Communication

Following the successful launch of the new I.O.I. website and database in 2010 the I.O.I. started in summer 2011 to offer a new information service to the key stakeholders in the international ombudsman community, i.e. to I.O.I. member institutions, independent non-member institutions, representatives of regional ombudsman associations, as well as international organisations, such as the ICC, the Council of Europe, the OSCE and the Commonwealth Secretariat.

The increasing number of member institutions and their direct contributions as well as the increasing interest shown by non-member individuals and partner organisations generated the idea of providing ombudsman-related news to a wider audience and at shorter intervals. Since July 2011 the I.O.I. General Secretariat delivers the ‘Ombudsman News’ to its members and applicant institutions, as well as partner organisations and other interested observers. On a weekly basis, the ‘Ombudsman News’ presents recent ombudsman-related news from institutions all over the world to more than 800 stakeholders. Anybody interested in receiving this new information service can easily subscribe to the mailing list on the I.O.I. website (http://www.theI.O.I..org/newslettersu).

The well established trilingual quarterly ‘I.O.I. Newsletter’ will, of course, be continued, but will be sent only to I.O.I. member institutions in the future. This way, more confidential members-only information, e.g. on I.O.I. projects, developments and financial issues, can be distributed exclusively among members.