The 2nd International Ombud Expo (IOE) 2024 concluded on a high note, reaffirming the crucial role of Ombud institutions in strengthening governance, upholding human rights, and ensuring good public administration. Hosted in Gaborone, Botswana, from July 29 to August 2, 2024, the event brought together 541 delegates, including Ombud offices, human rights bodies, grievance handlers, and integrity organisations from over 100 countries. The participation of the AOMA Secretariat AORC and of some institutions, which could not afford exhibition stalls and have their accommodation subsidised, received financial support of the IOI including through its regional subsidy programme.

The Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission (ACRC, Chairperson Ryu Chul Whan) finalized the 2025 Basic Plan for the Comprehensive Integrity Assessment of Public Institutions on the 24th of February 2025. A comprehensive integrity evaluation will be conducted for all local councils this year to focus efforts on improving entrenched corruption-prone areas in local settings. The final plan for the comprehensive integrity assessment will be confirmed after gathering opinions from various institutions with the results to be announced in December 2025.

The Chief Ombudsman Peter Boshier has released his final report entitled "The way I see it" to Parliament on 27 March 2025. Kindly click here to read his report. Mr Boshier leaves office today, 28 March 2025.

El Defensor del Pueblo, Ángel Gabilondo, ha registrado este martes en las Cortes Generales el Informe anual de la actividad de la institución en 2024, y ha hecho entrega del mismo a la presidenta del Congreso de los Diputados, Francina Armengol.

Tomás Quintana, el Procurador del Común de Castilla y León, ha entregado al Presidente de las Cortes el Informe que será defendido en el Pleno en las próximas semanas.

As part of the Office of the Ombudsman’s 30th Anniversary commemorations, the office will be organising a Thematic Lecture focusing on the mandate of the Ombudsman. This event will highlight the crucial principles of transparency, fairness, and accountability within public administration. It will be held on 12th June 2025 in the Plenary Hall of the House of Representatives in Malta, under the theme “Transparency, Fairness, Accountability: Cornerstones of Good Administration - The Mandate of the Ombudsman.” The Office of the Ombudsman is honoured to welcome Adv. Kholeka Gcaleka, the Public Protector of South Africa, as keynote speaker.

Les 140 996 réclamations et demandes d’informations et orientations reçues par l’institution et les travaux réalisés au cours de l’année 2024 traduisent, une nouvelle fois, une augmentation des atteintes aux droits en France. Alors que les discriminations augmentent, l’ampleur du taux de non-recours témoigne d’un renoncement face à la promesse républicaine d’égalité. C’est pourquoi la Défenseure des droits appelle à un sursaut collectif pour prévenir et lutter contre les discriminations.

Le vendredi 21 mars, Marc BERTRAND, Médiateur de la Wallonie et de la Fédération Wallonie-Bruxelles, a présidé sa dernière assemblée générale du Réseau belge des ombudsmans, Ombudsman.be.

En effet, arrivé au terme de son second mandat et donc après 12 années à la tête de l'institution du Médiateur, Marc BERTRAND cèdera son poste dans les semaines à venir.