An ombudsman is an official, usually (but not always) appointed by the government or by parliament, who is charged with representing the interests of the public by investigating and addressing complaints reported by individual citizens. The word ombudsman and its specific meaning has since been adopted in to English as well as other languages, and ombudsmen have been instituted by other governments and organizations such as the European Union.

An ombudsman need not be appointed by government; they may work for a corporation, a newspaper, an NGO, or even for the general public.

Mission
 
Restoration of violated human rights by governmental and municipal bodies and officials

Ombudsman in politics

In most contexts, "ombudsman" refers a state official appointed to provide a check on government activity in the interests of the citizen, and to oversee the investigation of complaints of improper government activity against the citizen. If the ombudsman finds a complaint to be substantiated, he publishes a report to that effect. Further redress depends on the laws of the country concerned, but normally involves financial compensation. Ombudsman do not, however, tend to have the power to initiate legal proceedings or prosecution on the grounds of a complaint. This role is sometimes has been traditionally fuflilled by elected representatives.

The major advantage of an ombudsman is that she or he examines complaints from the outside of the state institutions that are being complained about. However, the system relies heavily on the selection of an appropriate individual for the office, and on the cooperation of at least some members of the state itself.

Organizational ombudsman

Many private companies, universities and government agencies also have an ombudsman (or an ombudsman department) which serve internal employees or other constituencies. These ombudsman roles are structured to function independently, by reporting to the board of directors, and do not serve any other role in the organization. Organizational ombudsmen are sometimes called "ombuds" or "ombuds officers" or "ombudsperson" or "ombud". They are beginning to appear around the world within organizations, sometimes as an alternative to anonymous hot lines, in countries where the latter are illegal or considered inappropriate.

An organizational ombudsman typically keeps no case records for an employer and keeps near absolute confidentiality. The only exception is where there appears to be an imminent risk of serious harm, and an ombudsman can see no responsible option other than breaking confidence -- but organizational ombuds programs report that they can almost always find "other responsible options", such as helping a visitor to make an anonymous report about whatever appears to be the problem.

Address