Austrian Ombudsman Board: Chair rotation

As of 1 July 2012 Ombudswoman Terezija Stoisits has taken over the chairmanship of the Austrian Ombudsman Board (AOB) from Getrude Brinek who held the position since July 2011. Based on its legal foundations the chairmanship of the AOB rotates and changes each year on 1 July. As stipulated in the Standing Rules of the AOB Stoisits will chair the monthly meetings of the AOB members, will represent the institution and will be responsible for internal administrative issues in the next twelve months.

In the following months the new Chair will be significantly involved in transforming the AOB into the “human rights house of the Republic of Austria”. The implementation of the UN Optional Protocol to the Convention against Torture and other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (OPCAT) entails historic changes and the broadest expansion of the AOB mandate in its history.

“The AOB is well prepared for the extended mandate”, stresses Stoisits. She is convinced that the new notion of office, consequent substantive work and the relevant publicity will help the AOB to quickly adapt to its new function as the “human rights house of the Republic of Austria”.

The new Chair also emphasises that the core business of the AOB members is not going to change stressing that the AOB will continue to attend to citizens’ problems concerning public administration in the same effective way as this was previously the case.