El Defensor del Pueblo, Ángel Gabilondo, se ha reunido este lunes en la sede de la institución con la nueva representante en España del Alto Comisionado de las Naciones Unidas para los Refugiados (ACNUR), Grainne O’Hara.

En el transcurso del encuentro han abordado, entre otros asuntos, los retos actuales del sistema de protección internacional en España y han acordado mantener la colaboración existente entre ambas instituciones.

El pasado mes de octubre Ángel Gabilondo mantuvo una reunión de despedida con Sophie Muller, anterior representante de ACNUR en España, tras cinco años en el cargo.

En la reunión también han participado la responsable de la Unidad de Protección Internacional de la Oficina en España de ACNUR, Marta García, y la adjunta segunda del Defensor del Pueblo, Patricia Bárcena.

Le Médiateur, Marc BERTRAND, poursuit son programme de rencontre avec les nouveaux Ministres wallons et de la Fédération Wallonie-Bruxelles.

Il a récemment rencontré la Ministre de l’Education et de l’Enseignement de promotion sociale, Mme Valérie GLATIGNY.

Madame Glatigny a confirmé au Médiateur toute l’importance qu’elle attache à la médiation en rappelant que lorsqu’elle assurait la fonction de Ministre de l’Enseignement supérieur, elle avait toujours donné beaucoup d’attention au contenu des rapports annuels et aux recommandations du Médiateur et aux discussions en commission parlementaire sur ces rapports.

Monsieur Bertrand a également saisi cette occasion pour attirer l’attention sur les questions récurrentes les plus significatives à partir du traitement et de l’analyse des réclamations reçues en matière d’enseignement obligatoire.

Enfin, la Ministre Glatigny a également souligné que la recommandation du Médiateur en matière de motivation des décisions administratives est fondamentale car un citoyen à qui on explique clairement les raisons pour lesquelles l’administration décide dans un tel sens, comprend et accepte plus facilement et sereinement cette décision.  

On 2 December, 2024, Commissioner for Fundamental Rights Dr. Ákos Kozma presented a report to the National Assembly on the 2023 activities of the Commissioner for Fundamental Rights of Hungary and his deputies.

During his keynote speech in the plenary parliamentary debate, Dr. Ákos Kozma highlighted:
“In 2023, the Office of the Commissioner for Fundamental Rights of Hungary issued 187 reports containing suggestions, with a total of 193 actual suggestions. Citizens submitted 5 742 petitions to us, of which our Office concluded and closed 4 772 cases in 2023. The increase in case numbers is significantly influenced by the expanding fundamental rights mandate, namely the special responsibilities and tasks recently entrusted to the Ombudsman’s institution by the National Assembly. In my assessment, these figures demonstrate that our Office continues to enjoy broad public trust in its work.”

Dr. Ákos Kozma also reported positively on the continuation of the Ombudsman’s children's home renovation project in 2023. This initiative, which began in 2021, is based on the collaboration with the Hungarian Prison Service and state forestry services.

From 1 January, 2023, the Commissioner for Fundamental Rights of Hungary assumed the role of independent framework for disability rights. Additionally, from 24 July, 2023, his responsibilities further expanded to include the tasks defined in Act XXV of 2023, concerning complaints and public interest disclosures. The Commissioner for Fundamental Rights of Hungary provided an update on the initiation of these responsibilities.

In his conclusion, the Commissioner for Fundamental Rights of Hungary emphasized that one of the key elements of the activities of 2023 was the role of serving as a bridge for fundamental rights protection, both domestically and internationally. He stressed the deliberate commitment to working collaboratively with various stakeholders to find solutions to major fundamental rights challenges, which he also considers as a guiding principle for the future.

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

When 10 December 2024

Where Vienna, Austria

Organised By Vienna City

External event

FRA Director Sirpa Rautio will be the keynote speaker at a public event to mark Vienna’s 10th anniversary as human rights city. Vienna became a human rights city in 2014, with a declaration, an action plan and subsequent opening of a human rights office.

Ever since then, it has cooperated with FRA on many local and European activities to raise awareness of cities’ fundamental rights obligations. The cooperation included the close partnership in hosting the 2021 and 2024 editions of FRA’s Fundamental Rights Forum, as well as contributing to the development of a Framework for Human Rights Cities. 

The event will take place in the Vienna townhall on International Human Rights Day on 10 December. 

It will take stock of progress achieved and the way ahead to further reinforce fundamental rights locally. A focus will lie on the effective participation of civil society.