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Oct Nov

26-27 November, Kavala, Grrece
Workshops on «Intervention of the Greek Ombudsman on the protection of environment with focus on integrated water management»

Two workshops on the topic «Intervention of the Greek Ombudsman on the protection of environment with focus on integrated water management» took place in Kavala on the 26th and 27th November. The transboundary river system of Nestos was selected as a case study. The two workshops are part of the 2009 activities on environmental topics, which were designed to involve the Ombudsmen Offices of Bulgaria and FYROM. The workshops were of a preparative nature and involved national stakeholders and administration.

The Greek ombudsman office delegation was lead by the Deputy Ombudsman Chrysi Hatzi and consisted of 4 special scientists from the Dept. Quality of Life: Konstantine Antoniades, Vassiliki Karageorgou, Katerina Fliatoura and Athina Koutroumani (coordinator of the activity for EUNOMIA).

On the 26th of November the workshop involved representatives of NGOs with proved experience and action on the topic, academic and research institutions, technical and geotechnical commerce of Greece. The aim of the workshop was to map the problems raised between public administration and citizens in the framework the implementation of integrated water management policies.

The workshop organized on the 27th of November aimed at identifying the problems that the public administration faces in implementing the legislative framework on integrated water management. Indicative topics of discussion were effective coordination between the responsible public authorities and problems in the citizens and state relation. All public authorities involved in water management actively participated in the workshop (Region of East Macedonia and Thrace, Prefectures, Management Agency of Delta Nestos-Vistonida-Ismarida, Local Administration, Public Power Corporation of Greece, etc).

The results of the 2 workshops and the joint activities with the Ombudsmen Offices of Bulgaria and FYROM will be presented at an international workshop on the Ombudsman mandate on the protection of environment, which will be organized by EYNOMIA in June 2009.

19-20 November 2008

Eleni Koutroumpa took part in the second Annual Meeting of Contact Persons that was organized by the Commissioner for Human Rights, in Strasburg, on 19-20 November 2008. The annual meeting was an opportunity to examine the co-operation between the Contact Persons and their Institutions and the Commissioner’s and to evaluate the activities organized in the framework of the Peer to Peer project.  In addition, two issues were discussed:  “The protection and promotion by national human rights structures of the human rights of lesbian, gays, bisexual and transgender persons” and “The role of national human rights structures in the defence of human rights defenders”.

14 November 2008
Preparatory visit to the Ombudsman of FYROM

On 14 November 2008 a kick-off meeting took place in Skopje setting up the framework of joint activities between the Ombudsman offices of Greece and FYROM in areas of transboundary environmental interest. The meeting was attended by the Ombudsman of FYROM Mr. Idzet Memeti, the Ombudsman office councilor for international co-operation Ms. Uranija Pirovska, EUNOMIA project manager Mr. Dimitris Christopoulos and senior investigator in the Greek Ombudsman office Ms. Athina Koutroumani.

The activities planned for 2009 aim at exchanging best practices on environmental mediation work, raising awareness on the role of the Ombudsman in environmental issues and developing a basis of cooperation in environmental problems.

The first activity planned is a study visit of a Greek Ombudsman delegation in FYROM (scheduled for January 2009). The delegation will consist of Mr Nikos Vittis and Ms Tzella Bosdogianni, senior investigators from the Quality of Life department and the Deputy Ombudsman, Ms Chrissi Hatzi, who will carry out capacity building work at the headquarters and regional offices of the Ombudsman of FYROM on case handling related to environmental protection.

The second activity (spring 2009) will consist of jointly handling environmental complaints or building up a case study on an environmental issue, possibly of transboundary nature. The joint activity will focus on identifying the sources of maladministration, developing confidence and good working relations with the administration, promoting environmental protection and good administrative practices.

The results of the joint activities will be presented at an international workshop on the role of Ombudsman in environmental issues, which will be organized by EYNOMIA in June 2009.

22-24 October 2008
Visit of the Serbian Ombudsman in Athens.

A delegation of the Ombudsman of the Republic of Serbia, headed by Mr Sasa Jankovic Ombudsman of the Republic of Serbia, Mr Milos Jankovic, Deputy Ombudsman for detainees and Ms Gordana Stefanovic, Deputy Secretary General paid a study visit at the premises of the Greek Ombudsman in Athens from the 22nd till the 24th of October 2008.

Within the framework of this visit, the Serbian delegation has been introduced to the Internal structure, departments, IT complain handling system, and flowchart, administration services and the Ombudsman’s front desk work. The delegations from the two Ombudsman offices exchanged views on case handling procedures on human rights issues with particular focus on minority rights, Social Welfare cases handling, Environmental and cultural heritage protection, Children Rights case handling as well as the Ombudsman’s mandate as national equality body. At the context of the visit, Mr Jankovic delivered a lecture before the Greek Ombudsman staff entitled “Challenges and perspectives of the Ombudsman in Serbia”.

Both the Greek Ombudsman, Mr Kaminis and his Serb counterpart, Mr Jankovic expressed the view that the horizontal relation between the staff of their respective institutions should consolidate the links of cooperation among the two offices. Mr Kaminis will head the Greek Ombudsman delegation at the working visit in Belgrade in December 2008.