WILLEMSTAD – The Ombudsman of Curaçao will host an international webinar on March 20 focusing on the role of ombuds institutions in safeguarding the right to safe and clean drinking water. The event is being organized in the lead-up to World Water Day, observed annually on March 22, and will center on oversight and complaint-handling mechanisms related to this fundamental human right.
According to information published on the Ombudsman’s website, the online event is being organized in cooperation with the International Ombudsman Institute. It will bring together representatives of ombuds institutions, legal experts and civil society organizations from several countries to discuss how oversight bodies can contribute to ensuring compliance with the human right to drinking water — a right also embedded in the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.
International and Local Perspectives
The webinar will feature both international and local perspectives. Among the international speakers are South Africa’s Public Protector Kholeka Gcaleka and federal public defenders from Brazil. The Netherlands will also be represented.
From Curaçao, the citizen perspective will be presented by Yvonne Olf, chair of Hende-i-Medio-Ambiente, an organization advocating for human rights and environmental justice.
The Ombudsman states that the webinar will provide a platform for exchanging experiences on complaint handling, monitoring government policy and exploring how citizens can use the ombudsman institution to draw attention to challenges in accessing clean and safe drinking water.
The program will be conducted in English with Spanish interpretation and will last approximately 75 minutes. Further information regarding participation and registration will be announced through the Ombudsman’s official communication channels.
The initiative highlights the growing international focus on water access as both an environmental and human rights issue, particularly in small island communities where infrastructure, climate pressures and governance intersect.