In Andorra, the Raonador del Ciutadà as such was established on 4 June 1998. The General Council approved the Law on the creation and functioning of the Citizen’s Ombudsman, with the aim of creating an institution to ensure the effectiveness of administrative action and to defend the rights and freedoms guaranteed to citizens by the Constitution, in a complementary manner to the jurisdictional control of administrative activity.
With the reform of the law, in October 2017, new functions are included.
Through this text, he is also given the mission of ensuring compliance with the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Functional Diversity, informing and assisting victims of racism or discrimination, and at the same time extends the powers of the Ombudsman to the private sphere, in matter of minors, of people with functional diversity and in the fight against discrimination.
In this way, it responds to the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, adopted by the General Assembly of the United Nations on December 13, 2006 and which was signed by Andorra in 2007 and ratified by the Parliament in 2014.
This agreement establishes that it is necessary to designate an independent mechanism to promote, protect and supervise its application, and for this reason it was considered appropriate to entrust this mission to the Ombudsman, given that it is an independent institution with close and easy operation, of easy access for people with functional diversity and the entities that represent them, and for citizens in general.
Thus, the approved draft law attributes to it the functions of informing, helping and advising people with functional diversity of the rights that the aforementioned Convention recognizes, and of ensuring their compliance.
In addition, the powers of the Citizen’s Ombudsman to receive and process complaints and claims concerning citizens’ relations with private persons or entities – apart from public administrations and other public entities and bodies – are also extended only when it comes to the performance of functions related to the fight against racism, intolerance and discrimination, but also in relation to the defense and protection of the rights of minors and people with functional diversity.
Head of institution
Marc Vila Amigó, Ombudsman
Website
Address
Placeta Sant Esteve s/n. Casa Bauró AD500, Andorra la Vella
Year of establishment
1998
Accreditation status
N/A
Year of accreditation
N/A
Number of staff
4 people
Regional offices
N/A
Mandate(s)
- Ombudsman Institution
Core functions
- Monitoring
- Publishing research, recommendations and opinions
- Reporting to international human rights mechanisms
- Advising government, parliament and other public bodies
- Supporting the work of human rights defenders
- Cooperation with civil society organisations
- Awareness raising activities
