International Ombudsman Institute
The International Ombudsman Institute (IOI), established in 1978, is the only global organisation for the cooperation of more than 190 independent Ombudsman institutions operating on a local, regional and national level from more than 100 countries worldwide. The role of Ombudsman institutions is to protect the people against the violation of rights, abuse of powers, unfair decisions and maladministration. They play an increasingly important role in improving public administration while making the government's actions more open and its administration more accountable to the public.[1]
| Abbreviation | IOI, IOI |
|---|---|
| Formation | 1978 |
| Type | International Organisation |
| Purpose | Cooperation of independent Ombudsman institutions |
| Headquarters | Vienna, Austria |
Region served | Global |
Membership | 191 institutions |
Official language | English, French, Spanish |
President | Peter Tyndall |
Main organ | Board of Directors |
| Website | www |
In its effort to focus on good governance and capacity building, the IOI supports its members in a threefold way: training, research and regional subsidies for projects. The IOI is organised in six regional chapters (Africa, Asia, Australasia & Pacific, Europe, the Caribbean & Latin America and North America) and has three working languages (English, French and Spanish).
The General Secretariat is located in Vienna (Austria) and is run by the Austrian Ombudsman Board (Volksanwaltschaft) since 2009.
The Ombudsman of Ireland, Peter Tyndall, is the current President of the IOI since he was elected in November 2016. Günther Kräuter, member of the Austrian Ombudsman Board, is the IOI´s Secretary General since 2013.
Presidents
- Peter Tyndall, Ireland, November 2016 –
- John R. Walters, Namibia, October 2014 – November 2016
- Dame Beverley Wakem, New Zealand, November 2010 – October 2014
- Mats Melin, Sweden, President in 2010
- Bill Angrick, United States, 2004 – 2010
- Clare Lewis, 2002 – 2004
- Sir Brian Elwood, New Zealand, 1999 – 2002
- Marten Oosting, Netherlands, −1999
- Jorge Maiorano, Argentina
- Sir John Robertson, New Zealand, 1992 – 1994
- Stephen Owen, Canada, 1990
- Bernard Frank, United States, 1985 –
- Ulf Lundvik, Sweden, 1984