Veterans Ombudsman Guy Parent released today an assessment of Veterans Affairs Canada’s implementation of the eight recommendations put forth in his 2011 report on “Veterans’ Right to Know Reasons for Decisions: A Matter of Procedural Fairness” and in his 2012 report on “Veterans’ Right to Disclosure: A Matter of Procedural Fairness”. The two reports identified areas of improvement needed to ensure transparency and fairness in Veterans Affairs Canada’s disability application and adjudication process.

Jorge Armando Otálora Gómez, Defensor del Pueblo de Colombia, fue elegido como presidente de la Federación Iberoamericana del Ombudsman (FIO). La decisión de los Defensores de América Latina, el Caribe, España y Portugal se dio en el marco de la Vigésima Asamblea Anual de la FIO, realizada en Montevideo, Uruguay, que durante tres días fue escenario de importantes reuniones y acuerdos de cooperación.

An investigation by the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman has found that a small, tight-knit community was denied the chance to stay together due to a catalogue of errors by High Speed Two Limited (HS2 Ltd). A group of six families, from Staffordshire, whose homes were set to be destroyed because they were on the HS2 route, fell victim of a number of failings by HS2 Ltd over two years, placing them under severe stress and worry, hugely impacting their home lives, jobs, careers and health.

The Public Defender presented its October information bulletin, which provides information about the activities of the office, as well as the state of human rights in Georgia and in the world, international visits and important meetings attended by the Public Defender, recommendations prepared by the office and individual cases.

L’ombudsman des vétérans, Guy Parent, a publié aujourd’hui les résultats d’une évaluation de la mise en œuvre, par Anciens Combattants Canada, des huit recommandations contenues dans son rapport de 2011 intitulé Le droit des vétérans de connaître les motifs des décisions : Une question d’équité procédurale, et son rapport de 2012 intitulé Le droit des vétérans à la divulgation : Une question d’équité procédurale. Les deux rapports précisaient les améliorations requises pour assurer la transparence et l’équité du processus de présentation et d’évaluation des demandes de prestations d’invalidité d’Anciens Combattants Canada.

This issue provides Highlights from the third OGP Global Summit, photos and videos to share, awards round-up, OGP and UN Global Goals and the latest on Open Government at a subnational level.

Irish Ombudsman and Second Vice-President of the International Ombudsman Institute, Peter Tyndall, was invited before the Irish Parliament to give his views on developing advocacy services to improve patient safety and standards in the health service.

A first-hand account by the Defensora del Pueblo, who visited Zaatari refugee camp with the ambassador of Spain in Jordan and Carmen Comas-Mata (Office of the Ombudsman).