What is an Ombudsman?
An organizational ombudsman is employed by an organization to facilitate the informal resolution of concerns of employees of the organization.
AN OMBUDSMAN FOR THE UN
The UN Ombudsman is an organizational ombudsman. As such, we interact with UN employees who choose to contact us. We provide employees with services to help address concerns, resolve conflicts and support an overall harmonious workplace environment. We work with both parties in a conflict and with other stakeholders, including representatives of management and staff. In addition, we build the capacity of staff to deal with conflict effectively through training and coaching. We also provide systemic feedback to the Organization based on case trends and observations. Our work is guided by the principles of independence, neutrality, confidentiality and informality.
BENEFITS OF WORKING WITH AN OMBUDSMAN
- Meeting with an ombudsman is a safe first step. Any exchange with an ombudsman is confidential.
- A conversation with an ombudsman is always off the record. Sharing information with an Ombudsman does not constitute notice to the Organization. We cannot be called to testify or report on individual cases; whatever is said during meetings with an ombudsman remains confidential unless you give explicit permission to share the information with others.
- Discussing a concern in a confidential setting will help you gain perspective and choose the option that suits you best.
- An ombudsman can help you navigate the UN system to find the right office or person to answer your question(s).
- You can visit us before filing a formal complaint, in parallel or afterwards. It is usually best to come as early as possible before the conflict escalates.
ORIGINS OF THE TERM
‘Ombudsman’ is a Swedish term meaning ‘representative of the people’. The Swedish parliamentary Ombudsman was instituted in 1809 and served as “an ear to the people.” Since then, the Ombudsman function has taken many different forms and different purposes.