The 10^th IOI World Conference paved the way for further strengthening the IOI as the leading organization within the international Ombudsman community. The IOI By-laws as adopted by the General Assembly are now available online.

The Ombudsman of the Basque Country (“Ararteko”) and the European Region of the IOI jointly organize a seminar on “The Right to Gender Identity and Affective-Sexual Diversity. Challenges for Equality” in order to foster reflection and dialogue about the human rights to gender identity and sexual orientation.

The Ombudsman Sindh issued directives to concerned authorities to initiate an enquiry against police officials.

The Cooperation between Ombudsmen from Eastern Partnership Countries held a seminar from 25 to 27 September 2012 in Warsaw, Poland. The seminar was hosted by the Office of Polish Human Rights Defender Prof. Irena Lipowicz and co-organized by the Office of the Ombudsman of the French Republic.

The New South Wales Ombudsman published a new report on child sexual abuse in Aboriginal communities. The report calls for urgent action to improve systems and services to respond to Aboriginal child sexual abuse and to address disadvantage in Aboriginal communities more broadly.

The International Ombudsman Institute (IOI) implemented its goal to intensify its activities in the area of science and research by publishing a comparative study on “Australasia and Pacific Ombudsman Institutions”.

The Forum of Canadian Ombudsman organizes a new training course on "Skills for Effective Investigations". It takes place from 26 to 27 March 2013 in Regina, Canada. The two-day course covers the investigation process from the initial assessment of a case to gathering evidence, analyzing results, writing reports and crafting recommendations.

The Pacific Ombudsman Alliance issued its latest Newsletter in February 2013. This edition includes reports on the POA’s activities in Samoa and the Solomon Islands and is now available on our website.