On Friday, 28 February 2025, Ombudswoman Tena Šimonović Einwalter held a meeting with Fr. Eunan McMullan, European Programme Coordinator at Franciscans International, a Franciscan organisation with consultative status at the United Nations.
The discussion focused on areas of shared interest, particularly the protection of human dignity and human rights in the face of everyday challenges, the issue of migration, and, notably, the right to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment.
Ombudswoman Šimonović Einwalter briefly presented the mandates and activities of the Office of the Ombudswoman, with particular emphasis on its role as the National Human Rights Institution (NHRI). She highlighted the institution’s Annual Report to the Croatian Parliament as one of its key tools—offering a comprehensive analysis and assessment of the state of human rights and freedoms in Croatia, accompanied by recommendations aimed at addressing systemic shortcomings and irregularities that lead to violations of constitutional and legal rights in various areas.
Fr. McMullan spoke about the work of Franciscans International, with particular emphasis on activities related to the realisation of the right to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment. He also presented a publication developed by the organisation which outlines the process from the recognition of this right to its adoption as a human right by the United Nations in 2021.