Not being treated fairly? Maybe the Ombudsman could help

Last week I joined the Ombudsman of Macedonia and Sakam da Kazam to officially mark our three-way cooperation on a new project Speak Up for the Ombudsman. From this autumn until spring 2018 this project will provide one more channel to give voice to citizens of Macedonia who need help from the Ombudsman.

The aims of the project are:

–      To help the Ombudsman raise his profile. Citizens will be more informed about his work and what he can do to help them.

–       To help all institutions become more responsive, or even proactive, in acting upon cases filed by people to the Ombudsman.

–       And to encourage more people to file complaints to the Ombudsman to help them with full respect of their rights.

Let’s take an everyday situation. You may well have experienced something similar. Say you’ve bought an apartment. At first your water and electricity bills were issued at the standard price.  But then you see a sudden increase in the charges. You think it must be a mistake, and approach your supply company. They simply inform you that the bill has been issued and that you must now pay it. You are confused, angry, or perhaps afraid that you might be cut off from the supply. Perhaps you feel all three of those emotions. But what can you do?  That is where the Ombudsman comes in: you can turn to him and his office.

Although the Ombudsman’s Office cannot make a decision on behalf of a state institution, it can help you to exercise your rights by advising you and any institutions involved, or by making proposals.  The Ombudsman’s services are available to all citizens.

What is the UK interest in this? Why is the British Embassy supporting Speak Up for the Ombudsman?  Three key points:

• Respect of human rights is central to the work that the Foreign and Commonwealth Office does. The UK collaborates with many countries worldwide where our support can help the Ombudsman’s Office in its work to promote the full exercise of human rights.

• Strengthening the partnership between a state institution and the media always serves the interests of the people. By getting more information out there, this partnership empowers people and motivates them to use the services of the Ombudsman. And the more the Ombudsman is used, the more he/she can protect and strengthen the rule of law, good governance and human rights.

• A better public understanding of the Ombudsman’s role, and greater use of the Ombudsman’s services, will help restore public trust in state institutions.

I love the word Ombudsman which came to English from Norwegian. I like its sound, and I like the fact that it is a unique word describing a unique – and important – concept.  But in some ways I prefer the terms used in Macedonia: Народен Правобранител and Avokati i Popullit.

I like them because they say, in slightly different ways, exactly what the service is there for.

Strong oversight by the Ombudsman is essential to the rule of law, to good governance, and to the protection of human rights. Macedonia’s prolonged crisis and political uncertainty have badly shaken the public’s confidence in the country’s institutions. And the Ombudsman is in a position to play a key role in rebuilding that confidence by helping citizens to get a fair deal. So let’s spread the word about what the Ombudsman can do.