Southern Connecticut Rotary Creates Ombuds Program

Rotary District 7980, a regional district of Rotary International encompassing local clubs in Fairfield, New Haven, Middlesex, and New London counties, has established a three-member Conflict Resolution Team to provide an informal resource for members whose concerns cannot be resolved at the club level. The team "will be guided by" IOA’s four core principles of confidentiality, informality, neutrality and independence. The program began accepting inquiries on September 1, 2026. 

Ombuds Returns to University for Peace

UPEACE, the United Nations-affiliated university in Costa Rica, has reappointed Kathya Araya as its Ombudsperson. Araya previously served in the role from 2020 to 2022 and returns to the position following a search launched earlier this year. The Ombudsperson provides confidential guidance to students, staff, visiting faculty and scholars, interns, consultants, contractors, and others covered by university policies, with responsibilities including the prevention and resolution of prohibited conduct. 

Job Posting: World Food Programme

WFP is seeking an Ombuds Officer (Outreach & Communication) at the P-4 level for its Office of the Ombudsperson and Mediation Services in Rome. The position reports to the Ombuds, Katya Melluish, and will lead the office's outreach and communication strategy, capacity-building program, and communication campaigns while also providing confidential Ombuds services, including coaching, mediation, and other informal conflict resolution services.

Job Posting: United Nations

The Office of the United Nations Ombudsman and Mediation Services (UNOMS) is seeking a Consultant for Informal Conflict Resolution. The fully-remote position will report to the Regional Ombudsman and/or Chief of Service in New York and provide Ombuds services to UN employees for an expected period of six months.

Framework for Open and Reproducible Research Training Launches Ombuds Program

FORRT, a decentralized, international, volunteer-based community that advances open and reproducible research practices, has established a Confidential Advisor and Ombuds program. The inaugural Confidential Advisor is Ruth Van der Hallen and the inaugural Ombuds is Thomas Rhys Evans. Together, they will provide confidential and informal support for members of the organization and help address concerns affecting the FORRT community. (FORTT Confidential Advisor & Ombuds.) 

Job Posting: United Nations, Chile

The UN is hiring a Regional Ombudsman for its Office of the Ombudsman and Mediation Services in Santiago. The P-5 position manages a team of conflict resolution professionals and support staff serving the Latin American and Caribbean region. The appointment is for an initial one-year term and may be subject to extension. 

Internship: Pan American Health Organization

The Office of the Ombudsman for the Pan American Health Organization is accepting applications for a part-time internship based in Washington, DC. The intern will assist the PAHO Ombuds, Fernando Navarro Sánchez, with communications, research, training materials, surveys, and other office projects. The position is intended for students interested in multilateral organizations, organizational culture, learning design, and workplace well-being.

European Central Bank Adopts Privacy Policy for its Mediator/Ombuds

The European Central Bank has published a privacy statement for its Mediation/Ombuds Function, the independent service that assists staff in resolving workplace concerns. (Spyridon (Spyros) Antonelos was appointed the inaugural ECB Mediator/Ombuds in 2023.) The statement outlines strict limits on the collection, processing, and retention of personal data. Furthermore, the statement identifies how the IOA Standards of Practice are aligned with EU data protection law. 

Volunteer Opportunity: Doctors of the World

Ärzte der Welt, the German section of the international humanitarian organization Médecins du Monde, is seeking a volunteer Ombudsperson. The remote position will serve as an independent and confidential resource for employees, volunteers, partners, and others who wish to raise concerns about misconduct, conflicts, or other organizational issues. The appointment is intended to be long-term and must be held by an individual who has not had a contractual relationship with the organization during the previous three years. 

American Economic Association Publishes Ombuds Annual Report

The professional association of economists has published its 2025 “Ombuds Summary of Activity” in the May 2026 issue of AEA Papers and Proceedings, marking what appears to be the first time an Ombuds annual report has appeared in an established professional journal. The report summarizes the work of the AEA Ombuds program, which was relaunched as an Organizational Ombuds in 2024. 

