On 18 and 19 February the Human Rights Ombudsman of the Republic of Slovenia hosted the Austrian Ombudsman Board. The Ombudspersons Dr Peter Kostelk, Dr Maria Theresia Fekter, MA, Terezija Stisits, MA, and the directors Dr Heidi Pacher, Michael Mauerer and Thomas Sperlich, MA, visited the Ombudsman’s institution with the purpose to familiarise themselves with the methods of work and competencies of both institutions. 

According to the classic Scandinavian ombudsman type the Austrian Ombudspersons deal mostly with state administration’s bad treatment, however in the frame of legal restrictions they try to expand their work also to the field of human rights protection. In accordance with the law, the Human Rights Ombudsman of the Republic of Slovenia has greater competences to treat broader issues of human rights protection and legal protection, which the Austrian colleagues defined as great power, and also responsibility.
 
The Ombudsman Dr Zdenka Čebašek-Travnik, her deputies Tone Dolčič and  Kornelija Marzel, MA, General Secretary Bojana Kvas, Director of expert service  Bojana Cvahte, MA, Deputy General Secretary Jernej Rovšek, Head of legal matters and optional protocol Ivan Šelih, and Head of public relations Nataša Kuzmič presented in detail the forms and methods of work to their Austrian colleagues. They were particularly interested in the Ombudsman’s role in human rights protection, his role as a national institution for protection and promotion of human rights, implementation of tasks of the national preventive mechanism under the Optional protocol to the Convention against Torture and other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, public relations and concrete handling of initiatives.

The Ombudsman also familiarised them with some of her projects, like children’s advocacy, consultation on the right to a healthy living environment as a human right, and preparations for the May consultation on poverty.