On 22 January 2013, Ombudswoman Terezija Stoisits and Ombudsman Peter Kostelka met Catherine De Bruecker and Guido Schuermans of the Federal Ombudsman of Belgium. The discussion focused on the experience of the Austrian Ombudsman Board (AOB) regarding its new responsibilities as the Austrian National Preventive Mechanism.

In its efforts to further increase the regional impact of the IOI, the members of the IOI Board of Directors decided at their Wellington meeting in November 2012 to once again make regional subsidies available to IOI members.

The Commissioner for Fundamental Rights of Hungary, Máté Szabó, conducted an inquiry on the treatment of students with disabilities in institutions of higher education. The ombudsman found out that the rights of disabled students are not enforced in a uniform practice by the institutions of higher education. Ombudsman Szabó asked the Minister of Human Resources to establish a clear legal context.

The Ukrainian Commissioner for Human Rights, Ms. Valeriya Lutkovska, submitted a request to the Prime Minister of Ukraine concerning the elimination of violations of the right of legal protection, caused by violations during judicial proceedings. Prime Minister Mykola Azarov, instructed the Ministry of Justice and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine to consider this issue and determine ways of its solution and as a result make proposals to the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine.

The Commissioner for Fundamental Rights of Hungary examined the constitutional aspects of getting into and getting out of community employment programs. The report also reveals the constitutional problems related to the payment of the wages of persons in community employment and the lack of adequate guarantees set by labour law regulations.

The Commission for Human Rights and Good Governance of Tanzania (CHRAGG) plans to organize a capacity building seminar on transparency, good governance and the rule of law in Tanzania.

The parliament of the Republic of Macedonia re-elected Mr. Ixhet Memeti as Ombudsman of the Republic of Macedonia.

Sungbo Lee took office on 11 December 2012 as new chairman of the Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission of Korea (ACRC). Chairman Lee, former Chief Judge of Seoul Central.