IOI | International Ombudsman Institute mourns loss of former Secretary General Günther Kräuter

Former IOI Secretary General Günther Kräuter passed this Saturday, 7 August 2021. Mr Kräuter suffered a severe medical incident while hiking in his home country of Austria. He was 64 years old.

Deeply valued by his peers, Mr Kräuter served admirably in the position of Secretary General from 2013 to 2019. Described by colleagues as calm and moderating, his leadership enabled the IOI to move ever closer to its ideals as a truly global, human rights-based organization ensuring justice and fairness for all. The IOI’s resilience in the face of last year’s challenges as well as its outlook for stability and growth in the future would not have been the same without his efforts.

Secretary General Kräuter placed special emphasis on the protection of Ombudspersons under threat. Together with committed members and officers of the IOI, he went the extra mile to ensure that Ombudspersons around the world stand together in the face of threats, budget cuts, and political interference of any kind. To achieve this goal, Mr Kräuter also furthered the international partnerships of the IOI.

Thus, during his term as Secretary General, the IOI concluded new memoranda of understanding with, among others, the International Coordinating Committee of National Human Rights Institutions (ICC, now GANHRI), the Association des Ombudsmans et Médiateurs de la Francophonie (AOMF), the Federación Iberoamericana del Ombdusman (FIO), and the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR).

During his term as Secretary General, Mr Kräuter concurrently served as a member of the Austrian Ombudsman Board (AOB). In this role, he was responsible, among others, for the areas of social affairs, health care, youth and family.

Current IOI Secretary General Werner Amon thus paid his respects to his predecessor:

“I express my heartfelt condolences to Mr Kräuter’s family and friends for his truly untimely departure. The community of Ombudspersons has lost one of its most dedicated members. We shall honour his memory through our words and deeds alike.”