When people believe their rights have been violated by a public institution, they need somewhere they can turn for help. The Ombudsperson plays an important role in protecting those rights and making sure public institutions are held accountable.
For the Ombudsperson to do this effectively, the Institution needs to be independent, have the power to investigate complaints and have the resources to carry out its work.
This is why the OSCE Mission to Skopje is supporting efforts to strengthen the Ombudsperson Institution. On 22 October, the Mission, together with the Ombudsperson Institution, the United Nations and the Assembly, brought together representatives of institutions, civil society and international partners to discuss proposed changes to the Law on the Ombudsperson.
The proposed changes would strengthen the Institution's independence, improve its ability to investigate complaints and make its services more accessible, including for persons with disabilities.
"An institution cannot exercise its mandate fully if it lacks the independence to make decisions, the powers necessary to investigate, or the human and financial resources required to carry out its responsibilities," said Ambassador Kilian Wahl, Head of the OSCE Mission to Skopje.
Ombudsperson Faton Selami stressed that the discussion should go beyond the legal changes themselves.
"We should not see the discussion on amendments to the Law on the Ombudsperson merely as a legal matter, but as an opportunity to discuss how to ensure more effective protection of human rights and greater accountability of institutions," he said.
Assembly President Afrim Gashi expressed the Assembly's support for strengthening the Ombudsperson, stressing that the proposed changes must lead to better protection of citizens' rights.
"The protection and respect of every citizen's rights are part of the guarantee of rights for all," he said.
