| International Ombudsman Institute (I.O.I.) | |
|---|---|
| Abbreviation | I.O.I., IOI |
| Formation | 1978 |
| Type | International organisation |
| Purpose/focus | cooperation of independent ombudsman institutions |
| Headquarters | Vienna, Austria |
| Region served | global |
| Membership | 135 institutions |
| Official languages | English, French, Spanish |
| President | Beverley Wakem |
| Main organ | Board of Directors |
| Website | [1] |
The International Ombudsman Institute (I.O.I.) was established in 1978 as an independent global organisation to help more than 150 independent local, regional and national Ombudsman institutions to cooperate. Typically these organizations handle complaints from the public about the public administration in their country, protecting people against violations of their rights.[1]
The International Ombudsman Institute is organised in regional chapters in Africa, Asia, Australasia & Pacific, Europe, the Caribbean and Latin America, and North America. The organisation has three working languages, English, French and Spanish. The General Secretariat is located in Austria, Vienna and is run by the Austrian Ombudsman Board (Volksanwaltschaft) .
The Chief New Zealand Ombudsman Beverley Wakem has been I.O.I. President since 2010, member of the Austrian Ombudsman Board Peter Kostelka has been Secretary General of Institute since 2009.
The next I.O.I.world conference will take place in New Zealand in autumn 2012.