The Ombudsman's Office of Colombia () is the national government agency that is charged with overseeing the protection of civil and

human rights Human rights are universally recognized Morality, moral principles or Social norm, norms that establish standards of human behavior and are often protected by both Municipal law, national and international laws. These rights are considered ...

within the legal framework of the

Republic of Colombia Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia, is a country primarily located in South America with insular regions in North America. The Colombian mainland is bordered by the Caribbean Sea to the north, Venezuela to the east and northeast ...

. The

ombudsman An ombudsman ( , also ) is a government employee who investigates and tries to resolve complaints, usually through recommendations (binding or not) or mediation. They are usually appointed by the government or by parliament (often with a sign ...

, or People's Defender (), is an official appointed by the

President President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) * President (education), a leader of a college or university *President (government title) President may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Film and television *'' Præsident ...

, and elected by the

Chamber of Representatives of Colombia The Chamber of Representatives (Spanish: ''Cámara de Representantes'') is the lower house of the Congress of Colombia. It has 172 members elected to four-year terms. Electoral system According to the Colombian Constitution, the Chamber of ...

, to head this agency. The Ombudsman’s Office is funded through the Inspector General’s Office, but it operates independently in administration and budget. In addition to its complaint-handling role, the Ombudsman is the

national human rights institution A national human rights institution (NHRI) is an independent state-based institution with the responsibility to protect and promote human rights in a country. The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) aids these ...

, accredited with A status by the ICC.

References

Colombia, ombudsman National human rights institutions Government agencies established in 1992 Government agencies of Colombia Human rights in Colombia {{Colombia-stub