Montréal's expertise recognized nationally and internationally - Ombudsman de Montréal appointed board member of two major organizations for ombudsman and mediators

MONTREAL, Jan. 17, 2012 /CNW Telbec/ - Johanne Savard, Ombudsman of the Ville de Montréal, has been appointed to the Boards of Directors of the Association des Ombudsmans et Médiateurs de la Francophonie (AOMF) and the Forum of Canadian Ombudsman (FCO).

The two appointments in 2011 illustrate the extent to which the Ombudsman de Montréal's expertise in the management of citizen complaints and in mediation is recognized nationally and internationally.

It is worth noting that the Ville de Montréal is among the first North American cities to have provided its citizens with the services of an ombudsman and the first in Québec to have created an ombudsman's position that is totally independent of the city's political institutions and the City Manager's office.

Association des Ombudsmans et Médiateurs de la Francophonie

Created in May 1998, the AOMF has 51 member organizations.

The Association's mission is to promote awareness of the role of ombudsmen and mediators in all countries of the Francophonie (French-language equivalent of the Commonwealth) and to strengthen these institutions by organizing training programs, seminars and exchanges of experience and expertise. The preamble to the statutes of the AOMF describes the commitment of the organization and its members to implementation of the Bamako Declaration (reaffirming the need to include institutional mediation as an important principle of good governance in a constitutional state).

Forum of Canadian Ombudsman

The FCO was created in 2000 as an information resource and networking tool for the different offices and individuals providing ombudsman services within their organizations and communities in Canada. It offers a variety of programs designed to help its members improve their skills and effectiveness.

The Ombudsman de Montréal

The OMBUDSMAN DE MONTRÉAL intervenes as a last resort to ensure that the municipal rights of citizens are respected and that their cases are treated fairly and with respect by all municipal entities. This service is completely free of charge and contributes positively to participatory democracy, ethics, fairness and justice within the Ville de Montréal.

The Ombudsman is also the only recourse available to citizens for ensuring that the Montréal Charter of Rights and Responsibilities is respected by municipal employees and elected officials alike.

A complaint form and the 2010 Annual Report are available on the website of the OMBUDSMAN DE MONTRÉAL.

http://ombudsmandemontreal.com

For further information:

André Bouthillier
514 849-4554
514 895-0127
[email protected]