CZECH REPUBLIC | Ombudsman celebrates 15th Anniversary

On the occasion of the 15 year Anniversary of the founding of the Czech Ombudsman, an International Conference was held in Brno from 26 to 27 March 2015. The “International 15^th Anniversary Conference” of the Public Defender of Rights of the Czech Republic had been organised by the Office of the Public Defender of Rights of the Czech Republic at the Institution`s headquarters in Brno, the countries ‘second biggest city.

At the first day of the Conference, a working meeting of national Ombudspersons from the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Slovenia, Hungary, Poland, Georgia, Austria and the Netherlands took place, in which participants exchanged experiences and discussed their particular activities, respective mandates and constitutional frameworks. In the afternoon session, after solemn speeches in honour of the founding of the Institution of the Public Defender of Rights and the current Ombudswoman Anna Šabatová, two panels of international delegates and experts from the Czech administration, judiciary and parliament discussed the nature of the Ombudsman Institution and challenges they are facing. The importance of international cooperation among the different members from diverging cultural backgrounds has been emphasised as well as the need to maintain efficiency, independence and further strengthen the public communication and visibility of Ombudsman Institutions.

The second day of the conference offered peer to peer meetings, press briefings and workshops about the working methods of Ombudsmen, their possibilities and competences of influencing legislation, the impact of case law and the role of communication and transparency in the Ombudsman’s everyday work.