The Cork Museum of Palafrugell hosted the general assembly of FÒRUM SD 2026 on May 21, a meeting attended by almost forty local ombudsmen and defenders from Catalonia to address the state of accounts, the budget, several ratifications, and the presentation of reports.
The meeting also led to an unusual comparison between municipal rights defense models. While Catalan local ombudsmen and defenders focus their work on the guarantee and supervision of rights at the local level, the Colombian representatives invited to the meeting do have disciplinary functions and sanctioning powers over their own administrations.
Palafrugell gathered almost forty local defenders from Catalonia
The assembly was held in Palafrugell with representatives from various Catalan local ombudsman offices. The agenda included the review of the entity's accounts, the projected budget, pending ratifications, and the presentation of reports.
Alongside the members of FÒRUM SD 2026, local defenders from Barranquilla and Jamundí, two municipalities in Colombia, participated, introducing an international dimension to a meeting focused on the organization's internal functioning.
Colombian representatives can indeed sanction their city councils
In Colombia, these positions are called "personeros" or "personeras" and their main function is the defense of human rights, the environment, and the interests of society within each municipality.
The difference with the Catalan model lies in their powers. Colombian "personeros" have disciplinary powers and sanctioning capacity towards their own local administrations, a power that is not part of the role of local defenders and ombudsmen in Catalonia.
During the meeting, participants emphasized the value of sharing work spaces with defenders from other territorial areas. The exchange, they argued, strengthens the protection of citizens' rights at the municipal level.
The assembly on May 21 in Palafrugell included a visit from representatives of Barranquilla and Jamundí, two Colombian municipalities whose "personeros" also exercise disciplinary and sanctioning functions.