A Mission for Justice

The history of an active and diverse human rights organization!

When the International Ombudsman Institute (IOI) was founded in 1978, there were scarcely more than a handful of public ombudsmen in the world, mostly concentrated in the Nordic countries and the English-speaking Commonwealth. Today, the vast majority of countries have ombudsmen, many of them functioning as national human rights institutions.

This history of the IOI marks its fortieth anniversary. The institute was the brainchild of an American lawyer called Bernard Frank. His vision, very unusual at the time, was of the ombudsman as human rights defender. This book tells the story of the IOI's early struggles and a major crisis of mismanagement that nearly led to its closure. Based on archival sources that have been made available for the first time, and on many interviews with present and former IOI officials, this history documents the sometimes fierce internal debates and the institute's journey to become an active and diverse international human rights organization.

"Based upon thorough research in the archives and interviews with dozens of persons on four continents, Richard Carver has written a lucid and dramatic account of the genesis and growth of the International Ombudsman Institute. Carver's book is essential reading for all who are concerned about human rights and the fair administration of government, past and future." Diane Welborn, First Vice-President, IOI

International Ombudsman Institute (ed)