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The new statute should lead to a better defence of people's rights and to an enlargement of the Síndic's powers
The Síndic, Rafael Ribó assesses positively that the first draft of the Estatut contemplates some rights, like the equality of opportunities in education, living in a healthful environment or the right to be an informed consumer, because he trusts the fact they are included in the new text might help to increase their recognition. Since it was created, the institution has received complaints of the possible infringement of these and other rights, especially the social ones.
The Síndic expects that if the Estatut is passed, as the text collects people's rights, as well as the obligation of the public powers to defend them, it will be opened a new stage in Catalunya that will facilitate both a greater respect of the rights and a greater social cohesion.
Rafael Ribó has carried out these statements in the act of presentation of the third and last conference to commemorate the 20th Anniversary of the Catalan Ombudsman Act, which begins tomorrow and lasts until Friday the 30th. The conference will discuss the expansion of the institution of the Ombudsman and how the different models around Europe work in practice.
The main European ombudsmen (Sweden, Ireland, France, Austria, Belgium) as well as the European Ombudsman, Nikiforos Diamandauros and the Commissioner for Human Rights of the Coucil of Europe, Álvario Gil Robles, are staying these days in Barcelona to participate in the debate.
