Office of the commissioner for fundamental rights of hungary

In the opinion of the Commissioner for Fundamental Rights, the state does not completely fulfill its obligations, as the cases of deaths in residential care homes are not automatically followed by objective, professional inquiries, independent from the age of the deceased person and the maintainer of the institution. In his report, Ombudsman László Székely requested the Minister of Human Capacities to act as soon as possible.

The requirement that kindergarten pupils with special educational needs and disabilities should be educated on an inclusive basis, i.e. in harmony with their special needs, is not fulfilled in the Hungarian system of public education, the regulations set out in the Public Education Act and those specified in the National Disability Program are not coherent, and the human resources are also missing. Ombudsman László Székely requested the responsible ministry to act as soon as possible, in addition to his having established the above fact and having made his recommendations for solving the improper situations explained in the individual complaints.

The Commissioner for Fundamental Rights has been functioning as National Preventive Mechanism (NPM) since January 1, 2015. The NPM’s task is to regularly examine the treatment of the detainees held in institutions falling under the effect of the OPCAT, the Optional Protocol to the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment. In addition to uncovering possible anomalies, the ultimate objective of the NPM is to persuade the authorities and institutions concerned to improve the system of functioning safeguards to prevent all forms of ill-treatment.

The Commissioner for Fundamental Rights thinks that the requirement that blind and partially sighted entrepreneurs and employees may only meet their obligation to issue their receipts by using online cash registers causes an impropriety related to fundamental rights, and it also breaches the international obligations set out in the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD). The situation is that this equipment is not technically accessible to them at the moment. In his recommendation, Ombudsman László Székely requested that the Minister for National Economy act in this matter as soon as possible.

According to the conclusions of the investigation conducted by the Commissioner for Fundamental Rights, there is an urgent need to replace institutional capacities in the Special Home in Göd, where undignified conditions have been prevailing for years. These conditions have not resulted from the recent change in management, they originate from the preceding period, has concluded Ombudsman László Székely who, in order to facilitate the earliest possible solution of the shortcomings in staffing and resources, has also made several recommendations.

On May 17, which is the International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia, we traditionally declare our commitment to the equality of sexual minorities in over 130 countries. In his statement, the Ombudsman underlined that one should learn from the tragic experiences of history, i.e. sexual identity and sexual orientation can never be the grounds for discrimination or stigmatization.

An investigation by the Commissioner for Fundamental Rights has established that the Catholic Primary School of Makó and its supervisory authority conducted disciplinary proceedings against an eight-year-old child in a way that seriously violates the law, gives cause for grave concern and completely ignores procedural guarantees. According to Ombudsman László Székely, one of the lessons to be learned from this particular case is that the prevailing legal regulation of disciplinary proceedings in schools should be supplemented, since its inherent uncertainties may easily result in such improprieties; he has requested the competent ministry to take the necessary measures as soon as possible.

A comprehensive investigation conducted by the Commissioner for Fundamental Rights has uncovered specific and systemic improprieties in connection with the operation of the Children’s Home of Zalaegerszeg and the treatment of the children being taken care of therein.

On April 24, 2017, a conference on the experience gained in the implementation of the Directive on Environmental Liability on the level of the EU and in Hungary was held at the Office of the Commissioner for Fundamental Rights in Budapest, Hungary.

Budapest, April 11, 2017 – In order to combat human rights violations committed by supranational conglomerates, an international convention should be worked out that would ensure the accountability of such conglomerates, pointed out the conference jointly organized by the Office of the Commissioner for Fundamental Rights and the National Society of Conservationists. According to the organizers, the Hungarian Government should support the forthcoming UN Convention both at the international and EU levels.

The Hungarian-Greek relations that go back to more than one thousand years, as well as the peaceful and enriching cohabitation of the Greek settlers and ethnic Hungarians for long centuries offer numerous points of connection and historical events that are worth remembering. Hungarians got in contact with Byzantium already before the Hungarian conquest of the Carpathian Basin and the impact of Greek ecclesiastical culture deeply affected the medieval history of Hungary, which is also witnessed by some elements of our Holy Crown reflecting Greek influence. The settlement of Greek inhabitants in Hungary was of varying intensity for several centuries, from which the settlement of those Greeks who arrived here in consequence of the conquests of the Ottoman Empire, as well as the acceptance of the Greek families escaping to Hungary from the military dictatorship in the mid-20th century stand out.