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Public Defender’s Office Takes Part in 7th International Conference of Ombudsmen for Armed Forces

On 25-27 October 2015, in Prague, Czech Republic, Deputy Public Defender Natia Katsitadze and Head of the Department of Protection of Human Rights in the Field of Defense took part in the Seventh International Conference of Ombudsman’s Institutions for Armed Forces. The conference was organized by the Center for the Democratic Control of Armed Forces (DCAF) and the Ministry of Defence of the Czech Republic. The event was attended by representatives of the institutions for the rights of armed forces from 37 countries.

The conference participants shared the experience of various countries in protection of soldiers’ rights and reviewed various practices. They discussed the role of Ombudsman’s Institutions for the Armed Forces in carrying out civil and democratic control of military forces; the civil and political rights of the armed forces, including the right to participate in assemblies and manifestations, the right to affiliate with various associations and professional unions, the right to vote; the importance of observance of political neutrality by the troops; conduction of effective investigation into the facts of violation of rights of military personnel; the role and mechanisms of ombudsmen in protection of human rights in the armed forces.

A declaration was adopted at the end of the conference, as per which representatives of all countries agree on that the Ombudsman’s Institutions will continue to work to ensure effective realization of various rights and freedoms of the armed forces and to reduce the level of wrong management.

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