In 2018, the Office of the Ombudsman for the Basque Country has  published a Special Report on “The Energy Transition in the Basque Country: Towards a Sustainable Model”. The Executive Summary of this Report has now been translated into English. The report shows that Ombudsman institutions can become involved and take the initiative in a highly complex and technical issue such as climate change which is becoming acuter every day and one of the top concerns of the citizens Ombudsman institutions serve. It can also be a tool to enhance the public’s participation in holding environmental authorities accountable.

En el 2017 el Departamento de Investigaciones de la Procuración Penitenciaria de la Nación Argentina (PPN) diseñó el Proyecto de seguimiento y actualización de la investigación realizada en el año 2007 sobre Malos Tratos y Torturas en cárceles federales que se denominó: “A 10 años de Cuerpos Castigados”.

 

Following visits to the country's Educational Centers (EC), the Ombudsman of Portugal, acting as head of the National Prevention Mechanism (NPM), made a recommendation in February 2019 to the Directorate General for Reinsertion and Prison Services (DGRSP) to overcome several identified shortcomings. The recommendation of the Ombudsman, Maria Lúcia Amaral, urged the DGRSP to install, in articulation with the health authorities, still this year, a therapeutic unit for the treatment of acute cases diagnosed in the mental health panorama.

A three judge bench of the Court of Appeal of Kenya has ruled that the determinations and recommendations of the Commission on Administrative Justice, also known as Office of the Ombudsman, have the force of law hence are binding on public institutions. The landmark decision was made on 26th September 2019.

Yesterday, 10 October 2019, was the World Ombudsman´s Day. On this occasion, IOI Regional President of Europe, Rafael Ribó, shared some thoughts and highlighted an initiative by the Council of Europe.

The Secretariat of the International Conference of Information Commissioners (ICIC) has accepted the request submitted by the Catalan Ombudsman to join this organization. Membership at the ICIC represents an opportunity to connect with other authorities around the world to identify trends, good practices and strategic priorities.

The Ombudsman of Portugal, acting as head of the National Mechanism for the Prevention (MNP) of Torture and Mistreatment, addressed a recommendation to the Portuguese Immigrants and Borders Service (SEF) to avoid situations of excessive isolation of persons detained in temporary installation facilities in airports, while awaiting the decision to enter the country.

The Northern Ireland Public Services Ombudsman (NIPSO) has just released its Bulletin for October 2019 to inform about a number of recently published investigation reports in the health, local government and central government sectors.