Meeting of the Visegrad Group Ombudsmen in Slovakia
Date:
On April 10-11, 2013 professor Irena Lipowicz the Human Rights Defender of the Republic of Poland participated in an annual meeting of the Visegrad Group Ombudsmen, who met in Častá Papernička, Slovakia. The talks focused on the role of the ombudsman in the promotion of good governance.
During the meeting, the participants underlined the importance of the effective exercise of their constitutional duties which is directly related to the protection of the right to good governance. Good governance should not only lead to citizen-friendly practices, but according to European standards it is a fundamental precondition for actions and decision-making by independent public authorities.
Ombudsmen of the Visegrad Group agreed that their role is to be the "eyes and ears" of the national parliaments. By presenting independent ombudsman reports concerning their activities and competencies, they contribute to improving the information of the national assemblies. At the same time their reports form a basis for discussion and reflection about the ombudsman recommendations. Ombudsmen of the Visegrad Group regard it as appropriate that the parliament familiarizes itself with the report without a vote, which always contains the temptation of political judgment over the activities of independent control bodies like the ombudsman.
