The Office of Ombudsman Matjaz Hanzek sent to Prime Minister Anton Rop and some of his cabinet a proposal on establishing a national institution or an agency for the promotion and protection of human rights, Hanzek told the press on Wednesday.
Hanzek's office has realised that there is an absence of a special national institution for human rights protection in Slovenia which would deal with human rights' implementation, promotion of anti-discriminatory policies, follow the relevant legislation, propose ratification of international human rights documents, and deal with international co-operation in the area of human rights' protection.

Slovenia thus needs an institution or an agency which would be in charge of some important tasks in the area of human rights protection, which are at present not carried out by anyone, or only in a limited volume by some government offices, ministries, and the Ombudsman's office, said deputy Ombudsman Jernej Rovsek.

The setting up of a special national body for combating all kinds of discrimination is foreseen also by some official documents which the EU acceding countries, including Slovenia, need to incorporate in their body of law.

Apart from the mentioned tasks, such national institution should also prepare and co-ordinate the drafting of state reports based on conventions of the UN, the Council of Europe, and other institutions. It should also follow developments in the fields pertaining to human rights protection, co-ordinate education on different spheres of human rights protection, co-operate with human rights' NGOs, and co-ordinate minority policies, Rovsek explained.

Such national institution would also direct to the government and the parliament proposals, recommendations, and reports in connection to human rights violations.

The make-up of a human rights' protection institution should mirror the social structure of the country and would thus include representatives of the civil society and NGOs, said Rovsek.