Tomás Quintana participa en la celebración del 40º Aniversario de la Fundación de Familias Monoparentales de Isadora Duncan

Date of article: 07/11/2024

Daily News of: 11/11/2024

Country:  Spain - Castilla León

Author: Regional Ombudsman of Castilla y León

El Procurador del Común ha acompañado esta mañana a la Fundación de Familias Monoparentales Isadora Duncan en los actos de celebración de su 40º Aniversario en la ciudad de León. La Fundación es una de las primeras organizaciones en España en visibilizar y apoyar a las familias monoparentales.

En la inauguración, Tomás Quintana recordó el apoyo que se brinda a las familias desde la defensoría con recientes resoluciones que piden la equiparación real con las familias numerosas en temas como el bono concilia o las ayudas de comedor, sin olvidar, la necesidad de agilizar la expedición del título acreditativo de familia monoparental para poder ejerecer sus derechos. 

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FRA speaks to French local civil servants and elected representatives

Date of article: 11/11/2024

Daily News of: 11/11/2024

Country:  EUROPE

Author: European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights

Support for human rights systems and defenders National human rights systems and bodies

When 

Where Strasbourg, France

External event

On 13 November, FRA will speak at a seminar on human rights and local democracy in Europe in Strasbourg. FRA will contribute to a table discussion on actions from the Council of Europe and the European Union in human rights at the local level.

FRA will present the Framework for Human Rights Cities and how it can help more cities and other local authorities to integrate human and fundamental rights into local action. This is the fourth edition of the seminar. 

The French National Institute of Territorial Studie (INET) and INSET of Nancy, in cooperation with the Council of Europe and the Institute of Concertation and Citizen Participation organise the two-day seminar.

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Parliamentary ombudsman critisises the order given to women detained on board a ship to remove their clothes

Date of article: 07/11/2024

Daily News of: 11/11/2024

Country:  Finland

Author: Finnish Parliamentary Ombudsman

Published 

5.11.2024

On 7 January 2022, an inspection of the detention facilities on board M/S Baltic Princess was conducted on the order of Parliamentary Ombudsman Petri Jääskeläinen. In connection with the inspection, it was observed that in two cases, male security stewards had ordered the detained women to remove all their clothes. Undressing was due to the self-destructive behaviour of these women, for which the women had used their clothing. The Ombudsman decided to investigate the treatment of the women on his own initiative.

In his decision, the Ombudsman states that the actions taken by the security stewards when ordering the women to remove their clothes did not fully implement the detained women’s right to dignified treatment. They had been ordered to remove all their clothes in the detention room without having been provided with clothing suitable for the situation. At least one of the two women had had to be completely naked and without a blanket for a moment. In addition, the security wardens that ordered the women to remove their clothes were male, although according to a decree by the Ministry of the Interior, the security officer conducting a security check must be of the same sex as the person being checked if the person subject to the check has to remove clothing other than outdoor clothes for the purposes of the check.

The Ombudsman considers it obvious that such treatment may be found extremely humiliating and degrading. However, the Ombudsman considers the actions of the security stewards understandable from the point of view that they had to act in situations that were difficult and largely similar to the necessity referred to in the Criminal Code. There were no female security wardens on board and the inadequate facilities for situations like this on the ship imposed restrictions of their own to the available practices.

The Ombudsman considers that it is ultimately the responsibility of the shipping company to ensure preparedness for different exceptional and dangerous situations as well as possible and, for example, make sure that there are safe clothes and bedclothes intended for self-destructive persons in the detention facility. The company is also responsible for not having made female security wardens available.

The Ombudsman has informed Tallink Silja Oy of his opinion and requested that the company also inform all security wardens in the company of the decision and ensure that the decision will be taken into account in their future actions. The Ombudsman has requested that the company notify him by 31 January 2025 what measures it has taken as a result of the decision. 

Decision no 1431/2023 has been published (in Finnish) on the Parliamentary Ombudsman's website at www.oikeusasiamies.fi

Further information is available from Senior Legal Adviser Peter Fagerholm, tel. +358 9 432 3372.

