9 WHY DOES THE COMMISSIONER PREPARE AN ANNUAL REPORT? Act CXI of 2011 on the Commissioner for Fundamental Rights (hereinafter referred to as the CFR Act) stipulates that the Commissioner for Fundamental Rights shall submit an annual report to Parliament. Each year the Commissioner informs the National Assembly about his/her activity relating to the protection of fundamental rights, and presents his/her measures taken in the following areas: the results of the Commissioner’s recommendations, statistics public interest disclosures child rights the interests of future generations Annual Report the rights of nationalities living in Hungary the rights of the most vulnerable social groups OPCAT the rights of persons with disabilities The proceedings of the Ombudsman rest on the Hungarian fundamental rights-related practice, especially on the jurisprudence of the Constitutional Court of Hungary. The Commissioner for Fundamental Rights has an authentic role as the interpreter of the Constitution, within which he/she has the possibility to make a fundamental rights-related argumentation in harmony with his/her constitutional function. Moreover, the Commissioner has significant leeway regarding the interpretation of his/her scope of competence, including his/her choice as to which groups he/she considers as the most vulnerable in addition to the areas listed above. ACTIVITIES AND ACHIEVEMENTS IN 2019 Following the Ombudsman’s foreword, Chapter 1 briefly summarises the Commissioner’s activities in 2019, especially the trends detected, figures, achievements, and the key aspects of the Ombudsman’s activity pertaining to legislation. Furthermore, it touches upon those decisions made in 2019 that concerned the changes in the Commissioner’s scope of competence, and the relocation of the Office of the Commissioner. Chapter 1 also presents a short summary of the most noteworthy cases and inquiries attracting the most attention in 2019. In this chapter, you can also read about the inquiries performed by the Deputy Commissioners regarding the protection of the rights of nationalities living in Hungary, and the interests of future generations, as well as their most important conclusions. APPEARANCE IN THE NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL ARENA The Commissioner facilitates the enforcement and protection of human rights, in the course of which he/she also performs social awareness-raising and educational activities, and cooperates with civil society organisations and institutions aiming at the promotion of the protection of fundamental rights. It is these areas that Chapter 2 brings into focus. Nearly the entire operation of the Office of the Commissioner takes place before the public eye of the professionals and society: each and every report, petition and communication by the Commissioner is intended to be for the public and about the public. Besides a firm argumentation anchored in fundamental rights and constitutional law, the efficient operation of the Office is guaranteed by the power of public criticism. It is in this spirit that Chapter 2 discusses the media coverage of the Ombudsman’s activities, the outstanding events of the year under review, which seek to raise awareness for fundamental rights, and enhance efficient cooperation with domestic and foreign partners. This chapter also presents the work and efforts of the Deputy Commissioners aimed at rights awareness development and changing mindsets in Hungary as well as in the international arena.