Lors de leur assemblée annuelle qui se tenait le 16 juin dernier, les membres du Forum canadien des ombudsmans (FCO) ont élu Me Nadine Mailloux, ombudsman de la Ville de Montréal, au poste de présidente du Conseil d’administration. Ce mandat sera d’une durée de deux ans. Me Mailloux était vice-présidente du conseil depuis 2017.

The Ombudsmen of Portugal and Cape Verde, Maria Lúcia Amaral and José Carlos Delgado, signed a Cooperation Protocol to strengthen the conditions for sharing knowledge, good practices and exchanging experiences, as well as facilitating citizens’ access to their institutions.

IOI President Chris Field attended the virtual presentation of the 2020 Annual Report of the Human Rights Commission of Mexico City (Comisión de Derechos Humanos de la Ciudad de México, CDHCM) on 29 June 2021. He was joined by Dr. Raúl Lamberto, IOI Regional President for the Caribbean & Latin America, who gave a video address on the occasion.

Deputy Public Defender of Georgia Giorgi Burjanadze and representatives of the Public Defender's Office met with a delegation from the European Committee for the Prevention of Torture (CPT). The rights situation of prisoners in Georgia and the ways of solving problems were discussed at the meeting.

Ontario Ombudsman Paul Dubé today emphasized the importance of independent oversight of public services in times of crisis – and called attention to serious gaps in the areas of public health and policing. In his 2020-2021 Annual Report, the Ombudsman details how his office helped thousands of Ontarians navigate confusing and rapidly changing information about public services during the COVID-19 pandemic. From simple referrals to complex investigations, Ombudsman staff interventions bridged gaps in systems under stress.

L'Ombudsman de l'Ontario Paul Dubé a souligné aujourd'hui l'importance d'une surveillance indépendante sur les services publics en temps de crise – et il a attiré l'attention sur de graves lacunes dans les secteurs de la santé publique et du maintien de l'ordre. Dans son Rapport annuel 2020-2021, l’Ombudsman explique en détail comment son Bureau a aidé des milliers d'Ontarien(ne)s à s’orienter au milieu des renseignements confus et évoluant rapidement sur les services publics pendant la pandémie de COVID-19. Qu’il s'agisse de simples renvois ou d’enquêtes complexes, les interventions du personnel de l’Ombudsman ont permis de combler des lacunes de systèmes sous pression.

Professor Linda C. Reif, Associate Dean at the Faculty of Law at the University of Alberta, has recently published the revised second edition of her book "Ombuds Institutions, Good Governance and the International Human Rights System".

The Ombudsman, Ms Winnie Chiu, announced the launch of two direct investigations. The investigations will examine the requirements of the Transport Department (TD) for the physical fitness certification of driving licence applicants/holders and the Government’s enforcement against unauthorised building works (UBWs) in New Territories Exempted Houses (NTEHs).