The Parliamentary Ombudsman, Judge Joseph Zammit McKeon, presented the Ombudsplan 2026 to the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Anglu Farrugia. The document will be tabled in Parliament on the 15^th September and later discussed during a special sitting of the House Business Committee.

The Ombudsplan is the annual policy and financial framework of the Office of the Ombudsman. It sets out the Office’s objectives for the coming year, highlights systemic challenges within the public administration, and includes the request for funding required to support the institution’s work.

Ombudsplan 2026 notes that complaints lodged with the Office increased by 4% and assistance given to the public also rose by 4%, clear results of stronger outreach efforts and growing trust in the institution.

It stresses the duty of public bodies to act fairly, transparently, and with accountability, and underlines the importance of compliance with Article 22(1) of the Ombudsman Act. The document reiterates the need for reforms that ensure recommendations are properly considered, including the establishment of a Parliamentary Select Committee on Public Administration to give structured follow-up to the Ombudsman’s reports.

The Ombudsman also renews his call for the transposition of the right to good administration, as recognised in Article 41 of the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights, into Maltese law. The plan highlights the need to incorporate Protocol No. 12 of the European Convention on Human Rights into national legislation to strengthen protection against discrimination and proposes reforms to suspend prescription periods while complaints are under investigation. It further advocates for the recognition of the Office of the Ombudsman as Malta’s National Human Rights Institution, in line with international standards.

Judge Zammit McKeon emphasised that the Ombudsplan is not simply a request for financial resources but a roadmap to improve governance in Malta. He noted that the Ombudsman serves as a bridge between persons and the state, and that Ombudsplan 2026 outlines how this constitutional Office intends to uphold fairness, improve standards of public administration, and strengthen the protection of people’s rights.

The Ombudsplan also reaffirms the international role of the Office of the Ombudsman, which actively contributes to the work of the Association of Mediterranean Ombudsmen, the European Ombudsman Network, and the International Ombudsman Institute.

The Office expressed confidence that the proposals contained in Ombudsplan 2026 will be given the serious consideration they merit, consolidating the Ombudsman’s constitutional mandate and ensuring the resources required to fulfil it in the year ahead.

People with disabilities in the Czech Republic still face major barriers to living independently, with dignity, and on equal terms with others. New research by the Deputy Defender finds that the State fulfils only 38% of its obligations under the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.

This research is the first of its kind to examine how the rights of persons with disabilities are implemented in practice, using human-rights indicators. These indicators provide an understanding of the real-life situation of people with disabilities – not just what the law provides, but what the State actually does and the practical impact of its actions. 

What Is a Human Rights Indicator?

A human rights indicator is a specific piece of data or information that shows how human rights are respected in practice. For example, it can reveal whether effective laws protect people with disabilities from violence, how many public offices are accessible and how many people with disabilities live outside institutions such as psychiatric hospitals. Indicators make it possible to track successes over time as well as identify areas where the protection of individual and group rights needs to be strengthened.

In his latest research, the Deputy Defender focused on four areas: non-discrimination, equal recognition before the law, independent living, and work and employment. The findings show the strongest performance in non-discrimination (49%) and the weakest in equal recognition before the law (28%), which includes restrictions on legal capacity. Overall, with only 38% of obligations met, people with disabilities in the Czech Republic still lack the same opportunities as others. 

“Like in some other countries, there is a perception in the Czech Republic that social benefits, special schools, and institutions provide people with disabilities with sufficient support, and that they are not disadvantaged. Our findings, however, show that this view overlooks the real challenges. The Convention we have committed to implementing rejects systems that separate people with disabilities from the community, limits their potential, and makes decisions for them. Many of them want to live differently – independently and with equal opportunities,” says Deputy Defender Vít Alexander Schorm.

Where the State Falls Short of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities?

For example, the State:

• does not protect people with disabilities from all forms of discrimination they experience in daily life;
• does not ensure a gradual reduction in the number of people with restricted legal capacity, whose decisions are made by guardians;
• does not actively support more people with disabilities to leave large institutions and live in the community with appropriate services;
• does not sufficiently encourage mainstream employers to offer job opportunities to people with disabilities, resulting in a disproportionately high number working only in sheltered employment;
• does not systematically collect information on the personal experiences of people with disabilities regarding discrimination, nor gather the data needed to assess the impact of laws and other measures on their lives and those of their families.

“The research shows that without a clear plan, adequate support services, and trust in the abilities of people with disabilities, progress will remain limited. In our report, we offer recommendations that can contribute to real change – so that people with disabilities can live more independently, with dignity, and according to their own choices,” says Romana Jakešová, Head of the Department for Protection of Rights of Persons with Disabilities at the Office of the Public Defender of Rights and Defender of Children’s Rights. She notes that the Defender’s advisory body, composed of people with disabilities and advocacy organisations, was also involved in the research activities.

In the report, the Deputy Defender recommends, among other things:

• developing a more effective government strategy on the rights of persons with disabilities for 2026–2030;
• supporting independent decision-making for people with disabilities instead of restricting their legal capacity;
• ensuring accessible social services in the communities where people want to live;
• promoting the employment of people with disabilities in the open labour market;
• collecting reliable data and periodically reviewing the impact of laws and policies.

