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Ombudsman opens three new corners while on business in Cerkno

On Wednesday, 16 October 2024, the Human Rights Ombudsman Peter Svetina did business in the Municipality of Cerkno. Five people who assessed that their rights were being violated by state authorities, local community authorities, or public authority holders signed up for talks with him and his colleagues. On this occasion, the Ombudsman opened three new Ombudsman's corners, namely in Cerkno, Logatec, and Idrija. He also met with the mayors of all three municipalities: Gašper Uršič in Cerkno, Bert Menard in Logatec, and Tomaž Vencelj in Idrija.

He talked with the Mayor of Cerkno about a case related to what was happening in the municipality, which was entrusted to the Ombudsman by a citizen. At the same time, the Ombudsman also introduced him to the functioning of the institution he leads. They touched on the operation of inter-municipal inspectorates and the non-responsiveness of institutions. They paid special attention to the risks that public work entails and assessed that the increasing risks and worsening working conditions deter many from active involvement in public affairs and also from employment in the public administration. They also touched on the reduction of public services in more remote parts of the country and the unequal treatment of all those who were affected by the floods last year. In Cerkljansko, this disaster affected people earlier than the rest of the country's inhabitants, but they are not entitled to compensation for the damage, like those who suffered it in August.

He and the Mayor of Logatec touched upon the situation after the pandemic and agreed that it had changed social values ​​and functioning for the better. All the individualism and the increasingly noticeable intolerance in society worries both of them. They emphasised the importance of humanity in times when we witness alienation from fellow human beings. At the same time, however, the mayor expressed his satisfaction that young people in the municipality are very active and committed to working in the community, which, however, raises hope. They also talked about social inequality and agreed that cooperation and trust in people are the keys to a successful and connected future.

The Mayor of Idrije Tomaž Vencelj emphasised the unresponsiveness of the Ministry of Natural Resources and the Environment in solving water problems. He estimated that the state should listen more to local communities in solving the problems they face. All three mayors are convinced that it is imperative to listen more to local needs and support innovative solutions to improve the quality of life in the municipalities.

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