Ljubljana - Slovenia's ombudsman Peter Svetina was elected to the Board of Directors of the International Ombudsman Institute (IOI) on Thursday, with 39 votes in favour and none against. One of his priorities in his new role will be an increase of activities at the international level, the ombudsman's office said.

"Being elected as one of the regional directors for Europe at the International Ombudsman Institute (IOI) is a great honour and recognition - not only for my work and the work of my colleagues, but also for Slovenia," said Svetina.

Svetina was congratulated by the IOI's regional president for Europe, Greek ombudsman Andreas Potakis, and the IOI's Secretary General, Austrian ombudsman Werner Amon.

In its full composition, the IOI Board of Directors has a total of 27 members, organised in six regional chapters (Africa, Asia, Australasia & Pacific, Europe, the Caribbean & Latin America and North America), with Europe having seven regional directors.

The IOI is a global organisation dedicated to human rights and fundamental freedoms. It was founded in 1978, and Slovenia has been part of it for more than ten years.

The IOI brings together more than 100 ombudsman organisations from all over the world, working to promote the concept of the ombudsman, encourage development and exchange experiences between countries.