09 March 2016
09-10.03.2016, Malta
NINTH MEETING OF THE ASSOCIATION OF OMBUDSMEN OF THE MEDITERRANEAN
The Ombudsman, Mr. Ixhet Memeti attended the Ninth meeting of the Association of Ombudsmen of the Mediterranean entitled as "The Ombudsman - a Key Player for Good Governance", which this year was held on 9 and 10 March in Malta.
In the focus of the meeting was the migrant crisis in Europe and the role that ombudsmen and mediators in the Mediterranean countries have in the protection of the rights of migrants and refugees. The Ombudsman, Mr. Ixhet Memeti had a presentation on this topic, referring to the situation of refugees transiting through the Republic of Macedonia, the role of the Ombudsman institution in protecting the rights of these people, but also the situation in the two transit centers where the refugees are staying especially in the last period when the countries of the so-called Balkan route closed its borders. He asked for a serious approach by all actors involved in addressing this issue in order to find a humane treatment for these persons, in particular for the vulnerable groups i.e. children, women and elderly. At this meeting, the Association adopted a Declaration that countries of the Association pledged to affect all stakeholders, both domestic and international, national and non-governmental, in compliance with the standards and obligations arising from the international human rights law, including the Geneva Conventions of 1951 in order to protect the human rights of refugees transiting through the countries of the Mediterranean and to provide humane treatment for them.
In the scope of this meeting the General Assembly of the Association was held during which new members of the administrative bodies were elected and new Member States with right to vote, Monaco and Kosovo were accepted. The General Assembly agreed on the place of the next meeting of the Association in 2018 to be held in Ohrid, Macedonia.