Joint Efforts for a Healthy Environment: The Role of Ombudsperson Institutions
The international conference was held in the National Assembly of the Republic of Serbia on 13 and 14 June 2024.
At the invitation of the Protector of Citizens and the OSCE Mission to Serbia, Prof. Dr Mirjana Drenovak-Ivanović presented the results of the Environmental Law Clinic’s long-standing cooperation with the Protector of Citizens and possibilities for its further development within JMC EECL.
The cooperation enabled students to gain practical experience in the Protector’s professional service and learn about practice concerning the protection and advancement of human rights and freedoms in environmental matters. The conference opened discussion on the contribution of independent institutions to the right to a healthy environment.
The presentation demonstrated the dual role of independent institutions: they provide protection to individuals in concrete cases and identify systemic shortcomings in public administration. For clinical teaching, the opportunity to understand complaint procedures, good-administration standards and the relationship between the right to a healthy environment and other human rights was particularly important.