On 17 December 2024, the UN General Assembly adopted the Resolution on The role of Ombudsman and mediator institutions in the promotion and protection of human rights, good governance and the rule of law. This resolution is submitted biennially and the newly adopted version acknowledges the important contribution Ombudsman institutions make to ensure the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), especially Goal 16 on building effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels. 

This year, the Office of the Ombudsman of Malta will mark its 30th Anniversary since the enactment of the Ombudsman Act 1995. Kindly click here to read an article by Judge Emeritus Joseph Zammit McKeon, Parliamentary Ombudsman of Malta, announcing three events which will be organised this year to celebrate this anniversary.

A new report from Toronto’s Ombudsman Kwame Addo finds that the City of Toronto’s decision to stop allowing refugee claimants access to its base shelter beds was unfair, poorly planned, and inconsistent with its commitments to transparency, accountability, and the human right to adequate housing.