Union for Reform Judaism Names Ombuds

URJ, the New York-based nonprofit, has appointed Marlo Goldstein Hode as its next Ombuds. She follows Caroline Cuneo, who established the role in 2022. URJ's Ombuds provides services for concerns arising within its workplaces, camps, youth programs, and other community settings.

Job Posting: Asian Development Bank

The multilateral development bank headquartered in Manila is seeking a Senior Ombuds Programs Specialist for its Office of the Ombudsperson. The role provides Ombuds services to ADB’s internal community and contributes to training, outreach, and systemic analysis efforts. The position reports to the Ombudsperson, Anje Schubert, who was appointed last month to a three-year term.

German BioImaging Appoints First Ombuds

Gesellschaft für Mikroskopie und Bildanalyse e.V. (GerBI-GMB), the scientific society for light microscopy and image analysis across Germany, has appointed its first Ombudspersons for good scientific practice. Christian Feldhaus and Nina Schulze, were appointed at the 2026 General Assembly for three-year terms. The move follows the organization’s alignment with the German Research Foundation’s Code of Conduct and the adoption of internal Ombuds regulations as part of its governance framework.

IOA's Ombuds Release 2025 Annual Report

The International Ombuds Association's Ombuds, Laura C. Smythe and Tyler S. Smith, reported increased engagement in 2025, handling 33 cases and 51 individual visits, up from 16 cases and 35 visits in 2024. They noted that many interactions followed the IOA Annual Conference, underscoring the role of in-person events in surfacing concerns. Most visitors were affiliated with academic institutions and had between two and ten years of experience. Cases were split between IOA-related concerns and issues arising in members’ home institutions.

Job Posting: World Health Organization, Egypt

The World Health Organization (WHO), the United Nations agency for international public health, is seeking a Regional Ombudsman based in Cairo for its Eastern Mediterranean Region. This senior (P5) role provides informal conflict resolution services for staff, including mediation, trend analysis, and advising leadership on systemic issues. Consistent with WHO’s recent reaffirmation of its Ombuds function, the position operates without decision-making authority and is expected to support organizational learning, improve workplace climate, and promote early identification of concerns. It is not clear whether the position is currently vacant. 

Job Posting: United Nations, Lebanon

The United Nations Office of the Ombudsman and Mediation Services is seeking a Regional Ombudsman based in Beirut. The senior-level position leads a regional branch providing confidential, informal conflict resolution services for UN personnel across multiple field locations.

Job Posting: SOS Children's Villages, Somaliland

The Austria-based international development organization for children is hiring National Ombuds in the capital city of Hargeisa. The full-time, 24-month contract position is expected to report to Nandisa Tilayi, the SOS Regional Ombuds for Eastern and Southern Africa.

Asian Development Bank Announces Next Ombuds

The regional development bank in Metro Manila has selected Anje Schubert as its next Ombudsperson. She follows Wayne Blair, who served in the role for more than eight years. Schubert will lead an IOA-compliant office that provides Ombuds services to all ADB stakeholders and reports to the bank president. The initial appointment will be for three years and may be renewed once.

NOMMO Sets Inaugural Meeting

The Network of Ombudsman and Mediators of Multilateral Organizations will hold its first meeting on February 9, 2026. Youssoupha Niang (Ombudsperson and Mediator at UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency) will convene the meeting at 15:00 CEST | 9:00 EDT. The session, "Bridging the Gap: 2025 Lessons as 2026 Blueprints," is intended to be the first step in establishing the new group. Panelists are expected to include Shireen Dodson (UN Ombudsman), Nadine Chapman (Manager of the World Bank Group Mediation Services), and Nicholas Diehl (Head of Ombuds for the Inter-American Development Bank). (LinkedIn.) 

The Global Fund and Gavi Select Next Ombuds

Rahele Stoessel Malanca has been appointed the new Ombuds for The Global Fund and Gavi, the world’s largest public-private health partnerships that are funding vaccines and diseases prevention in low-income countries. Based at the joint offices in Geneva, Malanca will provide Ombuds services to employees and contractors worldwide following IOA standards.