The Committee on Human Rights and the Rights of National Minorities of the Croatian Parliament unanimously adopted the Ombudswoman’s Annual Report for 2022 at its session held on 18 October 2023. Members of Parliament on the Committee emphasized that the Report is comprehensive and well-substantiated, and that its analyses, data, and conclusions are widely read and utilized.
The Committee also unanimously adopted a conclusion recommending that the Croatian Parliament discuss the Report in a plenary session by 15 December of this year.
The Chair of the Committee, Milorad Pupovac, expressed support for the institution’s work by calling on competent authorities to enhance cooperation with the Ombudswoman, particularly in terms of providing data and monitoring the implementation of recommendations. This aligns with one of the six recommendations made by the European Commission to the Republic of Croatia in the 2023 Rule of Law Report – to further improve the implementation of recommendations and to respond more systematically to the Ombudswoman’s requests for information.
Presenting the Report, Ombudswoman Tena Šimonović Einwalter briefly outlined the institution’s activities in the protection and promotion of human rights during 2022, as well as the challenges faced by citizens in exercising their rights.
These issues are addressed in the Report through more than 60 topics and subtopics, along with 170 recommendations that provide direction for resolving them. At the session, the Ombudswoman particularly emphasized problems related to the impact of poverty on the realization of human rights, the right to health, earthquake consequences, the right to good governance, migration, the rights of national minorities, discrimination in employment and at work, discrimination based on nationality or origin, hate speech and hate crimes, issues within the prison system, as well as trends concerning the protection of whistleblowers.
Regarding the institution’s activities, the Ombudswoman handled 4,534 new cases in 2022, which is a 5.7% increase compared to 2021. When including cases continued from previous years, the total number rises to 6,099. The highest number of citizen complaints in 2022 related to difficulties in the healthcare sector, totaling 411.
The institution also actively advocated for improved public policies by preparing analyses and providing commentary on as many as 36 legislative proposals, and later participating in parliamentary committee sessions. This includes discussions within the scope of legislative activities as well as thematic meetings.
The Ombudswoman briefly presented the institution’s cooperation and both national and international activities, responding to numerous invitations from various stakeholders to give presentations and participate in discussions. This is also a recognition of the institution’s commitment to human rights and equality, and the quality of its work in their protection and promotion.
In 2022, the Ombudswoman, her deputies, and advisors conducted a series of human rights and equality trainings across several Croatian cities. These were aimed at judicial and probation officers, employers, lawyers, civil servants, trade unions, corporate lawyers, and students. A large number of the trainings focused on the application of the Whistleblower Protection Act for confidential advisers and judicial officials, primarily judges.
Fieldwork throughout Croatia was also intensive, for example with residents whose homes were damaged in earthquakes, in environmentally polluted areas, in Roma settlements, and through the mandate of the National Preventive Mechanism for the prevention of torture and other cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment or punishment.
Also significant was the implementation of the fourth round of the large-scale periodic survey on perceptions and occurrences of discrimination in Croatia, which the institution has been conducting since 2009. This is the largest and only regular survey on discrimination in the country.
Finally, the Ombudswoman called on representatives of state administration bodies present to engage in even better cooperation, and urged Members of Parliament to support the institution’s work in order to ensure effective protection of human rights in Croatia.
The Ombudswoman’s Annual Report for 2022 is available for download in PDF format or for use in an interactive version.