International activities International ombudsman institute (IOI) Headquarters in Vienna Since 2009, the AOB has been the home of the General Secretariat of the International Ombudsman Institute (IOI). The IOI links more than 155 independent ombudsman institutions from more than 90 countries in the African, Asian, Australasian and Pacific (APOR), European, Caribbean and Latin America, as well as the North American Region. The members are institutions that monitor and control public administration on the national, regional and/or local level. IOI World Conference The 10th World Conference of the IOI took place in Wellington, New Zealand, in November 2012. This important international conference was hosted by the New Zealand Ombudsman to mark the occasion of the 50-year anniversary of the ombudsman institution in New Zealand. Around 300 participants from more than 70 countries took advantage of this opportunity to share their experiences and opinions, especially with regard to the focus of the conference: “Speaking Truth to Power – The Ombudsman in the 21st Century”. Wellington Declaration Another topic at the World Conference was the support of ombudsman institutions, which are being prevented from carrying out their independent activity by political pressure – in the case of Malawi, this actually went as far as a brief incarceration of the ombudswoman – or budgetary cuts. Therefore, the member organisations represented in Wellington unanimously adopted the “Wellington Declaration” in order to send a clear signal against these (cost-cutting) policies that result in the curtailment of citizens' access to the rule of law. IOI reform In the four years since the IOI General Secretariat relocated its headquarters to Vienna, the activities of this international organisation have been increasingly expanded. The extensive reform of the IOI ByLaws has been a particular focus in the last year. A comprehensive draft of the By-Laws was prepared under the committed leadership of Dame Beverley Wakem (IOI President and Chief Ombudswoman of New Zealand). The main emphasis of the reform was on a more inclusive direction of the IOI, while at the same time developing clearly worded membership criteria. Other important components of this reform are a greater involvement of the member organisations in the Institute’s decision-making processes and making the activities of the 94