Role and Strategy

In 2019 the institution of the Ombudsman of the Republic of Bulgaria was accredited by the United Nations with the highest "A" status, in accordance with the Paris Principles, as a National Human Rights Institution (NHRI).

The 2018 amendments to the Ombudsman Act vested in the institution the power to receive and handle complaints and alerts of violations of citizens’ rights and freedoms, not only on the part of state and municipal authorities and their administrations, or by persons entrusted with the rendering of public services, but also by private entities. In exercising this power, the Ombudsman can also make proposals and recommendations for the promotion and protection of the endangered citizens’ rights and freedoms from private entities. The trend in recent years for an increased number of complaints is a result of the high confidence in the Ombudsman, the assistance received by citizens and organisations and the consistent policy of actively opening the institution to the public through meetings with non-governmental organisations and professional associations, meetings with citizens united for the resolution of a particular problem, holding round tables on specific topics, more frequent visits to specialised institutions, increasing the time for in-person meetings at the reception-room and organising various types of open days around the country.

The Ombudsman may approach the Constitutional Court with a petition to establish unconstitutionality of any law whereby any rights and freedoms of citizens are violated; submits a request for an interpretative decision or interpretative decree to the Supreme Court of Cassation and/or the Supreme Administrative Court.

With regard to rulemaking, the Ombudsman makes proposals and recommendations for elimination of the reasons and conditions which create prerequisites for violation of rights and freedoms, including proposals for regulatory amendments; submits opinions to the Council of Ministers and the National Assembly on bills relevant to human rights.

The public defender monitors and promotes effective implementation of signed and ratified international human rights instruments, and also makes proposals and recommendations to the Council of Ministers and the National Assembly on the signing and ratification of other international human rights acts. 

The Ombudsman monitors the implementation of international legal acts in Bulgaria, including:

• International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (ICERD);
• International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR);
• International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR);
• United Nations Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW);
• UN Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (CAT);
• UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC);
• UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD);
• The European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR);
• The EU Charter of Fundamental Rights (EU Charter).

More information can be found in the International Human Rights Instruments section.

In the period 2019-2021, the Ombudsman was the first chairperson of the Monitoring Council of the National Policy for Persons with Disabilities.

The activities of the Ombudsman and his/her administration are financed by the state budget and/or other public sources.