On the occasion of World Ombudsman Day, the Independent Ombudsman Office of the  Kingdom of Bahrain is pleased to share the statement issued by Her Excellency Ombudswoman, Mrs. Ghada Hamid Habeeb, to mark this important occasion, reaffirming the Office’s commitment to promoting fairness, accountability, and the principles of good governance. Please click here to access the full statement.

On 2 October 2026, the Aruba Human Rights Conference 2026 took place at the University of Aruba. As a section in the program, there was a panel discussion moderated by the Ombudsman of Aruba, Ms. Jurima Bryson, LL.M.

Citizens are increasingly using artificial intelligence (AI) when interacting with government services. This development creates opportunities, but it also highlights a new challenge: how can we ensure that citizens use AI in a critical and responsible way? During Digital Week, the Flemish Ombudsman Service launched a web page featuring a sample prompt that helps citizens use AI to draft a complaint.

The Third International Ombud Expo 2027 under the theme "Just Society for All: Celebrating Facilitators and Promoters in a Challenging World" will bring together over 300 ombud offices, human rights bodies, grievance handlers, integrity organisations, and other oversight and governance institutions from more than 100 countries. The Expo will serve as a global platform for exhibition and the showcasing of their roles, operations, and performance impact. The registration for this event is now open.

The Ombudsman has begun an 'Own Initiative' investigation into how Northern Ireland's health trusts provide care to people with a learning disability. The system-wide investigation will examine how trusts record information about a person's learning disability and how the information is used to provide them with appropriate care

The Barcelona Ombudsman’s Office (Sindicatura de Greuges de Barcelona) has participated in the 5th General Assembly of the Global Alliance of Local Ombudspersons (AGOL), held in Barranquilla, Colombia, where it shared its experience in promoting proximity-based ombudsmanship, reparative approaches and citizen participation as key tools for protecting rights at the local level.

The Ombudsman of the Republic of Indonesia (Ombudsman RI) uncovered an alleged “luxury cluster” housing inmates during an unannounced inspection at the Class IIA Cibinong Correctional Facility on Wednesday, 23 September 2026. The inspection met with physical obstruction from prison officers, who initially refused entry to the Ombudsman team.

El Secretario Técnico de la Federación Iberoamericana del Ombudsperson, el Director de Enlace con Organismos de Control de la Defensoría del Pueblo de la Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires (entidad anfitriona de la 30.ª Asamblea General de la FIO), y el Secretario General de la Asociación de Defensorías del Pueblo de la República Argentina visitaron Taiwán por invitación del Yuan de Control y el Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores visitaron el Yuan de Control el 14 de septiembre de 2026, donde mantuvieron un encuentro destinado a profundizar el intercambio y la cooperación entre ambas partes.