BackDuring its mid-term meeting that took place from 7 to 8 May 2012 in Hong Kong, the IOI Board of Directors took decisions on several applications for individual, associate and institutional membership. Welcoming the new members to the IOI family the General Secretariat will present in the next newsletter editions the main facts and figures of each new member starting with the Ombudsman of Santa Fe, Argentina.
The “Defensoría del Pueblo de la Provincia de Santa Fe” was enacted by law in 1990. Corresponding to this law, the Ombudsman is appointed by the Executive Power with the consent of the Legislative Assembly for a five years term. The current incumbent is Mr Edgardo José Bistoletti.
The authorities of the Ombudsman extend to the activities of the Province’s public administration covering centralized and decentralized administration, autarkic entities, institutional entities, state companies etc. Both the Judiciary as well as the Legislative Branch are exempted from the Ombudsman’s competence.
The Santa Fe Ombudsman is obliged to submit and orally present an annual report about its activities to both Chambers of the Legislative Assembly by April 30th of every year. In urgent or severe circumstances there is also the possibility to submit special reports. The Ombudsman has the right to address both the Legislative Branch as well as the Public Administration in order to suggest the modification of a legal norm or mechanisms reducing malpractice. His resolutions may come in the shape of warnings, recommendations and reminders as well as suggestions for the adoption of new measures.
The Ombudsman is not subject to any kind of order, does not take instructions from any authority whatsoever and fulfills his duties autonomously. Also his staff is subject only to instructions given by the Ombudsman himself.
Following recommendations by the Secretary General and the competent Regional Vice-President the Board acknowledged that the Ombudsman of Santa Fe Province fulfilled the IOI criteria for institutional membership set out in Article 6 (1) of the I.O.I. by-laws and decided to accept the “Defensoría del Pueblo de la Provincia de Santa Fe” as institutional member of the IOI.
Further information can be found here.
