The International Ombudsman Institute is deeply concerned about the recent abduction of more than 200 school girls in Nigeria.

The Protector of Citizens (Ombudsman) of the Republic of Serbia, Saša Janković, published the office’s Annual Report for 2013 in English. In the reporting period, the Protector of Citizens acted upon 5,042 complaints.

On 6 May 2014, Victor Ciorbea was sworn in as People’s Advocate (Ombudsman) of Romania.

From 7 until 9 May 2014, the Polish Human Rights Defender, Prof. Irena Lipowicz hosted a visit of the Chief Ombudsman of the Republic of Turkey, Mr Mehmet Nihat Ömeroğlu.

On 28 and 29 April, a conference on networking between Ombudsman offices in member states of the Organisation of Islamic Countries (OIC) was held in Islamabad.

On Tuesday, 27 May 2014, a webinar in Spanish on the role of Ombudsman institutions in advancing open government (“Rol de Defensorías del Pueblo para avanzar el gobierno abierto”) will take place.

The Provincial Ombudsman initiated action upon the complaint of a representative of the Pakistan Human Rights Development Organization.

It is with great pleasure that the IOI has learned about the recent nomination of Ombudswoman Catherine de Bruecker, Federal Ombudsman of Belgium, as one of the European Directors on the “world” Board of the IOI Board of Directors.