Appointments, news...

APPOINTMENTS, NEWS…

Human Rights Ombudsman of the Republic of Slovenia is elected 4th Director for the European Region of the IOI

Dr. Herman Wuyts, Regional vice-president – Europe announced in European Newsletter (No. 3, May 2002) a final results election process organized to designate the 4th Director for the European Region of the IOI. Mr. Matjaž Hanžek, Human Rights Ombudsman of the Republic of Slovenia won the election at the first round with 16 of the 51 votes cast, compared to 13 for Peter Kostelka (Austria), 13 for Patricia Thomas (England) and 9 for Frédéric Bovesse (Belgium).

New European Ombudsman Institute (EOI) Board elected

The 6th European Ombudsman Conference took place in Cracow from 22 to 24 May 2002. It was organised and hosted by the Polish Ombudsman Institution in partnership with the EOI.

Subsequent to the Conference the EOI held its General Assembly for the year 2002 and elected a new Board in accordance with its statutes. The members of the Board are:
President: Dr Werner PALLA (Ombudsman for South Tyrol, Italy)
Vice-presidents: Markus KAEGI (Ombudsman for the Canton of Zurich, Switzerland)
Prof Dr Andrzej ZOLL (Rzecznik Praw Obywatelskich, Poland)
Secretary: Dr Johannes PEZZEI (Ombudsman for Tyrol, Austria)
Treasurer: Dr Felix DUENSER (Ombudsman for Vorarlberg, Austria)

Further members:

Prof Dr Bernardo DEL ROSAL BLASCO (Síndic de Greuges de la Comunitat Valenciana, Spain)
Dr Romano FANTAPPIÉ (Difensore Civico della Regione Toscana, Italy)
Dr Arne FLIFLET (Sivilombudsmannen, Norway)
Ulrich GALLE (Buergerbeauftragter des Landes Rheinland-Pfalz, Germany)
Migiel van KINDEREN (Gemeentelijke Ombudsman van Rotterdam, Netherlands)
Heidemarie LUETH (Vorsitzende des Petitionsausschusses des Deutschen Bundestages, Germany)
Prof Dr Oleg MIRONOV (Human Rights Commissioner for the Russian Federation)
Branka RAGUZ (Ured federalnog ombudsmena, Bosnia and Hercegovina)
Mag Dr Nikolaus SCHWAERZLER (Austria)
Prof Jerry WHITE (Local Government Ombudsman, England)

The Executive Secretary of the EOI, who is to be appointed in accordance with Article 12, Paragraph 6 of the statutes, will be elected at the Board Meeting of 26 July 2002. Until that Board Meeting the former Executive Secretary will continue to run the secretariat on an interim basis.

Ombudsman presents 2001 Annual Report

The European Ombudsman, Jacob Söderman, presented his 2001 Annual Report to the Committee on Petitions of the European Parliament on 8 April. The report gives an overview of the work of the Ombudsman in 2001 and highlights the results achieved for EU citizens. Details available:
http://www.europarl.eu.int/ombudsman/Release/en/2002-04-09.htm .

For further information, please call Ian Harden, Head of the Legal Department, tel:+33 (0) 3 88 17 2384 or Rosita Agnew, +33 (0) 3 88 17 2408.

New team for human rights appointed in Republika Srpska

The first ombudsmen elected through regular parliamentary procedure were appointed by the National Assembly of Republika Srpska on April 25 to a five-year term of office. They are: Ms Branka Kolar-Mijatovic, Mr Zlatko Kulenovic and Mr Franjo Crnjac.

Apointment in Bashkiria

The first regional ombudsman of the Russian Federation was appointed in the Republic of Bashkiria. The very first ombudsman was Dschingis Bareevich GASISOV, who is now in his second term of office.

Newsletter No. 27