(CoE) Dunja Mijatović ends her term as Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights

Date of article: 30/03/2024

Daily News of: 05/04/2024

Country:  EUROPE

Author: Commissioner for Human Rights - Council of Europe

Article language: en

“At the end of my term as Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights, I am both grateful and reflective. Over the past six years, I have witnessed the extraordinary commitment to human rights displayed by partners of my Office, and by ordinary citizens in the face of an ever-changing landscape of politics, technology and social issues. At the same time, I have seen the harm that the current challenges to human rights can do to our societies.

The escalation of conflicts, most notably Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, has underlined the fragility of peace and the dire consequences of disregarding international law and human rights.

The global crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and the rapid development of digital technologies have tested our resilience and adaptability.

These challenges, together with the continuing erosion of the rule of law, challenges to the universality of human rights, and the resurgence of intolerance and increasing hostility towards human rights defenders and journalists, underscore the critical importance of perseverance in the face of adversity.

Throughout my tenure, the dedication of NGOs, journalists, activists and other partners has been a constant source of inspiration. Their unwavering commitment to the defence of human rights, often at great personal risk, has reinforced my belief in the power of collective action and the enduring relevance of our principles.

As my term ends, I am encouraged by the progress that has been made in the field of human rights, but mindful of the work that remains to be done. It is important to continue engaging on issues related to the environment and artificial intelligence. Environmental issues may have far-reaching implications for human rights protection. At the same time, as AI technologies advance, it's crucial to ensure that their development is compliant with human rights standards.

Finally, there is a crucial need to engage with and to enable the full participation of young people and their organisations in all future discussions. Governments should empower young people to make choices and meaningfully influence their future.

The challenges are formidable, but not insurmountable and I remain hopeful that with perseverance, advocacy and an unwavering commitment to human rights, democracy and the rule of law, a more inclusive and just society can be built.”

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Welsh Government fails to ensure local authorities are providing sufficient accommodation for Gypsies and Travellers

Date of article: 04/04/2024

Daily News of: 05/04/2024

Country:  United Kingdom - Wales

Author: Public Services Ombudsman for Wales

Article language: en

The complaint

The Ombudsman launched an investigation after Mr A and Mr B complained about the way Welsh Government dealt with a complaint they had made regarding the provision of accommodation for Gypsies and Travellers.

Mr A and Mr B complained that Welsh Government had failed to ensure that the local authorities in the areas in which they lived, were taking action to meet the accommodation needs of Gypsies and Travellers as required by the Housing (Wales) Act 2014.

Mr A and Mr B also complained that Welsh Government did not deal properly with a complaint they made about this matter.

 

What the Ombudsman found

The Housing (Wales) Act 2014 introduced a legal duty on local authorities to produce Gypsy and Traveller Accommodation Assessments (GTAAs) and submit them to Welsh Government for approval. If an approved GTAA shows need for accommodation for Gypsies and Travellers the Housing (Wales) Act 2014 requires a local authority to use its powers to meet that need.  Welsh Government had committed to annual monitoring of local authorities to ensure that local authorities were acting on the findings of their GTAAs.

The Ombudsman found that whilst the legal duty to provide accommodation for Gypsies and Travellers, where needed, falls to local authorities, Welsh Government had failed to fulfil its critical leadership role in ensuring this happened. No monitoring of approved GTAAs had taken place since January 2020. Welsh Government had also failed to engage appropriately with the local authorities where the complainants live and had failed to assess updated GTAAs from both local authorities despite them being submitted over 2 years ago in December 2021 and February 2022

This constrained the ability of these local authorities to carry out their duties and caused frustration and distress to Mr A and Mr B, and potentially other members of the Gypsy and Traveller community in Wales, whose accommodation needs remain unmet. GTAAs are intended to address the lack of understanding of the accommodation needs of Gypsies and Travellers in Wales and ensure they can access culturally appropriate accommodation. The identified lack of accommodation available meant that Mr A has not been able to provide support to his family and that Mr B and his family continue to endure a prolonged period of homelessness.

The Ombudsman also found that Mr A and Mr B’s complaint was not dealt with in accordance with Welsh Government policy. Welsh Government wrongly classified their complaint as one that could not be considered under its policy and took an excessive amount of time to inform Mr A and Mr B of this.

“There have been significant failings by Welsh Government which has failed to fulfil its leadership role to ensure local authorities were taking action to meet the need for accommodation for Gypsies and Travellers.  Delay and inaction by Welsh Government has led to stagnation and constrained the ability of local authorities to meet the accommodation needs. The lack of available accommodation has meant that Mr A has potentially been unable to live with his wider family and provide support to them and Mr B and his family have been homeless for a number of years. This is an injustice to them and a source of great stress and frustration.

