Ombudsman
The Ombudsman offers independent and objective consideration of complaints, aimed at correcting injustices caused to an individual as a result of maladministration. A further important objective of the Ombudsman is to improve services provided to the public by ensuring that systemic failings are identified and corrected. From its early beginnings in Scandinavia in 1809, the Ombudsman concept has now been adopted and extended across the world. The Ombudsman idea has proved extraordinarily adaptable and innovative while remaining true to its original core principles of independence, objectivity and fairness. [IOI Bye Laws]
The International Ombudsman Institute (IOI), established in 1978, is the only global organisation for the cooperation of more than 198 independent Ombudsman institutions from more than 100 countries worldwide.
The International Ombudsman Institute is organised in regional chapters in Africa, Asia, Australasia & Pacific, Europe, the Caribbean & Latin America and North America.
Sacred Role of Ombudsman
The role of Ombudsman should be to seek to protect any person or body of persons against maladministration, violation of rights, unfairness, abuse, corruption, or any injustice caused by a public authority, or official acting or appearing to act in a public capacity, or officials of a body providing devolved, partially or fully privatized public services or services outsourced from a government entity, and which could also function as an alternative dispute resolution mechanism.
It should operate in a climate of confidentiality and impartiality to the extent its
governing legislation mandates, but should otherwise encourage free and frank
exchanges designed to promote open government.
It should not receive any direction from any public authority which would compromise its independence and should perform its functions independently of any public authority
over which jurisdiction is held. it should have the necessary powers and means to investigate complaints by any person or body of persons who considers that an act done or omitted, or any decision, advice or recommendation made by any public authority within its jurisdiction
Members of IOC
Africa
Benin
Médiateur de la République
Botswana
Botswana Ombudsman
Burkina Faso
Médiateur du Faso
Burundi
Ombudsman of the Republic
Djibouti
Médiateur de la République
Ethiopia
Institution of the Ombudsman
Gambia
Office of the Ombudsman
Ghana
Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice
Guinea
Médiateur de la République
Ivory Coast
Médiateur de la République
Kenya
Commission on Administrative Justice (Ombudsman)
Lesotho
Ombudsman
Malawi
Ombudsman
Mali
Médiateur de la République
Mauritius
OmbudsmanOmbudsperson for Children
Morocco
Médiateur du Royaume du Maroc
Mozambique
Provedor de Justiça
Namibia
Ombudsman
Niger
Médiateur de la République
Nigeria
Public Complaints Commission
Senegal
Médiateur de la République
Sierra Leone
Office of the Ombudsman
South Africa
Public ProtectorOmbudsman of the City of Cape TownOmbudsman for the City of JohannesburgWestern Cape Police OmbudsmanHealth Ombud
Sudan
Public Grievances Chamber (Ombudsman)Federal Chamber of Justice for Public Service Workers
Tanzania
Commission for Human Rights and Good Governance
Tunisia
Médiateur Administratif
Uganda
Inspectorate of Government
Zambia
Public Protector
Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe Human Rights Commission (ZHRC)
Asia
Bahrain
Inspector General Office – National Security AgencyOmbudsman for the Ministry of Interior
