OSCE Mission to Skopje marks 10th anniversary of the Ombudsman Institution

SKOPJE, 10 December 2008 - Ambassador Natalya Drozd, Acting Head of the OSCE Spillover Monitor Mission to Skopje, commended the work of National Ombudsman Ixhet Memeti and his deputies today, on the institution's 10th anniversary.

"The OSCE Mission to Skopje is pleased to have been a part of the growth and development of the Ombudsman institution, especially in the establishment of the six regional offices, which have helped to make the Ombudsman more accessible to the people," said Ambassador Drozd.

Memeti noted that today was not just the 10th anniversary of his office but also the 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights: "The two anniversaries have the same goal - they remind us of our commitments and obligations to promote human rights and freedom, and thus provide for the welfare of our citizens."

The OSCE Mission to Skopje and the Swedish International Development Agency have supported a number of projects to strengthen and build the Ombudsman's capacities.