When Mr A and Mr B complained to Welsh Government about these failings, they were incorrectly told that their enquiry did not fall within the scope of its complaint policy. The time taken to tell Mr A and Mr B this was excessive. The poor handling of their complaint was further evidence of maladministration on the part of Welsh Government and contrary to our Complaints Standards Authority Principles of Effective Complaint Handling”

Commenting on the report, Public Services Ombudsman for Wales, Michelle Morris, said:

The Ombudsman’s recommendations

The Ombudsman recommended that Welsh Government  should apologise to Mr A and Mr B and pay them £1,000 each for the failings she identified and the impact upon them.

In addition, the Ombudsman recommended that Welsh Government should:

  • ensure that it informs local authorities clearly of the requirement to continue to take steps to meet identified need in approved GTAAs whilst updated GTAAs are being assessed by Welsh Government
  • determine whether to approve the revised GTAAs submitted by local authorities
  • set out a plan for how it will review the GTAA process and monitoring arrangements.
    • remind staff who deal with complaints of the importance of responding in a timely manner. It should also ensure that all staff who deal with complaints receive training on its complaints policy and how it should be applied.
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Strategic Plan 2024-2028 published

Date of article: 03/04/2024

Daily News of: 05/04/2024

Country:  United Kingdom - Scotland

Author: Scottish Public Services Ombudsman

Article language: en

We laid our Strategic Plan 2024-2028 (PDF, 1.1MB) before the Scottish Parliament on Tuesday 2 April 2024.

The plan, driven by our key values, sets out our priorities and approach for the next four years. 

"The next four years will continue to be unsettled and demanding for all of Scottish public services, including the SPSO. While my powers and duties are set out in legislation, I and my team recognise that we not only have a critical role in the oversight of Scottish public services, but also that as a Parliamentary office holder, funded by the public purse, SPSO is part of that wider environment.

I and my team remain deeply committed to our values and ensuring that we contribute actively and positively to the wider rights-based approach to public service delivery.” 

Rosemary Agnew 
Scottish Public Services Ombudsman

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Sozialsprechstunde: Bürgerbeauftragte berät in Heide

Date of article: 03/04/2024

Daily News of: 05/04/2024

Country:  Germany - Schleswig-Holstein

Author: Regional Ombudsman of Schleswig-Holstein

Article language: de

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 Síndic de Greuges de Cataluña y la Sindicatura de Greuges de Barcelona piden una ubicación definitiva para la escuela Entença

Date of article: 03/04/2024

Daily News of: 05/04/2024

Country:  Spain - Catalonia

Author: Regional Ombudsman of Catalonia

Article language: es

A los ocho años de su creación, están pendientes de ubicación definitiva y no hay calendario de actuación, a pesar de las demandas y la movilización de la comunidad educativa.
 

Con el objetivo de que la escuela Entença pueda tener una ubicación definitiva, el Síndic de Greuges de Cataluña y la Sindicatura de Greuges de Barcelona instan al Ayuntamiento de Barcelona a concretar la cesión del solar situado junto al mercado del Ninot, en la confluencia de las calles de Provença y Casanova. El solar es propiedad del Hospital Clínic.

La escuela Entença se creó en el curso 2016/2017 y su emplazamiento definitivo debía ser el recinto de la Modelo. Sin embargo, en julio de 2017, el Ayuntamiento de Barcelona y el Consorcio de Educación de Barcelona informaron de que su emplazamiento definitivo podía ser otro: la Escuela Industrial. Sin embargo, este segundo emplazamiento se descartó por riesgos a la salud del alumnado (hay una subestación eléctrica). Posteriormente, se han barajado opciones como los jardines de Paula Montal, pero esta última opción no cumplía con los criterios para la construcción de nuevos edificios para centros docentes públicos, y también se descartó.

En octubre de 2018 el Ayuntamiento comunicó a la escuela que tenía un acuerdo verbal con la Generalitat para que su ubicación definitiva fuera el solar adyacente al mercado del Ninot, que pertenecía al Hospital Clínic. Sin embargo, hoy todavía no se ha concretado la cesión del solar.

En 2022, el Ayuntamiento comunicó que finalmente el instituto escuela que consta en el Plan Director de la Modelo se otorgaba a la escuela Xirinacs, ubicada provisionalmente en el recinto. Al mismo tiempo, comunicaba a la escuela Entença que su emplazamiento definitivo no estaría en la Modelo y que se comprometía a buscar otra opción.

El Síndic de Greuges de Cataluña y la Sindicatura de Greuges de Barcelona quieren destacar que la comunidad educativa de este centro ha sufrido un agravio significativo desde su creación, y que las condiciones de provisionalidad prolongadas en el tiempo pueden dañar el derecho a una educación de calidad y en condiciones de equidad.

Todos los niños tienen derecho a recibir una educación de calidad. Así lo prevé el artículo 2 de la Ley 12/2009, de 10 de julio, de educación, y esta previsión no solo atañe a la calidad del proyecto pedagógico del centro y a la enseñanza, sino también a las instalaciones en las que se lleva a cabo. Por tanto, sin más dilación y con la máxima prioridad, hay que ofrecer una ubicación adecuada y definitiva a la escuela Entença.

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