Varuh človekovih pravic

What is HR Council?

The Council is the Ombudsman's consultative body to promote and protect human rights and fundamental freedoms and to enhance legal certainty, which functions according to the principle of professional autonomy.

It is composed of  President  of  the  Council  and  16  members,  seven  of  whom  were  representatives  of  civil  society,  three  representatives  of  science,  two  representatives  of  the  Government  of  the  Republic  of  Slovenia  and  one  representative of the Advocate of the Principle of Equality, the Information Commissioner of the Republic of Slovenia, the National Assembly and the National Council of the Republic of Slovenia. 

Plural representation enables the establishment of an effective cooperation of civil society when drafting the Ombudsman’s findings about the level of observance of human rights, fundamental freedoms and legal certainty in Slovenia

The Council implements the following consultative tasks:     

  • participates in the  preparation  of  the  Ombudsman’s  findings  about  the  level  of  observance  of  human  rights, fundamental freedoms and legal certainty in the Republic of Slovenia;   
  • proposes to the Ombudsman the instigation of a procedure regarding possible violations of human rights and fundamental freedoms;    
  • discusses broader issues of promoting, protecting and monitoring of human rights and fundamental freedoms at the proposal of the Ombudsman;     
  • discusses reports of the Republic of Slovenia submitted to international organisations regarding human rights, and  participates  in  preparing  the  Ombudsman’s  independent  reports  about  the  realisation  of  international commitments of the Republic of Slovenia in the field of human rights;   
  • forms positions on development policies regarding human rights and fundamental freedoms;    
  • raises awareness of the public and experts about the importance and development of human rights and fundamental freedoms;
  • implements other similar tasks at the Ombudsman’s proposal.

The Ombudsman’s mission is complemented significantly with the Council’s discussion of broader issues of promoting, protecting and supervising the observance of human rights and fundamental freedoms, and the provision of opinions regarding development policies of human rights.

The term of the Council’s members depends on the Ombudsman’s term of off The Council’s work is regulated by its rules of procedure adopted by the Ombudsman after prior consultation with the Council’s members and are then published in the Official Gazette of the Republic of Slovenia.

Secretary of the Council is dr. Kornelija Marzel.