International cooperation
The idea of an independent ombudsman, to ensure compliance with the law, has spread far outside Sweden’s borders – as a result of the Parliamentary Ombudsmen’s international cooperation among other things. Sweden was the first country in the world to introduce a Parliamentary Ombudsman and therefore there is great international interest in the Swedish institution and the long experience it represents.
This interest is reflected, for instance, in the never-ending stream of visits from other countries, a great number of foreign delegations visit the Swedish Parliamentary Ombudsmen every year. There are also many invitations to take part in conferences or seminars and to give lectures elsewhere, but only a few of them can be accepted due to lack of time. The Parliamentary Ombudsmen are also members of the International Ombudsman Institute (IOI), an organisation in which ombudsmen from all over the world cooperate. Today there are ombudsmen in about 140 countries and on every continent.
International Coordinating Director: Charlotte De Geer Fällman, e-mail charlotte.de.geer.fallman@jo.se, phone +46 8 786 50 85
Organisations abroad – a selection
Nordic countries
- Denmark: The Danish Parliamentary Ombudsman
- Finland: The Parliamentary Ombudsman of Finland
- Faroe Islands: Parliamentary Ombudsman
- Iceland: The Althing Ombudsman
- Norway: The Parliamentary Ombudsman