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| Municipality training seminar: Human Rights Promotion and Protection through the Institution of the Local Public Mediator
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 On July 23, 2004 a municipality training seminar on human rights promotion and protection through the institution of the local public mediator was held in Haskovo.
The event was organized jointly by CSD and the Bulgarian Youth League Stefan Stambolov – Smolyan.
Former and active local public mediators, students, journalists and citizens took part in the seminar.
It was opened by Mr. Velin Balkanski, Deputy Governor of Haskovo district, who presented the social and economic development of the district as well as the district administration activities aimed at human rights protection, improvement of administrative services, reducing corruption and raising transparency within the local authorities.
Mr. Deyan Ashkov, Chair of Bulgarian Youth Legion “Stefan Stambolov” – Smolyan and coordinator of the project “Local Ombudsman Institution in Rhodopa municipalities – building sustainable model of monitoring, civic control and partnership within local self-government”, presented the activities of CSD and Coalition 2000 on introducing the ombudsman institution in Bulgarai on national and local level.
He spoke also on the accumulated experience and problems in the field of curbing corruption on local level as well as the possibilities for establishing the institution of local public mediator.
The main characteristics of the ombudsman institution - in national and comparative context, the legal framework of the institution in Bulgaria on national and local level (Law on the Ombudsman, Law on the Local Self-Government and Local Administration) and the specific features of the local public mediators as a human rights protection mechanism were among the subjects referred to in the lecture of Ms. Krassimira Nathan, former expert oat the Office of the Sofia municipality Public mediator.
The ex-public mediator at the Mladost Region – Sofia Ms. Rada Koulekova, presented her experience and some interesting cases examined by her.
The participants in the seminar became interested in specific problems, resolved by the public mediator, the corruption cases she had confronted with, and the sanctions applied with regard to these, the interaction with municipal and state administration, etc.
The public mediator of Banite municipality Ms. Zorka Karipova, presented her activities and the experience gained after her election on March 23, 2004 as well as the actions, undertaken for raising the public awareness on the institution and improving the interaction with local authorities, e.g. through organizing meetings and public receptions in all the localities of the municipality.
The participants in the seminar discussed the main problems of the legal framework of the institution in Bulgaria and expressed critical opinions on the MPs' omission to include provisions on local public mediators in the Law on the Ombudsman. It was underlined that this approach does not create enough legal guarantees for establishment of such institutions. Many of the participants shared their indignation at the fact that the MPs still cannot reach consensus to elect the national ombudsman within the legally stipulated term.
The corruption background in the Haskovo district and the necessity and possibilities for introducing the institution of public mediator in Haskovo municipality were also among the main topics discussed.
At the end of the seminar the participants endorsed the following statements:
The public mediator is a guarantee for human rights protection.
The public mediator is an institutional mechanism for citizens’ participation in the local self-government.
The public mediator is an institutional mechanism for constructive interaction between citizens and local authorities.
The public mediator contributes to civil society development.
The public mediator contributes to reducing all forms of corruption, raising transparency within local authorities and restoring trust in the institutions.
It is necessary amendments of the Law on the Ombudsman to be adopted that regulate the status, activity and financing of the institution of local public mediator and its compulsory establishment on municipal level.
The institution of local public mediator is a necessity for Haskovo municipality as there are objective needs for its creation.
It is necessary that citizens, local NGOs, media and business representatives, local self-government and local administration undertake relevant measures for establishing a public mediator in Haskovo municipality.
The seminar was followed by a press conference with the participation of representatives of central and local print and electronic media.
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