New Zealand Ombudsman Peter Boshier releases Quarterly Review.

After two very successful workshops with an NPM focus in Latvia (2015) and Lithuania (2016) the IOI will hold a follow-up NPM workshop with a special focus on developing skills to optimise interaction and communication with challenging conversation partners in Vienna (Austria) from 25 – 27 September 2017. Registration is now open!

In May 2017, the European Ombudsman, Emily O'Reilly, presented the Ombudsman’s Annual Report 2016. This year showed again how the work of an ombudsman can have a positive effect over time on the quality of the EU administration, in line with the strategy of the European Ombudsman to increase the impact, relevance and visibility of the office.

The New South Wales (NSW) Ombudsman, Professor John McMillan, recently published the 3rd editions of two guidelines for NSW government agencies: ‘Good conduct and administrative practice: Guidelines for state and local government’ and ‘Effective complaint handling guidelines’.

The Public Defender of Georgia, Mr Ucha Nanuashvili, has addressed the Venice Commission concerning the draft amendments to the Constitution of Georgia, which had not been taken into account within the framework of the State’s Constitutional Commission, during the evaluating period. In his letter the Public Defender focuses on the amendments aimed at weakening the standards of protection and implementation of fundamental human rights and freedoms enshrined in the current edition of the Constitution.

Greek Ombudsman Andreas Pottakis will present a special report on migration flows and refugee protection. This report focuses on human rights and the 2015/2016 migration and refugees crisis management and will be launched in Hall on 1 June 2017.

The Office of the Commissioner for Human Rights and the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees have been cooperating on combating violence since 2016. A project on “Empowerment of Women in Displacement Situations” continued this year and covered four regions.

Concluyeron los trabajos de la Segunda Cumbre Iberoamericana “Migración y Derechos Humanos. Una nueva mirada”, donde se comprometieron, los Ombudsman de Iberoamérica, con la supervisión, apoyo y seguimiento al cumplimiento de las acciones asumidas por los Estados de la Agenda 2030 de las Naciones Unidas.