Ombudsman highlights Malta’s Human Rights Advocacy during Global Workshop in Liverpool

Ombudsman highlights Malta’s Human Rights Advocacy during Global Workshop in Liverpool

Published June 06, 2025

The third and final day of the international workshop on “Global Network on National Human Rights Action Planning: Uncovering 30 Years of NHRAPing – Lessons from the Five Continents” at the University of Liverpool saw the active contribution of the Parliamentary Ombudsman of Malta, Judge Joseph Zammit McKeon, who delivered a comprehensive presentation entitled “Having a National Human Rights Institution: The Malta Experience.”

Speaking during the panel on National Human Rights Institutions (NHRIs) and National Human Rights Action Plans (NHRAPs), Judge Zammit McKeon outlined Malta’s continued absence of an NHRI, despite being one of only two EU Member States without such an institution. He explained the sustained efforts of the Office of the Ombudsman to advocate for a model whereby the Ombudsman would also serve as Malta’s NHRI, aligning its functions with the Paris Principles. His address detailed the evolution of this proposal, engagement with national authorities, and the process undertaken with the European Network of National Human Rights Institutions (ENNHRI) to draft and propose a new Ombudsman Bill aimed at expanding the Office’s human rights mandate.

The Ombudsman also presented the key features of the proposed Bill, which would give the Office a dual function—investigating maladministration and protecting human rights—while reinforcing its constitutional and operational independence. He emphasised that Malta’s context does not require the establishment of a new body, but rather an enhancement of an already trusted institution. His remarks concluded with reference to the 2024 UN General Assembly Resolution recognising the important role of Ombudsman institutions in promoting and protecting human rights and the rule of law.

The full text of the Ombudsman’s presentation can be downloaded from here.

Today’s workshop programme covered a wide geographical and thematic range. It began with the Asia-Pacific session chaired by Dr Azadeh Chalabi, featuring experiences from Taiwan, Thailand, Nepal, and Southeast Asia. A subsequent panel chaired by Dr Jolita Miliuvienė, Parliamentary Ombudsperson of Lithuania, focused on participation and cooperation, with speakers from the Council of Europe, Georgia’s NHRI, the UN OHCHR, Türkiye, and the UNDP. The panel featuring Judge Zammit McKeon was chaired by Dr Stéphanie Lagoutte from the Danish Institute for Human Rights and included contributions from Professor Giorgio Repetto of the Università di Perugia, Italy, and Ms Anita Cavdarbasha Korenica, Deputy Ombudsperson of Kosovo.

Later sessions featured perspectives from Latin America, with representatives from Mexico, Brazil and civil society experts discussing innovative mechanisms for monitoring human rights and linking national efforts to regional and international frameworks. The event concluded with a session mapping the next steps for the global network on NHRAPs, as participants agreed to build on the momentum and establish a lasting platform for collaboration, mutual support, and shared learning.