The Ombudsman, Mr Jack Chan, on 24 October announced the completion of a direct investigation operation regarding the enforcement by the Planning Department (“PlanD”) and the Lands Department (“LandsD”) against unauthorised land developments, and made 16 major recommendations for improvement to the two departments.

The Northern Ireland Public Services Ombudsman has released its Ombudsman Report for 2023-24. Kindly click here to access the report.

Le Médiateur du Royaume du Maroc, Monsieur Mohamed BENALILOU, a été élu jeudi 17 octobre 2024, à Québec, au Canada, premier vice-président de l'Association des médiateurs et ombudsmans de la Francophonie, représentant le groupe africain, aux côtés du Médiateur de la Wallonie et de la Fédération Wallonie-Bruxelles, de l'Ombudsman de la province du Nouveau-Brunswick au Canada, du Défenseur des droits français et du Médiateur de la République du Bénin, et a ce titre, il a également été élu président du "Comité d'engagement" de ladite association.

On 22 October 2024, the Chief Ombudsman Peter Boshier published his 2023/2024 Annual Report which shows more and more people are turning to the Ombudsman for help. “In 2023/24 I completed the highest number of complaints and protected disclosures ever,” Mr Boshier says.

The Chief Ombudsman announces that the Ombudsman Appointments Committee (OAC) had, in accordance with the requirements under Section 217(1) and (2) of the Constitution and Sections 4(3) and 11(a) of the Organic Law on the Ombudsman Commission, appointed Tabitha Suwae as an Ombudsman and Kevin Kepore as Acting Ombudsman. Mr. Kepore’s term as Accounting Ombudsman expired on 9 October 2024. The position of Ombudsman Accounting will be advertised publicly as is the current practice to give an opportunity for potential candidates to apply, including the Ombudsman.

Con el fin de garantizar el ejercicio de los derechos de todas las personas que habitan y transitan en la Ciudad de México, así como a recibir información en su lengua materna, la Ombudsperson capitalina, Nashieli Ramírez Hernández; y la Secretaria de Pueblos y Barrios Originarios y Comunidades Indígenas Residentes en la Ciudad de México, Nelly Antonia Juárez Audelo; presentaron una serie de materiales digitales, impresos y en formato audiovisual, sobre derechos humanos en lenguas indígenas.

The European Ombudsman has criticised the Commission for not being transparent about the human rights information it relied on before signing an agreement with Tunisia that includes EU funds for border management. She also called on the Commission to set out explicit criteria for suspending EU funding.

On 21 October 2024, the Human Rights Ombudsman Peter Svetina and Dr. Simona Drenik Bavdek, assistant head of the Center for Human Rights, met with representatives of the European Commission against Racism and Intolerance (ECRI), who were visiting Slovenia that week to prepare the sixth report on the state of human rights in the country.