Zoran Pašalić, lawyer from Belgrade, was elected as new Protector of Citizens (Ombudsman) of the Republic of Serbia. Mr. Pašalić was born in 1958. In his long career he worked on legal issues in number of  companies, and as of 2003 started career as a judge. Prior to the election as the new Ombudsman, Mr. Pašalić was President of Appellate Misdemeanor Court. 

Mental Health Reform has today launched a new report entitled, The Advocacy Needs of Mental Health Service Users Living in the Community: A Pilot Study. The report examines the need for independent, one-to-one advocacy supports for people who use mental health services and who need help to make decisions or access their rights and entitlements.

Francisco Fernández Marugán es desde hoy, 20 de julio de 2017, Defensor del Pueblo en funciones y sucede en el cargo a Soledad Becerril cuyo mandato expiró ayer.

Marianne Ryan was officially appointed as Alberta’s ninth Ombudsman and second Public Interest Commissioner on 4 July 2017. Prior to becoming the Ombudsman and Public Interest Commissioner, Ms Ryan led a successful career that spanned 35 years with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police.

Rob Behrens, the chair of the European Network of Ombudsmen in Higher Education published a new study entitled "Being an Ombudsman in Higher Education". He therein reviews the lived experience of ombudsmen in 18 countries. Having had unique access to ENOHE archives and drawing on a network-wide survey, he has produced the comprehensive account of European practitioners.

The Ombudswoman of the Republic of Croatia expressed concern regarding parts of the Draft Act on Ombudsman for Children. In her opinion, she underlined the importance of strengthening the capacity and indepdence of this office, in order to ensure compliance with the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child.

In view of the increasing use of immigration detention as a deterrent of migration and the toughening of doemstic and regional migration policies resulting in human rights violations, the APT considers the Global Compact on Migration to be a timely opportunity to raise concerns over these issues. APT proposes a position paper that contains seven key advocacy messages that are indispensable to the Compact from a torture prevention perspective.

The Ombudsman's Office of the Republic of Latvia has been nominated for the Latvia's 2017 Trafficking in Persons Report Hero. This nomination reflects the work of the Ombudsman's Office in the field of preventing human trafficking.