Venice Principles
On 15 March 2019, the “Principles on the Protection and Promotion of the Ombudsman Institution”, (“The Venice Principles”) were adopted by the Venice Commission which is the Council of Europe’s Commission for Democracy through Law providing legal advice to its Member States.
The 25 Venice Principles represent the first, independent, international set of standards for the Ombudsman institution. They play a key role in protecting existing Ombudsman offices who are facing threats, provide guidelines for the improvement of current Ombudsman offices and set a template for new offices where none are present.
https://www.venice.coe.int/webforms/documents/default.aspx?pdffile=CDL-AD(2019)005-e
UN Resolution on the Ombudsman Institution
This resolution was adopted by the UN General Assembly on 15 December 2022.
The UN resolution represents a strong endorsement of the key principles of ombudsman institutions, including independence, objectivity, transparency, fairness and impartiality. It is an important further step in securing worldwide recognition for the work of Ombudsman institutions in promoting good administration, human rights, good governance and the rule of
This is an important step to strengthen independent and autonomous Ombudsman institutions worldwide and to raise awareness at international level for the essential role Ombudsman institutions around the world play in the protection and promotion of human rights. It confirms and reinforces the importance of a close cooperation between the IOI and the United Nations.
The Canadian Council of Parliamentary Ombudsman have developed a helpful assessment tool to ensure fairness is included in the development of decision-making processes and delivery of programs. You can find more information here.
The British Columbia Ombudsperson’s Office created a Complaint Handling Guide which is an excellent resource for any organization handling complaints. You can download a copy of the guide here. The BC office also offers an online training session for those wishing to learn more about administrative fairness.
