24.01.2024

Nach zwölf Jahren im Amt nähert sich die Tätigkeit des Bürgerbeauftragten Matthias Crone dem Ende. Zur Wahl seines Nachfolgers sagte er heute in Schwerin:

„Dr. Christian Frenzel gratuliere ich herzlich zu seiner Wahl. Seine umfangreichen Erfahrungen aus der Landesregierung, aus seiner richterlichen und seiner ehrenamtlichen Tätigkeit sind eine sehr gute Grundlage für das Amt des Bürgerbeauftragten. Ich freue mich über das große Vertrauen, das ihm der Landtag gegeben hat. Das wird seine unabhängige Arbeit stärken. Wem Vertrauen geschenkt wird, der kann auch durch gute Arbeit Vertrauen schaffen.

In einer Zeit mit vielen Sorgen und Fragen ist ein unabhängiges Amt wichtig, wo unvoreingenommen Kritik aufgenommen oder Hilfe geleistet wird. Hier hat der Bürgerbeauftragte eine besondere Verantwortung. Ich habe überhaupt keinen Zweifel, dass Dr. Christian Frenzel dieser gerecht werden wird. Er wird unterstützt von einem erfahrenen und motivierten Team, das ihm genauso hilfreich zur Seite stehen wird, wie es bei mir der Fall war.
Ich wünsche Herrn Dr. Frenzel alles Gute auf den neuen Wegen und – ich darf das ergänzen - Gottes Segen“.

El Departamento, que ha aceptado la recomendación del Ararteko, adoptará también las medidas necesarias que permitan la tramitación administrativa y la coordinación con otras entidades públicas a través de medios electrónicos

El Ararteko admitió a trámite una queja en la que un ciudadano mostraba su disconformidad con el rechazo de la Diputación Foral de Gipuzkoa a dos solicitudes presentadas a través del registro electrónico general.

El reclamante remitió, en representación de su padre, solicitudes de valoración de la discapacidad y la dependencia incluyendo los formularios y los documentos preceptivos para cumplir los requisitos de tramitación señalados en la página web informativa de la diputación.

Ambas solicitudes fueron rechazadas porque, según la Administración, en un caso no se utilizó el cauce adecuado, y en el otro, se desconocía el órgano destinatario o, en su defecto, se trataba de administraciones no integradas en el sistema de interconexión de registros.

El Ararteko recomendó a la Administración foral que admitiera las solicitudes presentadas por la persona reclamante a través del registro electrónico general, sin aplicar causas de rechazo no ajustadas a Derecho.
Además, pidió que habilitara los medios tecnológicos para tramitar los procedimientos administrativos electrónicos con los mismos efectos jurídicos que comporta el inicio a través de medios presenciales y que, de acuerdo con el principio de interoperabilidad, se desarrollaran las medidas tecnológicas y jurídicas que permitieran la transmisión de expedientes a otras administraciones públicas competentes.

La Diputación de Gipuzkoa ha informado al Ararteko que acepta la recomendación y que admitirá las solicitudes a través del registro electrónico de acuerdo con la normativa vigente. También explica que ha solicitado a sus servicios informáticos el desarrollo de un programa para poner en práctica esta posibilidad. Por último, comunica que “en su agenda prevé la personalización de la atención y, en consecuencia, su posible comunicación digital entre otros retos telemáticos y de interoperabilidad”.

Vitoria-Gasteiz, 29 de enero de 2024

On January 29, 2024, Public Defender Levan Ioseliani presented a new Deputy Public Defender of Georgia.

Irine Chikhladze will coordinate and supervise the activities of the Department of Children's Rights, Gender Department, Department of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, Equality Department and Regional Division of the Public Defender's Office.

Irine Chikhladze came to the Public Defender’s Office from the United Water Supply Company of Georgia, where in 2020-2024 she worked first as an advisor to the director of the company, and then as the head of the project management department funded by donor organizations. In addition, she is a visiting professor of competition law and European law at the Georgian National University (SEU).

While living in Germany, Irine Chikhladze worked in Munich (Germany) at the Department of Combating Terrorism and Money Laundering, Bavarian Insurance Chamber. She was a member of the Board of the Association of Georgians in Germany, a young ambassador of Georgia to the Federal Republic of Germany sent by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Georgia.

