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Appointment, news...

Alvaro Gil-Robles nominated the first Commissioner for Human Rights of the Council of Europe

The Parliamentary Assembly of the 41 nation Council of Europe elected on September 21, 1999 Alvaro GIL-ROBLES the first Commissioner for Human Rights. He won the election at the first round with 97 of the 193 votes cast, compared to 56 for Gret Haller (Switzerland) and 40 for Monica Luisa Macovei (Romania). Alvaro Gil-Robles was the Spanish Defensor del Pueblo (Ombudsman) between 1988 and 1993.
Planned at the Summit of Heads of State and Government in Strasbourg in October 1997, this new post of Commissioner for Human Rights is non-judicial. The Commissioner will be responsible for furthering human rights education and awareness in member states and ensuring full and effective respect of Council of Europe texts such as conventions, recommendations and resolutions adopted by the Committee of Ministers.

The Commissioner will play a supporting and essentially preventive role, performing different functions from those of the European Court of Human Rights and of other treaty-based organs. He will not handle individual petitions but, exercising complete independence and impartiality, provide advice and all relevant information on protection of human rights and prevention of human rights violations. The Commissioner will take office not later than 1 January 2000 for a non-renewable term of six years.

Dr. Marten Oosting stepped down as National Ombudsman

On October 1, 1999, Dr. Marten Oosting stepped down as National Ombudsman of the Netherlands. Our colleague has also been editor of the Newsletter of the European Ombudsmen since the beginning of its creation in the year 1993 until the beginning of this year. On behalf of all of us who benefited from the Newsletter and who had the privilege of meeting with him I would like to thank Marten for the great work he has done as national ombudsman and express my gratitude for the friendship I met in the cooperation with him. I am sure on behalf of all of us I wish him all success for his future life and work.

A workshop on ombudsman institution in the Czech Republic

The parliament of the Czech Republic has in cooperation with the United Nations Development Programme organised at the end of June a workshop on ombudsman institution. The aim of the workshop was to present and discuss the international experience with the ombudsman institution and to debate the potential advantages and disadvantages of institutionalization of such an office.

Annual Meeting of the European National Ombudsmen

The 8th Annual Meeting of the European National Ombudsmen has been for this year planed to take place in the mid of October in Georgia. On the March 1, 1999 the Public Defender of Georgia Mr. David Salaridze confirmed, that they are in the position to host the annual meeting in Tbilisi.
Due to some financial problems it was not possible to announce the Meeting and send the invitation in due time. It is to add that Mr. Salaridze, the Public Defender of Georgia, due to the participation in the parliamentary elections resigned from his post.

We received a letter from Mr. Teimuraz Lomsadze, Deputy Public Defender of Georgia in September. According to the information the meeting is planned to take place in March 2000.

About the exact dates of the postponed meeting you will be informed as soon as the decision will be taken.

New address of the Moldovan Center for Human Rights 

The address of the Moldovan Center for Human Rights, as well as of the individual members of EOI: Parliamentary Advocates Mr. Alexei Potinga, Mr. Constantin Lazari, Mr. Mihail Sidorov, and Ms. Alla Skvortova have been changed to the following:

Center for Human Rights of Moldova,16, str. Sfatul Tarii, Chisinau, MD-2012, Moldova

For the Parliamentary Advocates:
Tel: (373-2) 234 800 (reception), Fax: (373-2) 225 442
E-mail: cpdom(at)un.md,

For Ms. Alla Skvortova:
Tel/Fax: (373-2) 24 50 79

Appointment, news...

Alvaro Gil-Robles nominated the first Commissioner for Human Rights of the Council of Europe

The Parliamentary Assembly of the 41 nation Council of Europe elected on September 21, 1999 Alvaro GIL-ROBLES the first Commissioner for Human Rights. He won the election at the first round with 97 of the 193 votes cast, compared to 56 for Gret Haller (Switzerland) and 40 for Monica Luisa Macovei (Romania). Alvaro Gil-Robles was the Spanish Defensor del Pueblo (Ombudsman) between 1988 and 1993.
Planned at the Summit of Heads of State and Government in Strasbourg in October 1997, this new post of Commissioner for Human Rights is non-judicial. The Commissioner will be responsible for furthering human rights education and awareness in member states and ensuring full and effective respect of Council of Europe texts such as conventions, recommendations and resolutions adopted by the Committee of Ministers.

The Commissioner will play a supporting and essentially preventive role, performing different functions from those of the European Court of Human Rights and of other treaty-based organs. He will not handle individual petitions but, exercising complete independence and impartiality, provide advice and all relevant information on protection of human rights and prevention of human rights violations. The Commissioner will take office not later than 1 January 2000 for a non-renewable term of six years.

Dr. Marten Oosting stepped down as National Ombudsman

On October 1, 1999, Dr. Marten Oosting stepped down as National Ombudsman of the Netherlands. Our colleague has also been editor of the Newsletter of the European Ombudsmen since the beginning of its creation in the year 1993 until the beginning of this year. On behalf of all of us who benefited from the Newsletter and who had the privilege of meeting with him I would like to thank Marten for the great work he has done as national ombudsman and express my gratitude for the friendship I met in the cooperation with him. I am sure on behalf of all of us I wish him all success for his future life and work.

A workshop on ombudsman institution in the Czech Republic

The parliament of the Czech Republic has in cooperation with the United Nations Development Programme organised at the end of June a workshop on ombudsman institution. The aim of the workshop was to present and discuss the international experience with the ombudsman institution and to debate the potential advantages and disadvantages of institutionalization of such an office.

Annual Meeting of the European National Ombudsmen

The 8th Annual Meeting of the European National Ombudsmen has been for this year planed to take place in the mid of October in Georgia. On the March 1, 1999 the Public Defender of Georgia Mr. David Salaridze confirmed, that they are in the position to host the annual meeting in Tbilisi.
Due to some financial problems it was not possible to announce the Meeting and send the invitation in due time. It is to add that Mr. Salaridze, the Public Defender of Georgia, due to the participation in the parliamentary elections resigned from his post.

We received a letter from Mr. Teimuraz Lomsadze, Deputy Public Defender of Georgia in September. According to the information the meeting is planned to take place in March 2000.

About the exact dates of the postponed meeting you will be informed as soon as the decision will be taken.

New address of the Moldovan Center for Human Rights 

The address of the Moldovan Center for Human Rights, as well as of the individual members of EOI: Parliamentary Advocates Mr. Alexei Potinga, Mr. Constantin Lazari, Mr. Mihail Sidorov, and Ms. Alla Skvortova have been changed to the following:

Center for Human Rights of Moldova,16, str. Sfatul Tarii, Chisinau, MD-2012, Moldova

For the Parliamentary Advocates:
Tel: (373-2) 234 800 (reception), Fax: (373-2) 225 442
E-mail: cpdom(at)un.md,

For Ms. Alla Skvortova:
Tel/Fax: (373-2) 24 50 79