Congrès 2024 de l’AOMF

« Se projeter dans la prochaine décennie : les défis de l’ombudsman dans la défense de l’État de droit ». Tel est le thème du XII^e congrès de l’AOMF, qui se tiendra dans la ville de Québec, au Canada, du 16 au 18 octobre 2024.

Alors que les nations et plus largement le monde vivent des transformations sociales, économiques et technologiques en mode accéléré, comment l’ombudsman compte-t-il composer avec des réalités en mutation? Face à la diversité et à la complexité des défis que rencontrent nos institutions, le congrès de l’AOMF propose d’approfondir notre réflexion en tant qu’ombudsmans et médiateurs autour d’enjeux actuels et futurs, sous un angle pragmatique et visionnaire.

Des présentations, des ateliers et des discussions permettront aux participants d’entrevoir la prochaine décennie à travers les grandes missions de l’ombudsman et l’affirmation des droits des citoyennes et des citoyens.

Fondée il y a plus de 400 ans, Québec a scellé les débuts de la francophonie en Amérique. Aujourd’hui, ce lieu de mémoire est riche de son histoire, de sa vitalité francophone et de sa modernité. En prime, à la mi-octobre, les couleurs de l’automne seront à leur plus flamboyant.

Rappelons que Québec a accueilli le IX^e Congrès de l’AOMF en 2015, sous le thème « L’Ombudsman : promoteur de la bonne gouvernance et gardien de l’intégrité de l’Administration » et, en 2009, le VI^e Congrès de l’AOMF autour du thème : « Le médiateur, le politique et la justice : vers une accessibilité équitable aux droits ».

Pour toute question, vous pouvez communiquer avec le comité organisateur à l’adresse aomfquebec2024@protecteurducitoyen.qc.ca.

Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights, Dunja Mijatović, published today the report following her visit to Germany from 27 November to 1 December 2023, with recommendations regarding the available structures and legal frameworks to protect human rights, and on access to social rights, in particular the protection from poverty and the right to adequate housing.

The government has taken welcome steps to render the social welfare system more accessible and increase social security provisions. However, more efforts are required to address growing inequality in Germany, remove the existing barriers to accessing social rights, and minimise the negative long-term impacts of poverty on individual health, education, and employment prospects. “Increased attention must be paid in this context to addressing the high rates of poverty particularly among children, older persons and persons with disabilities. All relevant actors should cooperate at an inter-agency and inter-ministerial level to improve access to social rights and rights-holders should be provided with timely information and advice about their entitlements,” the Commissioner points out.

The Commissioner also considers that urgent steps are called for to address the acute affordable housing deficit particularly in urban centres through all available means, including appropriate interventions in the housing market. “Comprehensive and long-term measures, such as relevant changes to the tenancy law, are needed to prevent and eradicate homelessness, particularly among children, young people, older persons and other vulnerable groups”, she emphasises and calls on the authorities to develop a human rights based housing strategy and adopt the National Action Plan on the eradication of homelessness without delay.

The government has committed itself to strengthening children’s rights within the legal order, but little progress has been made towards ensuring that relevant authorities and administrative entities know of their obligation to give primary consideration to the best interests of the child. “There is no central authority that could effectively coordinate measures aimed at the protection and promotion of children’s rights at all levels and across all portfolios. As a result, the rights and needs of children and young people often remain overlooked in relevant policymaking, such as during the pandemic”.

Progress on the rights of persons with disabilities has been limited overall and accessibility remains elusive in many areas of life. Lack of political commitment and persistent resistance to change among the well-financed exclusionary structures, including special schools, sheltered workshops and residential facilities, still hinder the achievement of an independent life in the community for persons with disabilities. “The authorities should invest in inclusive structures and accelerate the transition from segregated lives to inclusion in high-quality mainstream settings” says the Commissioner.

Despite the growing number of reported cases of discrimination, insufficient political attention and resources appear to be devoted to the promotion of full and effective equality across all sectors. “I welcome that the government has committed itself to improving the effectiveness of the equality legislation, which is widely considered to be deficient, but no timetable has been set yet. Particular attention should be paid to the mounting levels of xenophobia and racism which have the potential to undermine social cohesion and destabilise democratic institutions,” she stresses.

The Commissioner welcomes the increase in resources made available to the national human rights institution and efforts made to strengthen the independence of the national equality body, but notes that both have limited powers in comparison to other such structures in Europe and that human rights awareness is generally low. The authorities should accelerate the reform of the equality law and engage in comprehensive awareness raising and training activities of applicable standards.

• Read the Commissioner's report on Germany
• Read the comments of the German authorities on the Commissioner's report (in German)

• Lengthy queues cause issues to drivers, the environment and the EU single market

• Full Schengen membership of Romania and Bulgaria needed during 2024

Long queues for heavy goods traffic at EU borders need to be addressed by granting Romania and Bulgaria full Schengen membership and adopting specific legislation, argue MEPs.

In a motion for resolution adopted unanimously with 25 votes in favour, Petitions Committee MEPs call for EU action to address the long waiting times for heavy goods vehicles at EU borders, and call on the Council to quickly decide on the full Schengen membership of Romania and Bulgaria.

MEPs point out that various factors including insufficient technical capacity, staff shortages, and time-consuming checks on freight, hundreds of goods vehicles are held up every day at the EU’s internal borders, including the borders between Schengen and non-Schengen EU Member States, where vehicles face extremely long wait times and delays. MEPs note also that lengthy queues of goods vehicles on the EU’s external borders with Western Balkans countries are particularly worrisome.

Romania and Bulgaria should become full Schengen members during 2024, say MEPs

This accumulation of heavy goods vehicles at borders may have a detrimental impact on drivers’ health and working conditions, road safety and the functioning of the EU single market, argue MEPs. They also note the impact on the health of European citizens through air, water and noise pollution.

MEPs note that the Council decided on 30 December 2023 to lift the air and maritime border controls between the Schengen area and Romania and Bulgaria. However, the decision falls short of addressing the biggest and most pressing issue, namely land border crossings, where checks remain on the Schengen land border. Therefore, MEPs reiterate their support for the accession of Bulgaria and Romania to the Schengen area. Specifically, the Council should adopt as quickly as possible, and by no later than mid-2024, a decision on the full application of the Schengen acquis in Romania and Bulgaria, argue MEPs.

To address the issues at borders, MEPs would like to see binding EU legislative measures for an EU-wide standard of one minute on average for handling heavy goods vehicles at intra-EU border crossing points; legislation to allow truck drivers to use smaller border crossings when main arteries are closed for road maintenance, in order to avoid drivers depending on arbitrary actions by individual countries; and further efforts from EU countries to reinforce cross-border cooperation on combatting theft from goods vehicles.

Next steps

The motion for a resolution will be tabled for a future plenary of the European Parliament.