International Ombudsman Institute: Board of Directors holds its first meeting in Vienna from 19 to 21 November

In June 2009 members of the International Ombudsman Institute (I.O.I.) unanimously opted for the relocation of its General Secretariat from Edmonton(Canada) to Vienna(Austria). Since September 1st 2009the new General Secretariat has taken up operations and is this week hosting the first Board meeting in Vienna. The list of participants reflects the organisation’s global outreach: Ombudsmen from the United States, Canada, Hong Kongand Koreawill meet their counterparts from Zambia, New Zealandand Papua New Guinea. European ombudsman institutions from Sweden, Greece and Spain participate alongside their colleagues from the Bermuda Islands and Trinidad & Tobago.

The Board Meeting will focus on the conclusion of the relocation process and the business plan for the coming year. „I believe that we should not limit our range of activities to a mere information exchange between member institutions. We should consider it equally important to develop best practice examples as well as to set benchmarks for a fair and transparent administration. Board members will therefore also discuss the possibility of frequent training activities, the support of academic research and a stronger cooperation with international organisations. The World Bank acknowledges the particular importance of the principle of good governance. Due to its specific expertise, the I.O.I. could become a valuable partner specifically for new democracies which specifically focus on the support of the rule of law and the fight against corruption“, declared Peter Kostelka, the organization’s Secretary General, ahead of the Vienna Meeting. In this context he also re-emphasised the strong political support in Austriawhich made it possible to relocate the General Secretariat of the I.O.I. from Edmonton(Canada) to Vienna(Austria). „Both the Federal Government and the City of Vienna, as well as the National and the Federal Council unanimously supported this project from the beginning. It is therefore a great honour that the president of the Federal Council will welcome the I.O.I. Board members during their visit.“

The International Ombudsman Institute is an independent and non-political organisation established in 1978. According to its by-laws, the I.O.I.’s main purpose is to encourage the close cooperation and information exchange of ombudsman institutions all over the world. The I.O.I. is organised in regional chapters in Africa, Asia, Australasia and the Pacific, in the Caribbean as well as Latin America, Northern America and Europe. The I.O.I. currently counts 150 members, i.e. national and regional Ombudsman Institutions, from 75 different countries.

Since September 2009 the General Secretariat of the I.O.I. is located in the premises of the Austrian Ombudsman Board in Vienna. The by-laws of the organisation stipulate, that a member of the Austrian Ombudsman Board shall be appointed as Secretary General of the I.O.I. Since June 2009, this office is held by Dr. Peter Kostelka. The Secretary General of the I.O.I. manages the administrative office, which also takes care of the project management.