Other activities
International cooperation
The Ombudsman maintains many international contacts. Ombudsmen from several countries and representatives of comparable oversight bodies meet in a variety of compositions at seminars and conferences.
Cooperation involving the ombudsmen in the Nordic Countries and the Baltic States as well as the European Ombudsman takes place on a regular basis. Contacts with the Chancellor of Justice in Estonia have been lively.
The numerous visitors to the Office of the Ombudsman include students wishing to familiarise themselves with the work done there. There are meetings with officials, social welfare ombudsmen as well as representatives of nongovernmental organisations.
The Ombudsman, the Deputy-Ombudsmen and referendaries make keynote speeches and other presentations at training events and seminars arranged by nongovernmental organisations and authorities.
The lawyers whose tasks it is to advise members of the public who contact the office are an important part of the Ombudsman's client service. They guide and advise clients who want to make a complaint.
In 2010, about 2,700 telephone calls from clients were received and about 170 clients visited the office in person to consult one of the legal advisers.
Besides the lawyers with advisory functions, the records section at the Office of the Ombudsman is also at the service of members of the public.
Persons not wishing to send complaints by post can deliver them to the records section in person. They can also enquire there about progress in dealing with a complaint and make requests for documents. In 2010 the records section received 2,790 enquiries.
The main official at the service of researchers is the Records Clerk and there are information officers to serve the media.
Communications
The Office of the Ombudsman serves the public also by actively providing information about activities, tasks and decisions.
Press releases in Finnish, Swedish and English are published to announce decisions reached by the Ombudsman. They can also be read, along with the texts of the decisions themselves, on this web site.
Other instruments of communication include the brochure Can the Ombudsman help you?, which was produced to help complainants. It is available in Finnish, Swedish, Sámi, English, German and French as well as in Estonian and Russian.
> Brochures
The annual report of the Ombudsman is published in Finnish and Swedish with an English summary.
Both the brochure and the annual reports can be read on this web site. Complaints can also be made online.
>Annual reports
