The 13th World Conference of the IOI (the International Ombudsman Institute) was held at the Hague in the Netherlands from 12.5.24 to 17.5.24 under the title "Act together for our tomorrow".
The Office of the Ombudsman was represented at the Conference by the State Comptroller and Ombudsman of Israel, Matanyahu Englman, the Director of the Office of the Ombudsman, Dr. Esther Ben-Haim, and the Deputy Director of the Office of the Ombudsman, Ronit Zandberg.
The Conference agenda comprised four topics: Climate change and living conditions; outreach to and inclusiveness of vulnerable and marginalized groups; moral dilemmas; future generations. Parallel workshops were held in each one of these matters, where relevant issues were discussed. The Office of the Ombudsman's representatives participated in the various workshops and made a great contribution to the discourse that took place there.
The Conference hosted the general assembly of the IOI organization and meetings were also held of each of the organization's groups (the organization is divided into six groups according to regions). The Office of the Ombudsman participated in a meeting of the IOI - Europe group, to which it is affiliated.
The Director of the Office of the Ombudsman participated in a meeting of the IOI work group. This group, of which the Director of the Office of the Ombudsman is a member, deals with the relationship of the ombudsman institutes with the UN.
Furthermore, the Office of the Ombudsman's representatives met with other ombudsmen from all over the world, including the ombudsmen of Scotland, Estonia, Australia, New Zealand and Malta, and also with the incoming President of the IOI, the Ombudswoman of Mexico City. These meetings were designed for getting acquainted with each other and examining possibilities for future cooperation.
The representatives from the Office of the Ombudsman participated in the Conference during the Swords of Iron War; against this background, the meetings and workshops where the representatives from the Office of the Ombudsman met with representatives from all over the world were utilized for the benefit of effective public diplomacy on behalf of the State of Israel and raising the awareness of the ombudsmen community of the hostages in Gaza..jpeg)
In the photograph: Ronit Zandberg, Deputy Director of the Office of the Ombudsman, the Director of the Office of the Ombudsman Dr. Adv. Esther Ben-Haim, Nashieli Ramirez Hernandez, President of the IOI and the Ombudswoman of Mexico City, and State Comptroller and Ombudsman Mr. Matanyahu Englman.
In the photograph: The Director of the Office of the Ombudsman Dr. Adv. Esther Ben-Haim, Rebecca Hilsenrath, the present Parliamentary Ombudsman of Great Britain, Rosemary Agnew, the Parliamentary Ombudsman of Scotland, Rob Behrens, the outgoing Parliamentary Ombudsman of Great Britain, and State Comptroller and Ombudsman Mr. Matanyahu Englman.