The Ombudsman began a two-day visit to the province of Cabinda on 28 April 2025, where she held a courtesy meeting with the Provincial Governor, Suzana Fernanda Pemba Abreu. Florbela Rocha Araújo's trip comes on the closing day of Ombudsman's Week, celebrated annually throughout the country from 19 to 28 April.

La institución del Síndic de Greuges ha abierto una actuación de oficio a raíz de las noticias aparecidas en los medios de comunicación por las agresiones y la explotación sexual que sufrió una niña de doce años mientras se encontraba bajo la protección de la Administración de la Generalitat. Pide que se aborden los déficits del sistema de protección que este caso ha puesto de manifiesto.

 

El Defensor del Pueblo, Ángel Gabilondo, ha comparecido este martes en el Congreso de los Diputados, ante la Comisión Mixta de Relaciones con el Defensor del Pueblo, para presentar el Informe anual de la actividad de la institución en 2024.

The House Business Committee presided over by the Speaker of the House, the Hon. Dr Anglu Farrugia, convened in a special session to discuss the Ombudsplan 2025. The Ombudsplan is a report requesting parliamentary approval for its financial allocation for the upcoming year. In his opening remarks, the Parliamentary Ombudsman, Judge Joseph Zammit McKeon, presented the key themes outlined in the Ombudsplan 2025.

Last week, the National Ombudsman of the Netherlands, Reinier van Zutphen, together with several staff members, attended the official closing of a cooperation project with both the national and local ombudsmen in Serbia. In the presence of the Serbian Ombudsman, Zoran Pašalić, and a big representation from the national office and several local Serbian ombudsmen, the project was concluded.

For the sixth consecutive year, National Human Rights Institutions (NHRIs) in the European Union (EU) have provided insights into their national rule of law landscapes. Overall, these show negative trends in areas such as the enabling space for NHRIs, civil society space and human rights defenders, access to justice, and media freedom. Despite the concerning picture, NHRIs continue working to counter these challenges and some progress is evident. Building on this, they recommend how policymakers can strengthen the rule of law across the EU.

The African Ombudsman Research Centre (AORC), the research and training arm of the African Ombudsman and Mediators Association (AOMA) in collaboration with the International Ombudsman Institute (IOI) cordially invite you to a webinar on Tuesday, 3 June 2025, on "Enhancing Citizen Engagement: Encouraging Greater Utilization of Ombudsman Services by Citizens". Based on the latest IOI Best Practice Paper developed by the Office of the Ombudsman of the Netherlands, this webinar will explore practical strategies to improve visibility, trust, and access to Ombudsman services. Interpretation into all IOI working languages will be available.

On 19 May 2025, 80 representatives of civil society organisations discussed with experts and politicians the impact of budget cuts on women's rights and the rights of persons with disabilities. The NGO Forum was moderated by Austrian Ombudsman Bernhard Achitz.