Graham Fraser, Commissioner of Official Languages recently announced the release of this year’s annual report, focusing on linguistic duality as an invaluable asset for all English- and French- speaking Canadians.

The Board carefully considered all of the suggested amendments and ideas put forward by IOI members in the final phase of consultation in September 2012. We are grateful to all those who took the time to provide us with such a rich menu of comments.

This issue reflects on the outcomes of some important meetings, such as the AOMA meeting with the African Union Commission held in Luanda, the East Africa Regional Meeting held in Dar-es-Salaam, the AORC Board Meetings held in Durban and Windhoek, and the AOMA EXCO Meeting held in Windhoek.

The European Ombudsman Prof. Nikiforos Diamandouros visited the Polish Ombudsman Office on 3 October 2012. During his meeting with the Human Rights Defender of the Republic of Poland Prof. Irena Lipowicz, the Deputy Defenders Mr Stanisław Trociuk and Mr Ryszard Czerniawski and the Directors of the Office, the European Ombudsman explained his recent activities.

This is the second comprehensive investigation that the Office of NSW Ombudsman has undertaken into the use of Taser weapons by the New South Wales Police Force (NSWPF). The first investigation was done at a time when Tasers were only used by police officers within specialist units of the NSWPF. Since that report in 2008, Taser weapons have been rolled out for use by all accredited general duties police officers in NSW.

Ombudsman Prof Siracha Charoenpanij and a delegation of the Office of the Ombudsman of Thailand visited the IOI General Secretariat on 12 October 2012.

Since this September 1st, 2012, the Ombudsman of the Walloon Region and the Ombudsman of the French Community gave way to the Ombudsman common to the French Community and to the Walloon Region.

The inquiry of the Commissioner for Fundamental Rights led to the conclusion that the circumstances of accommodation and care of psychiatric patients in the Forensic Psychiatric Mental Institution constitute a violation of their rights to human dignity and to health.