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 presents the main facts and figures of each new member continuing with the Ombudsman of Tuscany.
The Ombudsman of Tuscany protects everyone against maladministration. The Tuscany Region Statute approved on 19 July 2004 provides the legal basis for this Ombudsman institution. The Ombudsman carries out his functions independently and is not subject to any hierarchical or functional control. The incumbent is elected by a two third majority of the regional council for a term of six years which cannot be renewed. The current office holder is Ms Lucia Franchini.
The Ombudsman investigates all regional authorities, and municipalities, provinces and mountain communities where there is no municipal or provincial Ombudsman with exception of the fields of public security, defense and courts which are under national jurisdiction. Therefore he has the power to view any records or documents relating to his investigation, obtain copies and get information through regional information retrieval systems, meet the officer responsible for the complaint, access any office in order to carry out necessary investigations or ask competent bodies to provide records which have illegally been withheld. The responsible officer is required to appear before the Ombudsman in order to explain his action. He has to provide any information, clarifications and documents requested in writing by the Ombudsman, within twenty days, or explain why he disagrees with the Ombudsman
Every year, the Ombudsman is obliged to submit a report by 31 March to the President of the Regional Parliament, the President of the Regional Government as well as to the Presidents of the Senate and Chamber of Deputies. The Ombudsman’s report is discussed by the Regional Parliament. In cases of particular importance, the Ombudsman may submit special reports. Annual and other reports are published in the Official Bulletin of the Tuscany Region after they have been discussed by the Regional Parliament.
Following recommendations by the Secretary General and the competent Regional Vice-President the Board acknowledged that the Ombudsman of Tuscany 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 “Difensore Civico della Toscana” as institutional member of the IOI.
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