Activities of the Ombudsman as as the Central Body for the Suppression of Discrimination (Equality Body)

Since handling discrimination complaints is one of the basic tasks of an Equality Body, the Ombudsman has started to receive complaints from January 1st 2009 and handles them according to his mandate.

In order to familiarise the public with the content of the Act and the mechanisms of protection from discrimination, in cooperation with the UN Development Programme (UNDP) in Croatia a conference entitled „The Ombudsman as as the Central Body for the Suppression of Discrimination“ was held in Zagreb, thus officially marking the beginning of implementation of the Act which gives a new mandate to the Ombudsman. The new web pages of the Office of the Ombudsman enable the public to learn about rights and the way in which the new Anti-discrimination Act regulates protection from discrimination, as well as about the powers of the Ombudsman as the Central Body for the Suppression of Discrimination and the powers and authority of the special ombuds: the Ombud for Disability, Ombud for Gender Equality and Ombud for Children.

Education of key actors in the field of suppression of discrimination is one of the more important activities for the successful implementation of the Anti-discrimination Act, especially in this first year of the implementation of the Act. The Office of the Ombudsman, in cooperation with the Office for Human Rights of the Government of Croatia as the project leader and Centre for Peace Studies  as project partner within the Community Programme „Progress“ is conducting a project „Supporting the implementation of the Anti-discrimination Act“ within which during the year we have organised and continue to organise seminars for key actors in the non-discrimination field.  So far the seminars for the employees of the Office of the Ombudsman and specialised ombuds have been organised in March 2009 in Zagreb, while a seminar for civil servants was also organised in March in Zagreb. One seminar for judges was organised in Zagreb and one in Osijek in April 2009. A two day seminar for attorneys at law was held in Šibenik in May 2009, while in June 2009 a seminar for representatives of NGOs, the media and trade unions was held in Primošten. The employees of the Office of the Ombudsman have also been trained in mediation by the Croatian Association for Mediation and the Ministry of Justice, as mediation is one of the new powers of the Ombudsman according to the Anti-discrimination Act.

Education and cooperation with similar bodies has been developing through the European Network of Equality Bodies „Equinet“, of which the office of the Ombudsman has become a member, which enables us to take part in seminars organised within the network. Taking part in the „Peer to Peer“ project of the European Union and the Council of Europe likewise enables additional learning, with the goal of the programme being to establish an active network of independent non-judicial structures for human rights protection.

The Ombudsman believes raising awareness on the importance of the fight against discrimination among young people is crucial. That is why we have taught at the Human Rights Summer School organised by European Law Students’ Association association ELSA Zagreb in Zadar in July this year, where students were familiarised with the role of the Ombudsman and the new legal developments in relation to the Anti-discrimination Act. By holding a lecture „The Anti-discrimination Act“ the Ombudsman has also taken part in „Open education days“ organised in Bjelovar.

Cooperation with the NGOs has existed before, and in the field of discrimination is a duty of the Ombudsman. The representatives of the Office have taken part in the project „The implementation of laws on local and national level“ which the organisation B.a.b.e. organises in cooperation with local organisations. Within this project the advisers to the Ombudsman have been present at the round tables in Dalj and Pakrac discussing „The  implementation of the anti-discrimination laws on local and national level“, which B.a.b.e. have organised in cooperation with organisation GORD from Dalj and organisation Delfin from Pakrac. The advisers to the Ombudsman have also represented the Ombudsman at the round table „The role of the civil society in the implementation of the Anti-discrimination Act“ organised in Vukovar in March 2009 by the Centre for Legal Advice and Psychosocial Help.

Regarding international activities the most significant is that the Ombudsman as a National Human Rights Institution has for the first time, alongside the official governmental delegation, been present at a session of the Committee for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination. At this 74th session of the UN Committee for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD) the sixth, seventh and eights periodic report on the implementation of the Convention in Croatia was under review.

In order to fulfil the tasks that the Anti-discrimination Act has put forward, intensive cooperation with specialised ombuds is necessary. In order to work on individual complaints, to educate staff and take stands on the interpretation of key legal terms, as well as to coordinate the implementation of the Act and international legal standards, the offices of these institutions maintain regular contacts and exchange data and experiences.

Conference „The Ombudsman as as the Central Body for the Suppression of Discrimination“ was held in Zagreb“,  Zagreb, January 2009

Seminar for the employees of the Office of the Ombudsman and specialised ombuds, Zagreb, March 2009