China – Macau
Commission against Corruption
India
Lokayukt Organization (Ombudsman) of Madhya Pradesh
Indonesia
Ombudsman of the Republic of Indonesia
Iran
General Inspection Organization (GIO)
Japan
Ministry of Internal Affairs & CommunicationsNational Federation of Administrative Counselors’ Associations
Jordan
Jordanian Integrity and Anti-Corruption Commission
Korea, Republic of
Anti-Corruption & Civil Rights CommissionOmbudsman Commission of Gangwon ProvinceCivil Ombudsman of Siheung CitySmall and Medium Business OmbudsmanCivil Ombudsman of Bucheon City
Pakistan
Wafaqi Mohtasib (Federal Ombudsman)Azad Jammu & Kashmir Mohtasib (Ombudsman)Provincial Ombudsman BalochistanProvincial Ombudsman Khyber Pakhtunkhwa PeshawarProvincial Ombudsman PunjabProvincial Ombudsman SindhBanking Mohtasib (Ombudsman) PakistanFederal Insurance OmbudsmanFederal Tax OmbudsmanProvincial Ombudsman Sindh for the Protection against Harassment of Women at the WorkplaceOmbudsman Punjab for the Protection against Harassment of Women at the Workplace
Sri Lanka
Parliamentary Commissioner for Administration (Ombudsman)
Thailand
Ombudsman
Timor Leste
Ombudsman for Human Rights and Justice
Australasia & Pacific
Australia
Commonwealth OmbudsmanNew South Wales OmbudsmanOmbudsman Northern TerritoryQueensland OmbudsmanOmbudsman South AustraliaOmbudsman TasmaniaVictorian OmbudsmanOmbudsman Western AustraliaInspector-General of Taxation and Taxation Ombudsman
China – Hong Kong
Ombudsman of Hong Kong, China
Cook Islands
National Ombudsman
New Zealand
National Ombudsman
Papua New Guinea
Ombudsman Commission
Samoa
Ombudsman (Komesina o Sulufaiga)
Solomon Islands
Ombudsman
Taiwan
Control yuan
Tonga
Ombudsman
Vanuatu
Ombudsman
Caribbean & Latin America
Antigua
Argentina
Defensor del Pueblo de la NaciónDefensor del Pueblo de la Provincia del ChacoDefensoría del Pueblo de la Provincia de CórdobaDefensor del Pueblo de la Provincia de JujuyDefensoría del Pueblo de la Provincia de Santa FeDefensoría del Pueblo de la Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos AiresDefensoría del Pueblo de la Ciudad de NeuquénDefensoría del Pueblo de la Ciudad de PosadasDefensoría del Pueblo de la Ciudad de Río CuartoAuditor General de Villa MaríaProcuración Penitenciaria de la Nación
Barbados
Ombudsman
Bermuda
Ombudsman
Cayman Islands
Ombudsman
Curacao
Ombudsman
Guatemala
Procuraduría de los Derechos Humanos
Haiti
Office of the Protection du Citoyen
Mexico
Comisión Nacional de los Derechos Humanos (CNDH)Comisión de Derechos Humanos del Distrito FederalComisión de los Derechos Humanos del Estado de Quintana Roo
Panama
Defensoría del Pueblo
Peru
Defensoría del Pueblo
Puerto Rico
Ombudsman
Sint Maarten
Ombudsman
Trinidad & Tobago
Ombudsman
Turks & Caicos Islands
Complaints Commissioner
Virgin Islands (British)
Complaints Commissioner
Europe
Albania
Armenia
Human Rights Defender
Austria
People’s AttorneyStateProsecutorVorarlberg
Azerbaijan
Commissioner for Human Rights (Ombudsman)
Belgium
The Federal OmbudsmanFlemish Ombudsman ServiceMédiateur de la Wallonie et de la Fédération Wallonie-BruxellesOmbudsvrouw stad AntwerpenOmbudswoman City of GhentOmbudswoman of the German-speaking Community of BelgiumPensions Ombudsman
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Institution of the Human Rights Ombudsman
Bulgaria
Ombudsman of the RepublicPublic Mediator of Sofia Municipality
Croatia
Croatian People’s Ombudswoman
Cyprus
Commissioner for Administration and the Protection of Human Rights (Ombudsman)
Czech Republic
Public Defender of Rights
