A report on the role of complaints in transforming public services was published in April 2013. The authors are Richard Simmons, Co-Director of the Mutuality Research Programme at the University of Stirling and Carol Brennan, Director of the Consumer Insight Centre at Queen Margaret University, Edinburgh.

The ACRC held an on-site outreach program for foreign workers residing in Korea. The Director General for the Ombudsman bureau at the ACRC participated in the counseling session.

Catalan Ombudsman Rafael Ribó presented the OPCAT 2012 Annual Report before the Parliamentary Ombudsman Commission to inform Parliament about the achievements and measures taken in 2012.

Unfortunately, the seminar “The Right to Gender Identity and Affective-Sexual Diversity. Challenges for Equality” had to be cancelled due to low registration numbers. It was meant to take place in Bilbao on 20 and 21 May 2013.

A mid-term Board Meeting of the IOI took place on 15 and 16 April 2013 in Vienna. Peter Kostelka, Secretary General of the IOI since 2009, welcomed 17 Ombudsman and their staff from around the world to this event.

During their mid-term Board Meeting in Vienna in April 2013 the Board voted for Thailand to host the next IOI World Conference in 2016.

On 8 April 2013 a Delegation of the Petitions Committee of the German Bundestag visited the IOI Secretary General Peter Kostelka. The main topics were the latest developments at the Petitions Committee, the Austrian Ombudsman Board and the IOI (International Ombudsman Institute).

Iowa Ombudsman Ruth Cooperrider has issued the office’s Annual Report for 2012. The office, situated in the legislative branch, investigates complaints about state and local government agencies.  The office of 15 full-time employees opened 4,498 cases in 2012.