The European Commission against Racism and Intolerance (ECRI) recently published its annual report highlighting main trends within Europe regarding racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia, antisemitism and intolerance.

The By-Laws-Reform is now entering the next stage. The recently completed regional consultation will now be followed up by a Board meeting in Hong Kong in May 2012. The primary focus of this meeting will be to consider the results of the regional consultation and provide the membership after this meeting with a final draft of new IOI by-laws taking members' concerns and proposals into account.

A decree of the Ministry for Justice stipulated that persons in pre-trial detention may have uncontrolled contact in writing and on the phone with their lawyers. Although phone calls to lawyers belong in principle to that category which may not be controlled, in practice, however, there was a possibility for the staff of the penal institutions to listen in shortly.

The members of the Austrian Ombudsman Board (AOB) presented the annual report 2011 containing key data on the AOB's activities.

Several representatives of IOI member institutions will participate in the 2^nd Curaçao International Ombudsman Conference held from 4 to 8 June 2012 in Curaçao. It is organized by the Office of the Ombudsman of Curaçao and the Caribbean International University in cooperation with the Institute of Latin-American Ombudsman and the Office of the Ombudsman of the Republic of Argentina, Province Santa Fé.

Following two IOI editions of the successful “Sharpening Your Teeth” training programme, the IOI is organizing a new training session which will take place from 16 to 19 September 2012 in Vienna, Austria. Course registration is still being accepted.

In Feburary eight Roma families were sheltered at the ambiences of the People’s Advocate Institution.

The Commissioner for Fundamental Rights in Hungary filed a petition addressing the provisions concerning the confinement and detention of juvenile offenders as well as a government decree regulating student contracts.