Denmark
Danish Parliamentary Ombudsman
Estonia
Chancellor of Justice
European Union
European Ombudsman
Faroe Islands
Faroese Parliamentary Ombudsman
Finland
Parliamentary OmbudsmanChancellor of Justice
France
Le Defenseur des droits
Georgia
Public Defender (Ombudsman)
Germany
Petitions Committee of the German BundestagOmbudsman for the State of Schleswig-Holstein
Gibraltar
Public Services Ombudsman
Greece
Greek OmbudsmanCity of Athens Ombudsman
Greenland
Inatsisartut Ombudsman / Ombudsman for Inatsisartut
Hungary
Commissioner for Fundamental Rights
Iceland
The Althing Ombudsman
Ireland
OmbudsmanOmbudsman for ChildrenOmbudsman for the Defense Forces
Israel
State Comptroller & OmbudsmanOmbudsman of the Israeli JudiciaryOmbudswoman of the Conference on Jewish Material Claims against Germany
Italy
Ombudsman of the Autonomous Province Bolzano (South Tyrol)Difensore regional della LombardiaDifensore Civico della ToscanaDifensore Civico e Garante dei Minori della Provincia Autonoma di TrentoDifensore Civico della Regione autonoma Valle d’Aosta
Kosovo
Ombudsperson institution
Latvia
Ombudsman’s Office of the Republic of Latvia
Lithuania
Seimas (Parliamentary) Ombudsmen’s Office
Luxembourg
Ombudsman
Malta
Parliamentary Ombudsman
Moldova
The People’s Advocate (Ombudsman)
Netherlands
National OmbudsmanMunicipal Ombudsman AmsterdamMunicipal and Children’s Ombudsman of Rotterdam
North Macedonia
Ombudsman
Norway
Norwegian Parliamentary Ombudsman
Poland
Commissioner for Human Rights
Portugal
Provedor de Justiça
Principat d’Andorra
Raonador del Ciutadà
Romania
People’s Advocate
Serbia
Protector of Citizens of the Republic of SerbiaProvincial Protector of Citizens – Ombudsman of the Autonomous Province of Vojvodina
Slovak Republic
Public Defender of Rights
Slovenia
Human Rights Ombudsman
Spain
Defensor del PuebloDefensor del Pueblo AndaluzArarteko – Ombudsman for the Basque CountryProcurador del Común de Castilla y LeónSíndic de Greuges de CatalunyaEl Diputado del Común – Islas CanariasDefensor del Pueblo de NavarraSíndic de Greuges de laComunica deValenciaCommunityDefensor de la Ciutadania de GironaSindicatura de Greuges de L’Hospitalet
Sweden
Parliamentary Ombudsmen
Switzerland
Municipal Ombudswoman of Zurich
Turkey
Kamu Denetçiliği Kurumu (Ombudsman)Ombudsman of the Turkish Speaking Community of Cyprus
Ukraine
Parliament Commissioner for Human Rights
United Kingdom
Parliamentary and Health Service OmbudsmanLocal Government and Social Care Ombudsman for EnglandNorthern Ireland Public Services OmbudsmanScottish Public Services OmbudsmanPublic Services Ombudsman for WalesService Complaints Ombudsman for the Armed ForcesCommissioner for Older People for Northern Ireland
Uzbekistan
Authorized Person of the Oliy Majlis of the Republic of Uzbekistan for Human Rights (Ombudsman)
North America
Canada
Alberta OmbudsmanBritish Columbia OmbudsmanManitoba OmbudsmanOmbudsman New BrunswickOmbudsman Nova ScotiaOmbudsman OntarioProtecteur du citoyen du QuébecOmbudsman SaskatchewanOmbudman of the City of LavalOmbudsman City of MontrealOmbudsman TorontoCommissioner of Official LanguagesVeterans OmbudsmanHydro One OmbudspersonTaxpayers’ Ombudsman
United States
Ombudsman Dayton-Montgomery CountyState of Iowa – Office of OmbudsmanOmbudsman of the State of Hawaii
SOURCE: The International Ombudsman Institute (IOI)
The International Ombudsman Institute General Secretariat
c/o Austrian Ombudsman Board Singerstrasse 17
A-1015 Vienna, P.O. Box 20
Tel. +43/1/512 93 88
Fax. +43/1/512 93 88-200
E-Mail: ioi@volksanw.gv.at
