The High Commissioner attended the inaugural International Ombudsman Conference organised in Rome on 21 and 22 September 2023 by the Ombudsman of the Lazio Region and President of the National Coordination Body of Italian Ombudsmen.
The conference, on the theme “the Role of Ombudsmen in the world: between reality and possibility”, saw nearly 200 Ombudsmen and mediation bodies from around the world come together to discuss their legal approaches and practices.
Alongside the Monegasque High Commissioner, several fellow members of the AOMF, AOM, and IOI were also present in Rome, providing an opportunity for productive exchanges.
One key area for discussion concerned the different challenges and practical issues encountered by Ombudsmen in their role as mediator between citizens and local authorities, and the adoption of sector-specific approaches to deal with them.
The participants also explored topics including the digital transformation, human rights in global crises, and the right to health.
The High Commissioner, Marina Ceyssac, addressed the conference and spoke about some of the recent issues the Monegasque institution has encountered in the area of the digital divide and respect for rights. She explained her organisation’s efforts to raise awareness about the risks in this area for both members of the public and the government,which include publishing official opinions about draft legislation on personal data and the use of facial recognition software for investigative and law enforcement purposes. The High Commissioner called for a standards framework to guarantee the protection of fundamental privacy rights.
She also highlighted the role that Ombudsmen could play in the future, by promoting the use of digital detection and analysis to help safeguard human rights.
