Following the appointment of new members to the Council for Human Rights of the Ombudswoman at the end of last year, the first session of this advisory body was held on Tuesday, 31 January 2023. In addition to Ombudswoman Tena Šimonović Einwalter and Deputy Ombudspersons Dijana Kesonja, Saša Rajić, and Tatjana Vlašić, the meeting was attended by the newly appointed Council members: Ana Horvat Vuković and Matija Miloš as representatives of the academic community; Paulina Arbutina and Rosa Oršuš as representatives of national minorities; Marija Udiljak and Melisa Skender as media representatives; and Željka Leljak Gracin as a representative of civil society, along with Ivan Novosel, whose term continues, also as a representative of civil society.
On this occasion, the new Council members were given a detailed introduction to the legislative framework within which the institution operates, its mandates and competences, the internal structure of the Office of the Ombudswoman, the functioning of regional offices in Rijeka, Split, and Osijek, the preparation of the Ombudswoman’s Annual Report and special reports submitted to the Croatian Parliament, the processes of drafting and amending various regulations and strategies, and the institution’s overall public engagement.
The meeting also included agreements on models of cooperation between the Ombudswoman and the Council members, which, in addition to regular sessions, will involve working groups on specific human rights and equality issues, or bilateral cooperation.
The Council for Human Rights is an advisory body that proposes strategic guidelines to the Ombudswoman in the field of promoting human rights and freedoms, and strengthens the institution’s cooperation with civil society, the academic community, and the media. It meets at least twice a year and, in addition to the aforementioned tasks, also discusses analytical and research work and proposes guidelines for increasing the institution’s visibility and recognition.