Irine Chikhladze is still a doctoral student at the Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich (LMU), Faculty of Law, and has received Master's degree in law at the same university. She also has Bachelor's and Master's degrees of Javakhishvili Tbilisi State University (TSU), Faculty of Law. As part of her Master's degree, she has studied for one term at the Saarland University in Germany.

In different years, she worked in the German Federal Antimonopoly Service (in Bonn) and the Office of the German Parliamentary Bureau (in Berlin); She also worked in the Georgian Competition Agency, the Bureau of the Parliament of Georgia, the Ministry of Justice and the Supreme Court of Georgia.

She is the author and manager of TechGirls Georgia, a project in the direction of digital technologies and innovations.

She has published works and publications in the direction of politics, public and criminal law.

She is fluent in German and English.

“The joint Muslim-Jewish observance of International Holocaust Remembrance Day is a beacon of hope at a time when divisions often seem insurmountable. This commitment to fostering partnerships and meaningful dialogue is a powerful testament to the strength that lies in unity”, said the Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights, Dunja Mijatović, in support of the joint Muslim-Jewish commemorative event, which is taking take place at the Srebrenica Memorial Center in Potočari, Bosnia and Herzegovina, on 27 January 2024.

“We are witnessing a disturbing rise in acts of violence, hate speech, discrimination and incitement to hatred based on religion or belief. Mosques, synagogues and other religious places, as well as private homes, have been targeted and vandalised.

Across Europe, the rise in anti-Muslim and antisemitic incidents is a reminder of a dark past and a stark warning of the challenges ahead.

These acts run counter to the basic principles of pluralism, respect and openness to which we are all bound, and which have been upheld by the European Court of Human Rights. We must remember our duty to act decisively against hate speech, incitement to religious violence and discrimination. It is our collective responsibility to create conditions conducive to remembering and commemorating the victims of past genocides and fighting all manifestations of antisemitism, anti-Muslim hatred and forms of ethnic or religious intolerance.

The commemoration in Potočari is a light in the darkness that I hope will inspire others to join and further these important efforts.”

The 10th Anniversary of the constitution of the High Commissioner for the Protection of Rights, Liberties, and for Mediation of Monaco was commemorated in a ceremony attended by prominent personalities in the field of human rights, rule of law and governance. The Office was established by the Sovereign Ordinance of 30 October 2013. It is a recognised fact that the office of the High Commissioner has played a remarkable role in the Principality of Monaco in protecting the fundamental rights of persons and actively acting as a mediator.

The event was not only held under the patronage but was also attended by H.S.H. Prince Albert II of Monaco. The distinguished guests who were invited to attend and were present for the occasion included the Parliamentary Ombudsman of Malta, Judge Emeritus Joseph Zammit McKeon.

In her introductory address, Ms Marina Ceyssac, [link to speech] the current High Commissioner of Monaco, highlighted her institution’s role as a protector of rights and liberties, emphasising her office’s drive to support persons seeking to assert their rights in everyday life outside the formal legal process.

The event was also addressed by Mr Peter Svetina, [link to speech] Ombudsman of Slovenia and Vice President of the Association of Mediterranean Ombudsmen. He dwelt on various issues that should be on the agenda of every Ombudsman institution, foremost amongst which the protection of human rights of every person, on the one hand, and the other, placing central in the initiatives of the office of the Ombudsman the right to good administration in domestic law following on the model already in force within the framework of Article 41 of the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union.

Mr Patrice Davost, [link to speech] representing Monaco as a member of the European Commission, highlighted the importance of combating racism and intolerance and how the Principality’s efforts align with broader European initiatives. Mr. Davost detailed the ECRI’s work, goals, and impact while recognising Monaco’s significant contributions to these efforts.

Next to address those present was Ms Stéphanie Mourou-Vikström, [link to speech] Monegasque Judge of the European Court of Human Rights. Her presentation was particularly important in the sense that she expressly advocated the role of the Office of the Ombudsman not just as an investigator of malpractice by the public administration but more so as a promoter and a defender of fundamental human rights prior to resorting to litigation.

H.S.H. Prince Albert II of Monaco concluded the event by thanking all those present for attending, especially the representatives from Ombudsman institutions outside Monaco, including Malta. He had words of praise for the former High Commissioner Ambassador Claire Eastwood, who incidentally will be taking up office as Ambassador of the Principality of Monaco to Malta, and also for the current High Commissioner Ms Marina Ceyssac and her dedicated team for their sterling work in their daily efforts in promoting and defending human rights.