90
- visit of a delegation of the Complaint Reception Office of Shanghai Municipal
Government;
- the practical workshop on Monitoring of psychiatric institutions, organized by the
Association for the Prevention of Torture, in collaboration with the Department for the
prevention of torture in places of detention;
- meeting with a team of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (OSCE-ODIHR), which evaluated the
electoral process.
And in the course of 2019, the People's Advocate Institution continued to collaborate
with universities throughout the country, by conducting student internships both at the
headquarters and at the territorial offices - 173 students.
**
In order to make the activity more efficient and to strengthen the relations with the
public authorities willing to collaborate with the People's Advocate institution, collaboration
protocols have been concluded: Protocol between the Documentation Center for Jurists and
Legal Assistance for Citizens of Partner 1 – West University of Timisoara of the Project
"Legal counseling services for victims of abuses or irregularities in the administration and
justice" and the People's Advocate Institution, concluded on April 3, 2019 and Protocol
between the Romanian Association for Transparency and the People's Advocate Institution,
concluded on October 24, 2019.
3.4. Communication and relations of the People's Advocate Institution with the
media
In 2019, especially in the second part of the year, the image and media relations
component of the institution underwent a major transformation. Beyond the fact that the
People's Advocate remained receptive to the signals released by the media regarding possible
violations of the rights and freedoms of citizens by public authorities or institutions, a new
approach was initiated within the institution, by organizing regular press conferences, held
both by the Ombudsperson and her deputies, as well as by counsellors or experts, direct
participants in the investigations and other actions undertaken by the institution.
The objectives that are maintained for 2020 are: initiating a constant collaboration with
the public radio station at central level; to draw up, like other Ombudsman institutions, a list
of public institutions and authorities that have not implemented or delayed the implementation
of the recommendations of the People's Advocate; start of collective hearings (meetings with
citizens); carrying out information campaigns, in the high school and university environment,
on the duties of the People's Advocate and on the issues related to the defense of human rights
and fundamental freedoms.
**
The Ombudsperson and her deputies participated in 99 radio-TV programs, 145
articles were published in the central and local press, were issued 184 press releases and 5
press conferences were organized:
- August 28, 2019, occasioned by the presentation of the new Ombudsperson;
- October 2, 2019, during which were presented, among others, the results of the
investigations regarding the Caracal case and those regarding the increase of traffic safety;
- October 18, 2019, presentation of the Special Report on the situation of human rights
in the psychiatric hospitals in Romania;
PEOPLE’S ADVOCATE
ANNUAL REPORT 2019
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