News

13 March 2026

The Ombudsman of the Republic of Bulgaria, Velislava Delcheva, is participating in the Council of Europe Forum on Ombudsman Institutions and National Human Rights Institutions (NHRI), which is taking place on 12 and 13 March 2026 in Strasbourg, France. The high-level conference brings together representatives of ombudsman institutions, national human rights bodies, judges, international experts, and representatives of European institutions.

The forum opened with welcoming remarks by Bjorn Berge, Deputy Secretary General of the Council of Europe, and Daniela Cujbă, Ambassador of the Republic of Moldova and Chair of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe. The keynote address was delivered by Egils Levits, former President of Latvia and former judge at the European Court of Human Rights.

During the first day, participants discussed key topics related to the protection of democratic processes, countering foreign interference, and the erosion of mechanisms for checks and balances between branches of power, as well as the role of ombudsman institutions in safeguarding the rule of law. Special attention was also given to the involvement of young people in protecting human rights and democratic values.

The second day of the forum is being held at the European Court of Human Rights and is dedicated to the Court’s case law on freedom of expression, as well as to the role of ombudsmen and national human rights institutions in proceedings before the Court and in the implementation of its judgments.

The moderator of one of the key sessions dedicated to the case law of the European Court of Human Rights and the role of national human rights institutions and ombudsmen, is Diana Kovacheva, a Bulgarian judge at the European Court of Human Rights and former Ombudsman of the Republic of Bulgaria.

Ombudsman Velislava Delcheva’s participation in the forum is part of the Ombudsman institution’s active international engagement and its efforts to strengthen mechanisms for the protection of citizens’ rights, exchange best practices, and enhance the role of national human rights institutions in Europe.