Monaco’s High Commissioner took part in an international webinar held on 7 April, to discuss the recent adoption by the United Nations General Assembly of Resolution no. 75/186 on “the role of Ombudsman and mediator institutions in the promotion and protection of human rights, good governance and the rule of law”.
The Resolution saw the United Nations endorse the “Venice Principles” on the protection and promotion of the Ombudsman institution, established by the Venice Commission and adopted by the Council of Europe in 2019.
As a result, these principles are now the new global standard, setting out the legal framework and conditions in which ombudsmen and other institutions concerned with the rule of law work for the benefit of citizens.
All States are strongly encouraged to :
- create independent and autonomous Ombudsmen at the national level, or strengthen them where they already exist ;
- endow these institutions with the constitutional and legislative framework necessary in order for them to remain fully independent and stable ;
- entrust them with a broad mandate across all public services and means of action, enabling them to prevent and resolve satisfactorily any unfairness and maladministration, and to promote and protect human rights ;
- grant them adequate material and financial resources to carry out their role correctly ;
- ensure that adequate protection exists for Ombudsmen against coercion, reprisals, or threats in the conduct of their duties.
The webinar, which was organised by the Mediator of the Kingdom of Morocco under the aegis of the AOMF (Association of Francophone Mediators and Ombudsmen), was attended by more than 180 participants on five continents, including Ombudsmen, Mediators, and representatives of the UN, the Council of Europe, and the Venice Commission.