As part of the International Ombudsman Conference, an event for students from participating countries was held to discuss Rights and Active Citizenship: Youth as Protagonists. The event, organised in collaboration with the University of Cassino, brought together university students from Italy, Colombia, Serbia, Spain, the USA, Cameroon, Moldova, Malta, Nepal, Germany, France, Uzbekistan, Ukraine, and Türkiye.

Held at Piazza Labriola at the heart of Cassino, the event provided students with the opportunity to debate and discuss activism in the field of human rights protection and the importance of active citizenship.

The Parliamentary Ombudsman, Judge Emeritus Joseph Zammit McKeon, joined the students from the Faculty of Law and the Department of Public Policy at the University of Malta in attending this event. Maltese law student Andrew Drago was invited to address the gathering, focusing his speech on the importance of the right to be informed.

The Maltese students participating in the International Ombudsman Conference in Cassino are from the Faculty of Laws: Andre Drago, Caitlin Mifsud, and Martina Cortis, and from the Department of Public Policy: Rebecca Scerri, Lee Grech Coldman, and Samuel Vella.

The event was opened by the Difensore Civico della Regione Lazio and President of the National Coordination of Civic Defenders, Dr Marino Fardelli; the Mayor of Cassino, Enzo Salera; and the Rector of the University of Cassino, Marco Dell’Isola.