I.O.I. Vice-President Mats Melin is Acting President of the I.O.I. until the annual Board of Directors meeting this coming October in Bermuda when a new President will be elected.

The Parliamentary Ombudsman has been one of Finland’s two supreme overseers of legality and celebrated its 90 years anniversary in early February 2010. To mark this occasion the Parliamentary Ombudsman published the book “Parliamentary Ombudsman 90“.

“Sharpening Your Teeth”-Training is the first educational programme offered by the I.O.I. It will be held from 14 to 17 November 2010 at the I.O.I. General Secretariat in Vienna, Austria and is specifically designed for staff members of ombudsman institutions.

The Northern Ireland Ombudsman’s Annual Report for 2009/10 was laid before the Northern Ireland Assembly on Wednesday 30 June 2010.

Augustinas Normantas was reappointed as the Parliamentary Ombudsman of Lithuania for a second term on 20 June 2010. 

The accession of Hungaryto the North-Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) in 1999 meant and continues to mean new obligations as well as new challenges and opportunities for the Armed Forces. In a recently published article the Hungarian Ombudsman illustrates his investigations within the national Armed Forces and outlines his work relating to penitentiary institutions.

It is with great regret that the I.O.I. has learned about the passing of the former parliamentary commissioner for administration and health service commissioner for England, Wales and Scotland Sir Cecil Clothier.

The International Ombudsman Institute, on behalf of all of its members, would like to express its deepest sympathy on the tragic death of the Human Rights Defender of the Republic of Poland, Dr Janusz Kochanowski.