in one of the inspections. The aim of the inspections was to investigate how the secrecy of the ballot was secured, the voting arrangements and the accessibility of the polling stations. 

Shortcomings were observed in accessibility. It was not possible to get into some of the general polling stations independently with a wheelchair. The arrangements at general advance polling stations were mainly in order. 

The observations concerning the election bus were positive, but an election bus was considered problematic as a general advance polling station from the point of view of accessibility.

According to the observations, keeping the secrecy of the ballot at special advance voting facilities may have been at risk because of the inappropriate location of one special advance voting facility. The voting facility could be seen from the indoor space behind the facility as well as from outside through a window.

The feedback received from voters and electoral commissions on voting organised at special advance voting facilities was very positive.  

Deputy-Ombudsman Sakslin considered it important that voting organised at special advance voting facilities increases especially the voting activity of persons with disabilities and older people, who cannot get to general polling stations.

Inspections of general advance polling stations were conducted in Raisio, Turku, Kaarina, Paimio and Salo. Inspections of special advance voting facilities were conducted in Hyvinkää, Nurmijärvi and Espoo.

The Deputy-Ombudsman decided to carry out an own-initiative investigation on voting arrangements in Turku and Kaarina because of observations concerning accessibility and on the use of the election bus in the City of Salo. The Deputy-Ombudsman also investigates the varying practices at special advance voting facilities especially with regard to selecting the locations of the polling stations, their advance arrangements and cooperation with the institutions in which the voting is organised. In addition, the Deputy-Ombudsman also decided to investigate the procedure concerning the voter's situation-specific capacity to vote.

One of the special tasks of the Ombudsman is to promote, protect and monitor the realisation of disabled persons’ rights. The task is based on the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities ratified by Finland. Inspections therefore seek to draw special attention to accessibility and the possibilities for participation and political rights of persons with disabilities.

Inspection records 1545/2023 and 1546/2023 1have been published in Finnish on the website at www.oikeusasiamies.fi. 

For more information, please contact Senior Legal Adviser Juha-Pekka Konttinen, tel. +358 (0)9 432 3338 or Päivi Lahtinen, tel. +358 (0)9 432 3377.

El síndic de Greuges de la Comunitat Valenciana, Angel Luna, ha solicitado al Ayuntamiento de Alicante que modifique, con carácter urgente, la Ordenanza Municipal sobre protección de ruidos y vibraciones del año 1991 y la adapte a la actual normativa autonómica sobre contaminación acústica. Además, le apremia a adoptar todas las medidas inspectoras, preventivas y sancionadoras que sean necesarias para eliminar la contaminación acústica existente en la zona del casco antiguo.

Así de contundente ha sido la respuesta del Síndic a la denuncia presentada por una asociación de vecinos, que se quejaban de la falta de respuesta e inactividad del Ayuntamiento ante las molestias que vienen sufriendo como consecuencia del  funcionamiento de los establecimientos de ocio ubicados en su zona.

Precisamente, en la presentación del Informe Anual, Luna fue especialmente duro con la falta de respuesta de las Administraciones, calificándola de «comportamiento inaceptable» y de «ninguneo» a la ciudadanía; una práctica que conduce al descrédito de las instituciones. En este caso, el defensor ha advertido al Ayuntamiento que tiene la obligación legal de dar respuesta a todos los escritos presentados por los ciudadanos con celeridad, agilidad y eficacia, notificándoles las actuaciones realizadas o las que prevea realizar.

En la resolución, el Síndic critica que en el informe municipal no conste la realización de inspecciones efectuadas en los establecimientos para comprobar el cumplimiento de las condiciones de la ambientación musical y que tampoco figure la realización de mediciones sonométricas para comprobar los niveles de ruido procedente de los distintos locales.

Por todo ello, el defensor considera necesario que el ayuntamiento revise las licencias o autorizaciones con las que cuentan los establecimientos de la zona, y que compruebe si corresponden con la actividad que los locales vienen ejerciendo. Insiste en que estas actuaciones deben ir acompañadas de la adopción de medidas preventivas y sancionadoras; lo que implica la realización de inspecciones sobre el  funcionamiento de los establecimientos y la medición de los niveles sonoros de los equipos de sonido, así como el control estricto del cumplimiento de los horarios de cierre de los locales.

El Síndic concluye su resolución proponiendo al consistorio que valore la posibilidad de declarar la zona acústicamente saturada.

Consulta la resolución del Síndic: 11948641.pdf (elsindic.com)

Die Energiekrise und ihre Folgen veranlassten die Bundesregierung besondere finanzielle Hilfen für Bürgerinnen und Bürger ins Leben zu rufen. So gab es zunächst Unterstützungsleistungen zur Abfederung der teilweise extrem gestiegenen Gas- und Strompreise. Auf die Forderungen zahlreicher Bürgerinnen und Bürger nach Zuschüssen auch für nichtleitungsgebundene Energieträger wie Heizöl, Holzpellets u.a. reagierte die Politik Ende des vergangenen Jahres und beschloss auch für diese Haushalte Hilfen.

Nunmehr haben sich Bund und Länder auf die Ausgestaltung dieses Hilfefonds für nicht leitungsgebundene Energieträger verständigt. Der Bund stellt den Ländern dafür insgesamt bis zu 1,8 Mrd. Euro über den Wirtschaftsstabilisierungsfonds zur Verfügung. Die Aufstellung der konkreten Programme und die Auszahlung erfolgen durch die Länder. In Thüringen ist für deren Umsetzung das Thüringer Ministerium für Umwelt, Energie und Naturschutz (TMUEN) zuständig. Für die Nutzung einer gemeinsamen Antragsplattform hat sich Thüringen einem Länderverbund von 13 Ländern angeschlossen. Diese Antragsplattform wird derzeit noch entwickelt und soll ab Mai für die Annahme von Anträgen zur Verfügung stehen.

Neben der digitalen Möglichkeit der Antragsstellung soll es nach einer Information des TMUEN auch möglich sein, Anträge postalisch einzureichen.

Erste wichtige Informationen zu den Voraussetzungen dieser Leistung finden Sie jetzt schon auf der Seite des TMUEN unter: https://umwelt.thueringen.de/themen/top-themen/fragen-und-antworten-energiesicherheit-in-thueringen/heizoel-pellets-co

Über den konkreten Zeitpunkt der Möglichkeit der Antragsstellung über die Plattform werden wir Sie hier auf der Webseite des Bürgerbeauftragten weiter informieren.

Bei spezifischen Rückfragen oder Problemen im Zusammenhang mit der Antragstellung können Sie sich gern auch jederzeit mit Ihren Anliegen an den Thüringer Bürgerbeauftragten wenden. Die Kontaktdaten finden Sie auf der Webseite.