Human Rights Ombudsman Vlasta Nussdorfer hosted a reception for senior Slovenian officials, the diplomatic corps, members of the civil society, and representatives of national and religious communities on Friday, ahead of Human Rights Day, observed on 10 December.

Nussdorfer, whose term ends next year and is not vying to remain in office, looked back on the past six years and talked about issues that still persist, as she addressed the event at the Brdo pri Kranju conference centre.

She said that the Ombudsman's Office received more than 100,000 letters and about 6,000 phone calls of desperate and disappointed people in need of help, and examined than 20,000 petitions.

"But it is hard to do right by everybody. Especially when people have unrealistic expectations that the ombudsman would change a court ruling or agree with statements that have proved to not be true," said Nussdorfer.

She thanked the previous government and National Assembly for establishing the National Human Rights Institution after her predecessors had strived for it for two decades.

She also thanked all those who contributed to raising awareness about the respect for human rights and those who helped right many wrongs. But "everything is not as it should be, so we persevere".

Nussdorfer said that individuals continue to face challenges in many aspects of life and that a lot can still be done to improve the work of the judiciary.

She also believes more should be done in the field of unpaid salaries and social contributions.

President Borut Pahor presented her with a Slovenian flag, as a sign of gratitude by the state and the people for her work.



Source: Slovenian Press Agency