The Deputy Defender’s findings are intended to open a dialogue, especially with the State institutions responsible for upholding the rights of people with disabilities. The report will also inform the Deputy Defender’s discussions with the UN Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities in Geneva. Disability advocacy organisations and the academic community can likewise use the research as a resource.

• Full research report
• Summary factsheet

On September 4, 2025, the Public Defender of Georgia, Levan Ioseliani, arrived in Marneuli and met with employees of the Marneuli Social Services Center “Child, Family, Society” and beneficiaries’ family members at the Public Defender’s Kvemo Kartli Office.

The meeting discussed the problems at the day care center, including the challenges related to providing services in villages located far from the regional center, and the scarcity of financial resources, which, as a result, prevents the attraction of qualified personnel. Representatives of the beneficiaries expressed their desire to increase the working hours of the day care center.

During the conversation, special attention was paid to the existing stereotypical attitude and stigma towards persons with disabilities, the need to support them and raise awareness among the public, including family members and relatives of persons with disabilities.

The Public Defender of Georgia constantly monitors services for persons with disabilities, identifies problems and prepares recommendations for the relevant state agencies to solve the problems.

Am Rande seines Sprechtags am 2.9.2025 in Eisenach traf der Thüringer Bürgerbeauftragte, Dr. Kurt Herzberg, den Oberbürgermeister der Stadt Eisenach, Christoph Ihling, zum Gespräch und Austausch. Dabei wurden aktuelle kommunale Problemlagen thematisiert wie auch konkrete Fragen und Probleme von Bürgerinnen und Bürgern, wie sie sich aus der Arbeit des Bürgerbeauftragten ergeben, besprochen.  

Ihling beklagte z.B. die aktuell drohende Überlastung der Kommunen insbesondere im Sozialbereich. Oberbürgermeister und Bürgerbeauftragter waren sich einig darin, dass sowohl in der Kommunalpolitik als auch im konkreten Verwaltungshandeln der Dialog mit den Bürgerinnen und Bürgern eine entscheidende Rolle spielt. Herzberg wörtlich: "Nur wenn sich die Menschen verstanden wissen und das Verwaltungshandeln verstehen und nachvollziehen können, können sie unseren demokratischen Rechtsstaat auch akzeptieren. Dies gilt insbesondere dann, wenn in den Kommunen für die betroffenen Bürgerinnen und Bürger auch schwierige Entscheidungen getroffen werden müssen." 

Fit for Cooperation (Fit4Co) supporta le amministrazioni pubbliche di due Euroregioni nella realizzazione di progetti di cooperazione, abbattendo gli ostacoli transfrontalieri e rafforzando la collaborazione a lungo termine. L'Euregio Tirolo-Alto Adige-Trentino ha avviato il progetto insieme all'Euregio Senza Confini (Carinzia-Friuli-Venezia Giulia-Veneto) – finanziato da Fondo europeo di sviluppo regionale e Interreg VI-A Italia - Austria 2021-2027, attualmente già alla sua seconda edizione come Fit4Co CBO. Ora il progetto modello viene presentato anche sulla scena europea: alla Settimana europea delle regioni e delle città (#EURegionsWeek) a Bruxelles.

La 23esima edizione del più grande evento dedicato alla politica regionale in Europa si terrà a Bruxelles dal 13 al 15 ottobre 2025 con il motto “Shaping Tomorrow, Together”. Sono previsti oltre 200 eventi con circa 10.000 partecipanti provenienti dal mondo della politica, dell'amministrazione e della scienza. Anche i cittadini interessati possono partecipare gratuitamente: è possibile registrarsi fino alla fine di settembre sul sito web della #EURegionsWeek.

Dal basso verso l'alto - e insieme

Con l'approccio bottom-up di Fit4Co, gli attori locali – Comuni, amministrazioni, parti sociali e management regionali – vengono coinvolti affinché le cooperazioni possano crescere “dal basso verso l'alto”. Le organizzazioni che desiderano avviare progetti transfrontalieri vengono accompagnate e supportate da project coach. In questo modo si intende rafforzare la crescita, la competitività e la resilienza e approfondire la cooperazione europea.

Da ottobre 2024 a giugno 2025, nell'ambito di Fit for Cooperation, un totale di 17 tandem di progetto hanno sviluppato le loro idee e avviato progetti concreti. Sei di questi sono già in fase di realizzazione, come ad esempio la valorizzazione delle zone di confine Sillian-San Candido e a Passo Stalle (tra l’Alto Adige e il Tirolo Orientale), una brochure Euregio per i Consigli comunali o l'estensione a tutto l'Euregio del concorso di disegno Crazy Bike per gli alunni delle scuole elementari.

La Settimana europea delle regioni e delle città è organizzata dalla Commissione europea e dal Comitato europeo delle Regioni e si tiene ogni ottobre a Bruxelles. Il workshop Euregio su Fit4Co si terrà in inglese il 15 ottobre. Inoltre, a Bruxelles verrà presentato come best practice il lavoro del tandem di progetto “Una salute a misura di cittadino”, composto dall'Associazione dei pazienti del Tirolo (Patientenvertretung Tirol) e delle Difese civiche dell'Alto Adige e del Trentino.