The Board of the Austrian Ombudsman Board, consisting of Gaby Schwarz, Bernhard Achitz and Walter Rosenkranz, presented the decrees of appointment on 18 June. "I congratulate the new and existing members of the Human Rights Advisory Council and look forward to a good working relationship. My thanks go to the members who have now left, especially Deputy Chairman Andreas Hauer," said Achitz, the current Chairman of the Austrian Ombudsman Board: "The Human Rights Advisory Board is not only an essential advisor to us Ombudsmen, it also provides important impetus for public debate, most recently with its expert opinion on the right to assisted suicide in retirement and nursing homes."
The Human Rights Advisory Council advises the Austrian Ombudsman Board on human rights issues. It consists of representatives of the federal ministries, the federal provinces and civil society and supports the Ombudsman Board in determining the focal points of investigations, making findings of abuse and recommendations as well as ensuring uniform procedures and investigation standards.
The members and substitute members of the Advisory Board are nominated by NGOs and ministries. All members and substitute members are appointed by the Austrian Ombudsman Board. The Ombudsman Board is bound by the proposals of the federal ministries. According to the law, the Ombudsman Board selects eight NGOs, which then nominate one member and one substitute member each. In order to maintain its independence, the AOB has invited civil society to select these NGOs itself. With the aim of a results-orientated, open, transparent and inclusive process, 16 members were proposed. This proposal was unanimously accepted by the Ombudsman Board. During the appointment process, particular attention was paid to a balanced representation of genders, ethnic groups and people with disabilities, as well as to an independent, interdisciplinary and pluralistic composition of the members of the Human Rights Advisory Council.
All members of the Human Rights Advisory Board can be found here.
