The NSW Ombudsman has tabled its latest annual report detailing on 18,685 actionable complaints finalised during the year, recommendations it has made for public sector improvement (of which 99% of those responded to have been accepted) and more than $600,000 in financial outcomes for members of the public in 2025–26.

Under the Memorandum of Understanding between the Federal Public Defenders’ Office of Brazil (DPU) and the Ministry of Public Defense (MDP) of the Republic of Paraguay, a technical mission comprising four Paraguayan women public defenders took place in Brasília, Brazil, from October 5 to 8, 2026. The initiative sought to strengthen institutional ties between the two Offices and to promote the exchange of experiences and best practices regarding access to justice, the protection of human networks, and the prevention and combating of violence against women.

The Office of the Ombudsman Punjab has secured the payment of outstanding dues amounting to Rs 216.10 million to 269 citizens across the province within just three months, demonstrating the impact of effective ombudsman intervention in resolving public grievances and ensuring accountability in public administration.

The 2025 Annual Report of the Commission Against Corruption of Macao was published in the Official Gazette of the Macao Special Administrative Region.

The Scottish Public Services Ombudsman (SPSO), Paul McFadden, has published the SPSO annual report for 2025-26 on 29th October 2026, reporting a further record rise in complaints about public services and highlighting increasing strain on the complaints system. The Ombudsman has reported an unprecedented 31% rise in complaints compared to the year before, with the number of people seeking SPSO’s help increasing to a historic high of 6,500. Nearly three quarters of complaints received relate to health, social care and local authority services. 

A new paper released this week by the NSW Ombudsman examines the impact of generative artificial intelligence (AI) on complaint handling, highlighting a fundamental tension between making complaint systems more accessible and the increasing demands placed on those systems. The In Focus paper, Responding to the rise in AI-assisted complaints – challenges for complaint handlers, highlights that complainants are increasingly using generative AI tools to prepare, submit and pursue complaints.

The Federal Public Defenders’ Office (DPU), in partnership with the Brazilian Cooperation Agency of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (ABC/MRE), the Public Defenders’ Office of Timor-Leste, and the Ministry of Justice of Timor-Leste, organized a study mission to Brazil with ten members of the Timorese delegation, including public defenders and court officers. The initiative, which took place over three weeks, aimed to promote the exchange of knowledge and experiences in the areas of access to justice and the protection of rights.

The European Network of Ombudsmen (ENO) is celebrating its 30th anniversary in 2026. To commemorate this milestone, the European Ombudsman Office, along with ENO members, created a special report looking back at how EU law has enabled ombudsmen across Europe to turn citizens’ rights into reality and make a tangible difference to people’s lives. The report also includes a code of good practice for how ombudsman institutions should use technology, including AI. Ombudswoman Anjinho handed over the report to European Parliament President Metsola as part of a 30th anniversary ENO ceremony.

 

The Office of the Ombudsman Punjab marked its 30th anniversary with a series of celebrations held at its Regional Offices across the province. The events took place in Rawalpindi, Sargodha, DG Khan, Faisalabad, Mianwali, Sialkot, Multan, Sheikhupura and Sahiwal. They were organized to promote inclusivity and bring all regional teams into the anniversary.

There is still room for improvement regarding the self-determination of persons with disabilities in Austria. This was observed by Ombudsperson Bernhard Achitz on Monday, 19 October 2026, in his speech during the country review of Austria’s implementation of the International Covenant on Civil und Political Rights in Geneva in Geneva.