Victorian Ombudsman Deborah Glass elected to board of global Ombudsman body
Date posted:Victorian Ombudsman Deborah Glass has been elected to the board of the International Ombudsman Institute (IOI), which connects more than 190 Ombudsman offices world-wide.
Ms Glass, who is attending the IOI’s annual board meeting hosted by the National Human Rights Commission of Mexico next week, is one of three Australasian Pacific representatives on the IOI board.
“I am looking forward to participating in discussions about how to achieve best practice in Ombudsman institutions and public services worldwide,” Ms Glass said.
“It will be good to have the opportunity to contribute what I have learnt in my five years as Victoria’s Ombudsman, and to learn from members coming from more than 100 countries,” she said.
Established in 1978, the IOI encourages the creation of Ombudsman institutions where they do not exist, promotes information exchange and shared learning through conferences and training initiatives, and funds research and regional projects.
The IOI is committed to promoting the Ombudsman concept. On its website, it says ‘Ombudsman institutions are an important mechanism in the improvement of public administration.
‘They make actions of governments more open, their administration more accountable to the public and also play an increasingly important role in the protection and promotion of human rights’.
Media contact: Mob 0409 936 235 | vomedia@ombudsman.vic.gov.au