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Jesús Maeztu destaca el "rol social" de la Defensoría del Pueblo andaluza en una jornada sobre los nuevos retos para estas instituciones

Date of article: 08/11/2024

Daily News of: 11/11/2024

Country:  Spain - Andalucia

Author: Regional Ombudsman of Andalucía

Jesús Maeztu, Defensor del Pueblo andaluz en funciones, ha destacado hoy el "rol social" que, dentro de la defensa jurídica de los derechos, tiene marcada esta institución en Andalucía.

En unas jornadas organizadas en la capital jiennense por la Universidad de Jaén y el Centro de Estudios Sociales y Jurídicos del Sur de Europa, Jesús Maeztu ha señalado que el perfil de los titulares de esta institución ha venido caracterizado por un profundo carácter social -"trabajador social", ha señalado Maeztu que le definieron en un reciente homenaje a su trayectoria-, por lo que ha confiado en que la renovación que se produzca en el cargo tenga también en cuenta esta condición. "Sin ser una ong, con todo el respeto para las mismas, el Defensor tiene que estar conectado con la sociedad", ha insistido Maeztu.

Precisamente estas jornadas, que se celebran desde ayer jueves en Jaén, abordan los nuevos retos y estrategias para estas instituciones defensoras de los derechos de la ciudadanía, como actores claves para influir en la legislación y en las políticas públicas.

Jesús Maeztu ha intervenido en la mesa dedicada al análisis de la defensa de los derechos de colectivos en situación de vulnerabilidad y ha expresado cuál es la función asignada a las Defensorías, desde la particular visión y experiencia del Defensor del Pueblo Andaluz, destacando que más allá de una labor se trata de asumir un compromiso, en el que los derechos no son más que el instrumento para la defensa de la preservación de la dignidad humana.

Asimismo, Jesús Maeztu ha destacado que no podemos perder de vista los efectos perniciosos que conlleva la vulneración de los derechos sociales, entre otros, la puesta en peligro de la seguridad jurídica y de la paz social. Respecto de la eficacia de la intervención de las Defensorías en el ejercicio de su competencia, concluye que, por su propia naturaleza, la utilidad de estas Instituciones de garantía de derechos resulta de su propia razón de ser. Sobre las personas y colectivos en situación de vulnerabilidad, el Defensor ha sostenido que es la vulneración de su derecho la que coloca a las mismas en esta posición de desventaja o desigualdad.

Tras aludir al perfil de personas a las que dedica su cometido, Maeztu ha reiterado el mensaje acuñado por la Institución en su 40 aniversario, No asumas como normal lo inaceptable, para significar que implica la defensa del Estado Social y Democrático de Derecho, por cuanto invita a los andaluces y andaluzas a ejercer legítimamente sus derechos, a aprender a reivindicarlos y a los responsables públicos a respetar el orden establecido.

Finalmente, el Defensor ha reflexionado sobre algunos pronunciamientos de la Institución, como las barreras en el derecho a la interrupción voluntaria del embarazo en Jaén; el tiempo de acceso a la cirugía de reasignación de sexo en Málaga y las actuaciones realizadas para la inclusión en la sociedad de un andaluz en situación de discapacidad y privación de libertad.

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Ombudsman’s Office attends ENNHRI Annual Assembly

Date of article: 07/11/2024

Daily News of: 11/11/2024

Country:  Portugal

Author: National Ombudsman of Portugal

The Ombudsman’s Office, represented by Sofia Duarte, was present at the Annual Assembly of the European Network of National Human Rights Institutions (ENNHRI), held in Brussels on 28 and 29 October, which brought together more than 30 National Human Rights Institutions (NHRIs) from across Europe.

The highlight of the meeting was the debate on ENNHRI’s new strategic plan for the period 2026-2029. This was an opportunity to address the challenges facing NHRIs in areas such as migration and climate change, as well as to discuss ways of strengthening the intervention of these institutions, with a particular focus on institutional resilience and responses to new threats to human rights in Europe.

During the Assembly, joint strategies were also outlined to strengthen the role of NHRIs and ENNHRI, including with regard to the securitisation of human rights and the impact of artificial intelligence, topics that will continue to be a priority in 2025.

The election of ENNHRI’s new bodies marked a pivotal moment in the Assembly. NHRI representatives from Denmark, Northern Ireland, Germany, Slovenia, Georgia and Ukraine were elected to the ENNHRI Governing Board for a three-year term.

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