An annual conference of European electors of the International Ombudsman Institute (IOI) is scheduled to be held in Ljubljana between 5 and 7 December. Slovenian Ombudsman Matjaz Hanzek told Tuesday's news conference that he expects 59 participants from 28 countries amd 38 institutions. The main topic of the gathering will be the independence of the Ombudsman.
Hanzek said that the conference would promote Slovenia in a slightly different way to the current promotion the country is getting through NATO accession. It is important that Slovenia is presented abroad as a country that respects human rights, in search of better public administration and the quality of life, and not as a country seeking security in militarization and integration in military organisations, stressed the Ombudsman.

The first day of the conference is to be staged in the parliament building, where the participants are to be addressed by Parliament Speaker Borut Pahor, the regional vice-president of the European IOI section Herman Wuyts and deputy president of the Slovenian Constitutional Court Janez Cebulj.

The conference is also to place emphasis on the financial independence of the Ombudsman, because in many countries politics can influence the ombudsmen by decreasing funds for their work, pointed out Hanzek, adding that "luckily this is not the case in Slovenia".

Other important topics on the agenda will be the ombudsman's independence toward the civil society, political structures and the media.

On the second day of the conference, the participants are to be received by Slovenian President Milan Kucan.

The conference, which should have originally been staged in Paris, is to cost six million tolars (EUR 26,000). Hanzek's office is to contribute four million tolars (EUR 17,400).