ADC and 40 organizations launch the campaign “Ombudsman NOW”
The Association for Civil Rights and more than 40 organizations have started a new campaign named “Defensor/a del pueblo YA (Ombudsman NOW)” aiming to demand that the Legislative Branch comply with this pending subject.
The Public Defender’s Office has been vacant for 12 years. Congress is indebted to society, and those elected in the November ballots must commit themselves to appoint a key figure for the defense of all people’s rights.
The Ombudsman’s Office is an independent agency with operational autonomy, whose mission is to defend the rights, safeguards, and interests protected by the National Constitution and the law which might be affected by acts or omissions of the different administrations, and to control their exercise.
For this procedure, legislators must elect a candidate to the position with two-thirds of the vote. Over the last twelve years, however, they have failed to reach an agreement and left society without this important figure for the defense of its guarantees.
The Ombudsman’s Office is central in the defense of human rights and the control of government acts. It is empowered to handle citizen complaints, conduct investigations, publish reports, formulate proposals and recommendations, and act in court cases making use of its procedural legitimacy in relation to: failure from public bodies to respond claims, issues related to poor public service provision, lack of information, breaches of the human, user, and consumer rights, issues related to the preservation of the environment, cases of non-compliance with court rulings by governments.
One of the main disadvantages of keeping this position vacant is the limitation it imposes on the actions that it can carry out and its management capacity.
In times of elections, candidates must commit themselves to settle this pending subject that Congress has with society. The safeguard of people’s rights must be at the core of government actions.
After 12 years with no Public Defender, it is time political disputes were put aside and both Houses urgently appoint a suitable, independent, and proactive authority in the safeguard of rights through an open and participatory process.
The document is endorsed by:
Asociación por los Derechos Civiles (ADC)
Amnesty International
Civil Association for Equality and Justice (ACIJ)
Center for Legal and Social Studies (CELS)
Legislative Directory
Argentinian Fibromyalgia Foundation Dante Mainieri
Environment and Natural Resources Foundation (FARN)
Fundación Sur
Institute for Comparative Studies in Criminal and Social Sciences (INECIP)
Fundación Poder Ciudadano (Citizen Power Foundation)
TECHO
Vida Silvestre (Wildlife)
Eco House Global
Climate Alliance Argentina
Fundación Huésped
FEIM
Women in Equality
ELA
FUSA AC
Asociana Foundation
ENDEPA
Association for the Promotion of Culture and Development – Las Lomitas, Formosa
Lawyers from Northwest Argentina in Human Rights and Social Studies (ANDHES)
Argentinian Commission for Refugees and Migrants (CAREF)
Transparent Salta
Fundeps
Foundation for an Empowered Society
Democracia en Red (Democracy Network)
Public Policy Laboratory (LPP)
Our Mendoza Foundation
AFDA Diverse Families Civil Association
Democratic Change Foundation
Let’s Help to Help Civil Association
El Refugio de Gral. San Martin Retirement Center
People with HIV/AIDS Network of Mar del Plata
Lihuen Civil Association of San Isidro
Open Knowledge Foundation (FCA)
(Datos Concepción) Concepción Data
Our Córdoba Citizen Network
Somos Pares (We are Peers) Civil Association
Multipolar Foundation
A.P.D.E.N.A.
Fundación Ciudad
Bajo la Lupa (Under the Spotlight) Civil Association
