Ombudsman conference honours Caruana Galizia with minute’s silence

Ombudspersons from around Europe stood in silence on Thursday to honour the memory of Daphne Caruana Galizia, who was murdered eight years to the day.

The Ombudspersons were in Malta for a two-day conference that started on Wednesday organised by Ombudsman Joseph Zammit McKeon to celebrate the 30th anniversary of his office.

At the start of the first panel discussion on Thursday, the guests stood up and observed a minute of silence in remembrance of Caruana Galizia.

The journalist was murdered on 16 October 2017 by a powerful car bomb that ripped her apart. Five men are serving prison sentences for involvement in the murder, while businessperson Yorgen Fenech is awaiting trial on charges that he masterminded the assassination.

The conference titled Upholding Good Governance In Challenging Times: The Role Of The Ombudsman, discussed several themes, including ethical governance and artificial intelligence.

Ombudspersons and human rights institutions exchanged experiences from their respective jurisdictions on how to strengthen the work of the Ombudsman in the face of new challenges when dealing with public administration.