BackOn 25-27 September 2012 the seminar of Cooperation between Ombudsmen from Eastern Partnership Countries was held in the Office of the Human Rights Defender of the Republic of Poland. The meeting was organised together with the Defender of Rights of the French Republic, the European Commission and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Poland.
Representatives from Ombudsman institutions of Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Moldova, Ukraine and representatives of the civil society of Belarus and Georgia took part in the seminar. The institution of the Defender of Rights of the French Republic was represented by the Deputy Ombudsman, Ms Marie Derain.
Prof. Irena Lipowicz, the Human Rights Defender of the Republic of Poland officially opened the seminar together with Mr Antoine Grezaud – Director of Cabinet of the Defender of Rights of the French Republic, Mr Andrzej Grzyb – Vice-Chair of the Subcommittee on Human Rights of the European Parliament and Ms Ewa Synowiec – Head of European Commission Representation in Poland.
The main topics of this year's seminar were: protection of children's rights, relationship between Ombudsman and the judiciary and rights of elderly persons and persons with disabilities in labour law. Participants of the seminar visited the Office of the Ombudsman for Children, where they met the Ombudsman Mr Marek Michalak, and the Constitutional Court, where they were received by its President Prof. Andrzej Rzepliński.
