“We Have Received 125 Complaints With 111 Already Treated”

How is the Office of the Public Independent Conciliator for the North West Region faring after two and the half years of existence?
As you already know, in the Anglo-Saxon tradition, it is customary to set up independent authorities responsible for settling disputes between users and public administration, protecting and defending citizens’ rights. In line with this logic, Law No. 2019/24 of 24 December 2019 to institute the General Code of Regional and Local Authorities provides for an independent authority called the Public Independent Conciliator in the North-West and South-West regions to protect and defend citizens’ rights in their relations with regional and local authorities. Decree No. 2020/773 lays down conditions for the discharge of duties of Public Independent Conciliator. I was appointed on 10 June 2021. Two and a half years on, I can say the Office of the Public Independent Conciliator for the North West Region is faring well. We are delivering on our mission and the feedback has been heart-warming. You see, we are examining and amicably settling disputes between users and regional/council administrators. We have been defending and protecting rights and freedoms of citizens when they face challenges with the regional and local councils. We have been designing and implementing measures to prevent and combat any direct or indirect discrimination against users of regional and local council services. In the last two and a half years, we have taken measures to ensure that persons serving in the regional or council administration fulfil their ethical obligations. This is what informed our campaign on the establishment of free civil status registration documents. We have conducted yearly perception surveys on the functioning of regional and council services which has enabled us to prepare our annual reports to the President of the Republic on the state of relations between citizens and regional and council services. We have already submitted two of such reports and that of 2023 is in preparation. 

What are the most outstanding achievements of the institution?
We can say that our campaign for the promotion of free establishment of civil status documents has been most outstanding. The ripples are being felt throughout the region. Mayors are progressively delivering on this right without extorting citizens. Many have put out communiques to this effect and we encourage those lagging behind to follow suit. The Public Independent Conciliator has been on the field ensuring good governance, respect of ethical obligations and proper functioning of decentralised authorities. We are working with councils to ensure that devolved powers and resources are well managed in the interest of the population. The Public Independent Conciliator has also been informing and educating the population to enable them claim their rights from the regional and local councils through quality service del...