The huge success of the training sessions showed that there is a strong demand among member institutions for training activities. The IOI has become highly aware of the necessity of training programmes for its members and is planning to offer additional training courses focusing on areas that are of specific concern to ombudsman institutions and taking into account regional topics of specific interest.

Since November 2010 the IOI General Secretariat hosted various training initiatives in Vienna and was able to forge close ties with renowned partner institutions offering training such as the Vienna-based International Anti-Corruption Academy (IACA), the Queen Margaret University (UK/Scotland), the Association for the Prevention of Torture (APT), the Ombudsman of Ontario (Canada) and the Ombudsman of New South Wales (Australia).

The very positive feedback from our members encourages the IOI to further embark on such projects and provide its membership with additional trainings at the IOI headquarter in Vienna as well as in the IOI regions in the future.

With the view to strengthen our members’ capability and to foster the exchange of expertise among Ombudsman worldwide, the IOI always strives to identify the specific training needs of its members and to broaden the range of topics offered to its members in tailor-made training seminars.

The IOI aims at implementing research projects that will become the basis for an intensified exchange of best practices among member institutions that will for the first time have comprehensive data available on other members of the ombudsman community.

Against the background of this intensified scientific cooperation the IOI General Secretariat is pleased to offer all IOI Members the opportunity of free of charge electronic access to the comparative studies on Ombudsman institutions in Asia, Australasia and the Pacific as well as Europe.

For further information please log into the "Member Area" of this website or contact the IOI General Secretariat.

The IOI offers funding for Ombudsman-related projects in the regions on a regular basis. The high number of applications within the IOI’s regional subsidies programme shows the increasing need for direct financial aid.

Many promising projects received funding so far. These include – among others – an awareness-raising programme for women’s and childrens' rights, training on transparency and good governance, the development of a starter kit for Ombudsman institutions, guidance on how to implement a human rights based approach to the complaint handling work, an information campaign against human trafficking, guidance on how to measure the impact of Ombudsman investigations.

Furthermore, the IOI has established a Crisis Fund for financial aid in times of a crisis.

For more details on the current round of the IOI's regional subsidies programme, please contact the IOI General Secretariat.

Threats to Ombudsman institutions come in a variety of forms but have a common denominator: they come as a direct response to the complaint handling work of Ombudsmen and their efforts to protect human rights and fight corruption.

The IOI acknowledges the general need to support member institutions under threat as one of its core tasks, especially when democracy is weakened, undermined or comes under threat. The IOI sees the need to support democratic oversight bodies such as the Ombudsman in order to protect the citizens concerned.

The IOI therefore developed a set of guidelines to establish principles and courses of action to coordinate IOI support for Ombudsmen coming under threat, facing reprisals or operating under difficult circumstances.

When supporting a member in need, the IOI will respect its values and principles and apply a “do-no-harm” principle. Coordination and communication of any actions and at all stages of the process is of utmost importance; especially with the Ombudsman institution in question.

The guidelines provide an overview of the options for support available and clarify the procedures to be followed should such case present itself.

The International Ombudsman Institute (IOI) is committed to promoting and developing the concept of the Ombudsman and it does so in a variety of ways: it encourages the creation and development of Ombudsman institutions where they do not already exist, it funds research, provides training and promotes information exchange and shared learning.

In its ongoing dialogue with key international organizations and stakeholders, the IOI also engages in Ombudsman-related topics and issues statements on behalf of its entire membership.

As the only global organisation representing Ombudsman institutions, IOI considers policy areas that are of specific importance to its members and therefore contributes to improving public services around the world.