Ombudsman

Law 58(Ι) of 2011 amended the Commissioner for Administration Law and assigned to the Commissioner for Administration extended responsibilities for the promotion and protection of Human Rights, leading to the recognition as National Human Rights Institution.

By this amendment the Commissioner for Administration was renamed Commissioner for Administration and the Protection of Human Rights and assigned the following powers:

to examine on his own initiative and prepare reports with opinions, proposals and suggestions on human rights issues;
to have contacts and hold consultations with Non-Governmental Organisations, human rights organisations and other bodies, as well as with other authorities and commissioners;
to attend meetings or other events of national human rights organisations of the States, held within the context of the UN, the Council of Europe and the European Union;
to cooperate with human rights commissioners and other respective institutions of the UN, the Council of Europe and the European Union, as well as with foreign organisations for the promotion and protection of human rights.

Following its accreditation as National Human Rights Institution in Cyprus, the Commissioner became member of the European Network of National Human Rights Institutions (ENNHRI).

The Network brings together the independent human rights institutions across Europe to enhance their cooperation and coordination for a more effective promotion of the principles of human rights, both at national and European level.

Officers from our Institution contribute to the action of the ENNHRI Network, providing information of the human rights situation in Cyprus and participating in specialised conferences and educational seminars held by the Network.