On 1 August 2022, Ms. Gaby Schwarz took office as the new Secretary General of the International Ombudsman Institute (IOI). Ms. Schwarz was sworn in as a member of the Austrian Ombudsman Board on 11 July 2022 and takes over the office of IOI Secretary General from her predecessor Werner Amon, who resigned as Austrian Ombudsman at the end of June 2022.

The Board of the International Ombudsman Institute (IOI) has revoked the membership of the High Commissioner for Human Rights in the Russian Federation (Commissioner).

Mr Iain Anderson was recently appointed as the 11th Commonwealth and Australian Capital Territory (ACT) Ombudsman. Mr Anderson’s appointment is for a period of 5 years and commenced on 1 August 2022.

Adv. Tlotliso Angelina Polaki is the newly appointed Ombudsman of Lesotho, effective 6 June 2022. Adv. Tlotliso Polaki graduated from the National University of Lesotho and was appointed and served as a magistrate, at the Maseru Magistrate Court for a number of years. In June 2022, Adv. Tlotliso Polaki was appointed as the Ombudsman of the Kingdom of Lesotho.

Le Protecteur du citoyen a reçu un signalement concernant la qualité des services offerts par une ressource intermédiaire. Située en Montérégie, cette ressource accueille des personnes majeures lourdement handicapées. Le Protecteur du citoyen a décidé d’intervenir.

Issue 14 of the “African Ombudsman Today”, the newsletter of the African Ombudsman and Mediators Association (AOMA), is now available. The newsletter covers the period until March 2022 and puts a special focus on Africa Day, the celebration of the Ombudsman month and countries' feedback on the fight against COVID-19.

The Síndic de Greuges de Catalunya (Catalan Ombudsman) has a new incumbent, Ms. Esther Giménez-Salinas i Colomer. Ms. Giménez-Salinas was elected by the Catalan Parliament on 30 June and took office on 14 July 2022.

The Ombudsman, Ms Winnie Chiu, announced the launch of a direct investigation to examine the effectiveness of 1823, managed by the Efficiency Office (EO), in handling complaints and enquiries.