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III. Co-operation and dialogue

11. Member States should take effective measures to enable
Ombudsman institutions, whether at national, regional or local level, to
communicate and co-operate with, in particular:

a. counterpart institutions, where appropriate through electronic
networking and exchange of information and practices, as well
as through regular meetings;

b. civil society stakeholders, in particular non-governmental
organisations, who should enjoy easy access to Ombudsman
institutions;

c. other human rights structures, notably national human rights
institutions and their networks, where appropriate through
jointly organised activities;

d. international and regional organisations which work in related
or similar fields, particularly Council of Europe bodies.

12. Member States which have established several Ombudsman
institutions, such as regional, local and/or specialised bodies, should
enable appropriate, effective co-ordination and co-operation among
these institutions, in order to promote synergy and avoid duplication, by
ensuring that legislation on Ombudsman institutions enables and
encourages such co-operation.

13. Member States should encourage and sponsor the development
of co-operation programmes with the Council of Europe to ensure
permanent knowledge-sharing among Ombudsman institutions, in order
to strengthen their contribution to the effective implementation of the
European Convention on Human Rights and other relevant instruments.

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