The Role of the Institution of Ombudsman in Strengthening the Protection of Human Rights and Freedoms in Armenia, Moldova and Ukraine

Abstract

Today the ombudsman institution is widely and actively used in state systems of protection of human rights and freedoms from arbitrariness of public authorities and from abuse of power by state officials. The world experience of the emergence and development of this institution demonstrates that it is an effective instrument of a democratic state tending to respect the rule of law. The main role of the ombudsman institution is to control the balance between the legislative, executive and judicial branches of power, observe the lawfulness of public authorities’ activities as well as protect the violated rights and interests of people because of action (inaction) of government bodies and officials. The master’s thesis aims to assess the role of the ombudsman institution in the three countries of the Eastern Partnership (EaP) which are Armenia, Moldova and Ukraine. These countries were chosen since they share the common historic legacy after the collapse of the Soviet Union and all three countries have undergone a long way of transition towards democracy. The master’s thesis is divided into three chapters: in the first chapter the emergence and evolution of the ombudsman institution in the world and within the post-Soviet space is described; the second chapter elaborates on the comparative study of the National Laws which established the ombudsman institution in the respective countries and covers the issues of ombudsman’s appointment and dismissal as well as his/her competence; the final chapter is dedicated to the assessment of ombudsman’s role (its effectiveness) in the protection of human rights and freedoms through the elaboration of appropriate criteria and indicators . The research component of the paper will focus on qualitative measures such as public opinion surveys regarding the general awareness of the societies about the institution and its role in protecting and promoting human rights and freedoms in the respective countries. Finally, the author will come up with evaluative conclusions and practical recommendations to all countries of the present research.