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Peter Kostelka (left) receives IOI Golden Order of Merit
On 27 June 2022, a ceremony took place at the premises of the Austrian Ombudsman Board to award the Golden Order of Merit of the International Ombudsman Institute (IOI) to Honorary Life Member Peter Kostelka, former Secretary General of the IOI and Ombudsman of Austria.
Peter Kostelka was awarded IOI Honorary Life Membership in 2014, when his term as Ombudsman of Austria and Secretary General of the IOI ended. With the recent introduction of a Golden Order of Merit of the IOI, Secretary General Werner Amon was pleased to decorate his predecessor with this token of gratitude and appreciation.
Honorary Life Membership is granted by the IOI Board of Directors to an individual who has made an exceptional contribution and rendered outstanding services to the organization. “Giving this honor to you must have been an easy decision, because your engagement, commitment and contribution to the IOI has been exceptional,” said Secretary General Amon when he presented the award to Mr. Kostelka.
Mr. Kostelka served as Regional Vice-President of the European Region of IOI for 5 years and was also a member of the IOI Board. It was thanks to his tireless efforts that Austria became the IOI General Secretariat could be brought to Vienna and is located at the premises of the Austrian Ombudsman Board since 2009.
It was also in 2009, when Peter Kostelka assumed the role of the IOI’s first Secretary General whilst also serving as a member of the Austrian Ombudsman Board. Under his leadership the Secretariat quickly established itself as an effective and efficient support for IOI members. He led significant developments in training initiatives, membership development, the revision of the IOI By-Laws, and the enhancement of the IOI’s international profile by developing relationships with international partner organisations, the UN and the World Bank.
It is due to these extraordinary services to the IOI, that Mr. Kostelka was awarded Honorary Life Membership in 2014 and presented with the Golden Order of Merit of the IOI in Vienna.
Source: IOI General Secretariat
