IOI | Talks with UN officials in Geneva

In its efforts to forge closer ties with the United Nations the IOI established a UN Working Group in May 2018. The main aim of this working group is to increase the visibility of Ombudsman institutions at the UN level and to raise awareness about the important work Ombudsman offices do in the promotion and protection of human rights.

As members of this UN Working Group, IOI Secretary General Kräuter and Latin-American Board Member Luis Raúl González Pérez (President of the Mexican Human Rights Commission), took the opportunity of their stay in Geneva to schedule talks with UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Ms Michelle Bachelet and the current President of the Human Rights Council, Mr Coly Seck.

Secretary General Kräuter informed the UN officials about the IOI and its activities, the support it lends to Ombudsman under threat and the active part it took in the drafting process of a set of principles currently developed by the Council of Europe’s independent Venice Commission; a project which also involves the National Institutions and Regional Mechanism Section of the Office of the High Commissioner (OHCHR). He also mentioned the planning of a side-event at the High Level Political Forum in New York in July 2019, which the IOI will host in close cooperation with the non-profit international network of Parliamentarians for Global Action and which will provide another opportunity to showcase the IOI’s work at the UN level.

Ombudsman González Pérez underlined the important role Ombudsman institutions play in pushing forward the UN human rights agenda, first and foremost Agenda 2030 and its Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). He explained that the IOI – as the only global network of Ombudsman institutions – is a clear partner for the UN in this. Ombudsman offices are perfectly suited to drive forward the implementation of this human rights agenda. Goal 16 for example calls for “strong and accountable institutions”. The IOI and its members are valuable partners in the successful implementation of this specific SDG, as Ombudsman do add to promote peaceful and inclusive societies, to provide access to justice for all and to build effective and accountable institutions.

Mr Kräuter and Mr González Pérez were joined by former IOI President and IOI Honorary Life Member John R. Walters (Ombudsman of Namibia). John Walters has always strongly advocated his vision of a closer cooperation between the IOI and the UN; especially during his term as President of the IOI. The group therefore highly appreciated his willingness to join the talks in Geneva, where he called upon High Commissioner Bachelet to assist the IOI in realizing this important goal.

Both High Commissioner Bachelet and Human Rights Council President Seck showed great interest in the IOI and its work. They acknowledged the importance of Ombudsman institutions in the protection of human rights and offered their support in making the voice of Ombudsman heard in the UN human rights system.