I.O.I. Secretary General and Chair of the Austrian Ombudsman Board Peter Kostelka participated in the 10^th international conference of National Human Rights Institutions that took place in Edinburgh from 7 to 10 October 2010.

The I.O.I. General Secretariat will be hosting a first training programme in Vienna from 14 to 17 November 2010. So far 40 staff members of ombudsman institutions coming from 17 countries and four I.O.I. world regions have confirmed their participation.

The Norwegian Ombudsman Arne Fliflet recently became member of the European Board by a vote in the General Assembly of the European region of the I.O.I. Arne Fliflet replaces the Greek Ombudsman Yorgos Kaminis in this function. Fliflet was elected Norwegian Ombudsman for the first time in 1990. He has subsequently been re-elected five times, the last appointment being in 2009.

The I.O.I. is pleased to announce that Diane Welborn, Ombudsman, Joint Office of Citizen Complaints for Dayton, Ohio has been elected as the new Director for the IOI North American Region. Diane Welborn will replace Bill Angrick after his retirement in June 2010.

The members of the Austrian Ombudsman Board annually submit a report to the National Council and to the Federal Council outlining the institution's work, priorities, and main findings of the past year. The international edition of the 2009 report is now out.

Mr. Dieter Burgard is the new Ombudsman of Rhineland-Palatinate. He succeeded Mr. Ullrich Galle who unexpectedly resigned in April 2010 after 15 years in office.

On 20 September 2010, Mr Bart Weekers took his oath of office as the new Ombudsman of Flanders.