ISRAEL | State Comptroller and Ombudsman hosts conference on "Multi-Dimensional Protection of Social Rights"

On 12 November 2019, the Office of the State Comptroller and Ombudsman of Israel hosted, under the direction of Ms. Esther Ben-Haim, Ph.D., Adv., Director of the Office of the Ombudsman, a conference on the theme of "The Multi-Dimensional Protection of Social Rights". 

The theme of the conference was chosen in view of the perception that the main role of the ombudsman is to protect the rights of individuals and those of vulnerable communities in particular, and to act as a mouthpiece for them in their dealings with public authorities.

The conference brought together from all over the country ombudspersons and officials in charge of public inquiries, working in different fields on the wide spectrum of social rights, with the aim, among others, of strengthening the dialogue between the many agents dealing with the investigation of public complaints and of encouraging mutual learning.   The conference discussed the different dimensions of social rights protection - the national dimension, the international dimension, the public dimension, the personal dimension and the dimension of the heart.

Mr. Matanyahu Englman, State Comptroller and Ombudsman of Israel, opened the conference with a speech about the work of the national Ombudsman of Israel.  Mr. Englman, who entered office in July 2019, shared with the audience his fresh and advanced outlook on the function of the Ombudsman from the national dimension.   According to Mr. Englman, one of the unique advantages of the Office of the Ombudsman is its ability to handle the complaint in the individual case and consequently to indicate the need for a broad systematic examination of the issue, including the exchange of information and cooperation with the relevant audit departments in the Office of the State Comptroller.  In addition, Mr. Englman spoke about the various modi operandi of the Office, such as convening all the bodies involved for the comprehensive resolution of the problem.  Mr. Englman also emphasized the need to enhance the awareness of the public in general, and of vulnerable communities in particular, as to the activities of the Office of the Ombudsman, as well as the promotion of cooperation with other bodies working to ensure the exhaustion of social rights.  Mr. Englman illustrated his speech with examples of cases handled by the Office.  

The international dimension was provided by a special guest, Dr. Günter Kräuter, Consultant for the IOI, who was keynote speaker at the conference.  Mr. Kräuter's fascinating speech on "A voice for the voiceless", acquainted the audience with the work of the Austrian Ombudsman Board in the protection of social rights in Austria, the innovative tools used by it beyond the traditional complaint-handling methods and his own personal experience and initiatives as former Ombudsman of Austria.   Dr. Kräuter also spoke of the important work of the IOI in the enhancement and protection of ombudsman institutions around the world.  According to Dr. Kräuter, the IOI is "the only non-political organization for the support of Ombudsman institutions around the world… it is of utmost importance that this non-political approach continues to shape the IOI's vision and mission, its services and the benefits it offers to its members".

The public dimension was discussed by a panel comprising the Vice-Director of the Office of the Ombudsman; the Commissioner for Equal Rights of Persons with Disabilities in the Ministry of Justice; the Head of the Anti-Racism Coordinating Government Unit in the Ministry of Justice; the Director of the Division of Public Inquiries in the National Insurance Institute and the Public Complaints Commissioner under the National Health Insurance Law in the Ministry of Health.  The panel, which was chaired by the Dean of the Law Faculty in the Ono Academic College, debated the function of the different public complaints commissioners in the protection of social rights and the dilemmas facing them.  In addition, TED-style case studies were presented by investigators in the Office of the Ombudsman, illustrating the dilemmas faced by them in the handling of complaints received by the Office concerning social issues.

A further significant panel, which discussed the important issue of whistleblowers, presented the personal dimension.  Ms. Esther Ben-Haim Ph.D., Adv., Director of the Office of the Ombudsman, participated in this panel, together with Judge Varda Virt-Livneh, President of the National Labour Court. The panel was chaired by the President of the Academic Center for Law and Science.

The conference took place in a very special venue, the Jerusalem-based Shalva National Center, which provides unique services to children with special needs and their families, in a loving and supportive environment. The venue was purposefully chosen in order to convey the important message of accepting those who are different.  A guided tour of this beautifully designed establishment, together with a moving film explaining the driving-force behind its creation, its development and the credo of its activities - "Where there is hope, there is life" - concluded the conference from the dimension of the heart.   

Source: State Comptroller of Israel