Dr. Adv. Esther Ben-Haim, Head of the Office of the Ombudsman, participated in a conference organized by the Ombudsman institution of Cyprus and the AOM (Association of Mediterranean Ombudsmen). The conference, held in Nicosia on 2.12.22, was attended by representatives from 17 countries.
The conference was held to mark “30+ years since the establishment of the institution of the Cyprus Ombudsman: The Rule of law, Principles and Exchange of Good Practices in the implementation of the OmbudsmanInstitution's Competences as tools for the better promotion and protection of Fundamental Human Rights”.
The conference included three fascinating panels of discussion. The first panel dealt with the principle of the rule of law with respect to the protection of human rights; the second panel dealt with the role of the ombudsman in upholding the rule of law; and the third panel dealt with the role of the NHRI (National Human Rights Institute) and use of best practices and tools in promoting and protecting human rights.
Dr. Adv. Esther Ben-Haim spoke in the second panel on “Ombudsmen's role in upholding the rule of law”.
In her lecture, Dr. Adv. Ben-Haim presented the unique structure of the State Comptroller and Ombudsman institution in Israel, emphasizing the fruitful cooperation between the two roles – the role of the State Comptroller in strengthening the rule of law through the conducting of audits, and that of the Ombudsman in upholding the rule of law towards the individual. Dr. Adv. Ben-Haim noted that this combination of roles multiplies the power of the Office of the State Comptroller and Ombudsman of Israel.
Dr. Adv. Ben-Haim further elaborated on the State Comptroller’s authority in his role as Ombudsman; with regard to the central role assigned to him by Israel’s lawmaker in upholding the rule of law; and the option of rectifying a general deficiency found when clarifying a specific complaint, as a central tool in strengthening the rule of law.
To conclude, Dr. Adv. Ben-Haim emphasized the importance of the Ombudsman institution’s continued independence and its empowerment as an institution with a significant contribution to oversight and enforcement of the rule of law by the government authorities.
Dr. Adv. Ben-Haim was accompanied by Adv. Karen Mordechai, Senior Assistant to the Head of the Office of the Ombudsman.