A4 DRAFT LETTERS OF RESPONSE TO A COMPLAINT EXAMPLE 4: The complaint may be a human rights violation, but the Mission lacks the mandate or resources to take action: Dear .......................... , Thank you for your letter of 11 January 2003 concerning the difficulties you are having in collecting the government pension checks that are due to you. The Mission is aware that erratic payment of pensions by the government is causing substantial hardships for many citizens of Swebulg. We regret, however, that the Mission is not in a position to assist in resolving pension problems because of our small size and limited resources and because our mandate does not extend to pension issues. In addition, there are no specific OSCE human rights commitments relating to this issue. Nevertheless, your case, as you have described it, does seem to merit action by the government, especially since Swebulg has ratified the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, through which it undertook to implement the right to social security. If you have not already contacted the Ministry of Pensions, we recommend that you do so. Another option would be to contact the Office of the Ombudsman, which has been helpful in such cases in the past. A third alternative would be to address the courts; one of the local legal-aid societies may be able to assist you with the necessary paperwork. A list of offices and organizations that may be able to assist you is attached. Sincerely, Jane Smithova Human Dimension Officer 126