How citizens interact and collaborate with accountability institutions has been the subject of much careful review in recent years. This note by Carolina Cornejo and Marcos Mendiburu highlights key points from the discussion.

In the May 2015 Newsletter, among other topics, the Catalan Ombudsman requests the European bodies to fight against the failure in guaranteeing the rights of the LGBTI community. In regard of the Crisis in the Mediterranean Sea, the Catalan Ombudsman urges the public authorities to act.

Each year hundreds of thousands of children across the EU are involved in legal proceedings. Justice systems need to do more to cater to the needs of these children, finds the latest report from the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA). Making justice more child-friendly is in the best interests of the child, improves child protection and their meaningful participation in judicial proceedings.

Due to the exceedingly high interest in the NPM-Training in Riga from 16-19 June, the workshop “Implementing a Preventive Mandate” is already fully booked.

The institution calls for an intervention of the European Parliament, the European Ombudsman and the Human Rights Commissioner of the Council of Europe.

Following the very successful round table organized in February 2014 the IOI and the World Bank once again invite World Bank staff and interested individuals to participate in the 2nd roundtable on “The role of Ombudsman institutions in promoting citizen-centric governance and inclusive institutions” which will be held on 11 May 2015 in Washington DC.

The Ombudsman, Soledad Becerril, and the autonomous-regional ombudsmen have called on the European Union (EU) for greater involvement in preventing the deaths of more immigrants in the Mediterranean. This is what they have indicated in an institutional declaration in which they regret the deaths that occurred on 18 April and call for more means to enhance living conditions in the countries of origin.

The World Bank together with the Open Government Partnership (OGP), the Carter Center and the Federal Institute for Access to Public Information and Data Protection in Mexico (IFAI) will hold a webinar on “Engaging with Access to Information” on 6 May 2015 from 10:00 – 11:00 a.m. Eastern Standard Time.