The Québec Ombudsman announced the launch of its Facebook and Google + pages and its Twitter account.

Many children across the EU continue to suffer from poverty, discrimination or violence, despite EU and national efforts. As EU bodies prepare for a new Commission and Parliamentary elections, FRA reminds future EU policy makers of the need for child rights to remain on their political agendas.

Rafael Ribó proposes a "winter truce" for people at risk of exclusion to stop cuts of light, gas and water for non-payment. He also proposes to set up a social price for butane and to bank on progressive pricing of water supply. Some other proposals for possible immediate application are a Working Group, to disseminate information about grants and allowances, to involve the network of houses of social inclusion and promoting educational actions for energy saving.

Cambridgeshire County Council delayed carrying out a core assessment on a six-year-old boy, leaving his family without the financial support package they needed to care for their son.

Austria has to provide the United Nations with periodical reports on the measures that have been undertaken to meet its obligations under ratified covenants. In this context, on November 20th 2013 the UN Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights evaluates the fourth periodic report of Austria concerning the implementation of the UN Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (CESCR).

The Public Protector’s provisional report on the investigation into allegations of impropriety and unethical conduct relating to the installation and implementation of security measures by the Department of Public Works at and in respect of the Nkandla private residence of President Jacob Zuma in KwaZulu-Natal has provoked extensive debates among the parties affected.

The question of what constitutes a 24-hour notice to the public under Iowa’s open-meetings law became an issue of contention a few days ago. Ombudsman Ruth Cooperrider warned that the Iowa Public Information Board’s ruling opens the door for Iowa governments to elude the requirements of the law, whose intention it is that the information must be easily accessible to the public for at least 24 hours before meetings are held.

Parliamentary Ombudsman Petri Jääskeläinen has issued reprimands to two doctors at a central hospital as well as to a hospital district for an unlawful action. In addition, he has recommended that the hospital district make recompense to the patient for the violations of her fundamental and human rights to which she was subjected.