A long-standing and valuable member from the African Region left the I.O.I. Board of Directors when Ms Amina Ouédraogo (Burkina Faso) retired from her office as Médiateur du Faso in June 2011. Following a regional I.O.I. meeting Ms Traore, the new Ombudsman in Burkina Faso will fill the vacant position of an African Director on the Board.

The Executive Committee of African Ombudsman & Mediators Association (AOMA) gathered in Addis Ababa from 15 to 16 September 2011 for an Executive Committee Meeting and the African Ombudsman Research Centre (AORC) Board meeting. The meeting was hosted by the Ethiopian Institution of the Ombudsman (EIO) .

"Tell us if mistakes have been made and don’t be afraid to complain” was the key message from the launch of Healthcomplaints, a public service initiative by 17 regulatory bodies and service providers to help members of the public understand where and how to complain about health and social care services.

Ann Abraham holds the post of Parliamentary Ombudsman and is also the Health Service Ombudsman for England. She heavily criticizes the Ministry of Defence and the Service Personnel and Veterans Agency’s treatment of a family who were interned by the Japanese during the Second World War.

Ontario Ombudsman André Marin now has the jurisdiction to investigate complaints about Niagara Health System, following the provincial government’s appointment of a supervisor for the institution.

Slovenia's second largest hospital UKC Maribor opened the first national forensic psychiatric centre, which will house up to 66 prisoners from the entire Slovenia. Head of the UKC Maribor Gregor Pivec said on the occasion that the first residents would arrive on 1 October.

The I.O.I. congratulates the reappointed incumbent of its Tanzanian member institution. The Retired Principal Judge of the High Court of Tanzania, Amiri Ramadhani Manento (63) has been appointed Chairman of the Commission for Human Rights and Good Governance (CHRAGG) for another period of three years.

The International Ombudsman Institute welcomes the Ombudsman of Botswana, Mr Ofentse Lepodise, back as a member.