On 13 and 14 September 2011 an OPCAT workshop (Optional Protocol to the Convention against Torture) for Ombudsman institutions will take place in Warsaw, Poland. I.O.I. Europe cooperates with the Polish Ombudsman Institution in the organisation of this event.

Iowa State Ombudsman Ruth Cooperrider received a complaint on February 22, 2010, concerning the manner in which the mayor and several city council members for the City of Monticello attempted to remove the city administrator from his position. A special report about the investigation is now available.

On 8 July 2011, the Members of the Austrian Ombudsman Board met with the Commissioner for Human Rights of the Council of Europe, Thomas Hammarberg.

The Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) assists in the establishment and strengthening of national human rights institutions (NHRIs). It has recently published an infonote for National Human Rights Institutions for the interaction with Treaty Bodies.

Since the establishment of the Court of Justice of the European Union in 1952, it constitutes the judicial authority of the European Union and, in cooperation with the courts and tribunals of the Member States, it ensures the uniform application and interpretation of European Union law. The annual report provides a synopsis of the case-law and much statistical information. It is available in all official EU languages.

A regional subvention was granted to the North American region to hold a two-day SYT training workshop in October 2011 prior to the United States Ombudsman Annual (USOA) Conference. The training course will be presented  by Ontario Ombudsman André Marin. We record our thanks for his continued support in this way.

During the United States Ombudsman Annual (USOA) Conference in Jacksonville, Florida, a Regional Meeting of North American I.O.I. Members will be held on 26 October 2011.

The report is the result of a project by the European Union Fundamental Rights Agency on the situation of migrants in an irregular situation in the EU.