The Ombudsman, Mr. Endrit Shabani, delivered a speech at the International Conference of Ombudsman, held at the Italian Parliament.

Speaking about technology, Mr. Shabani emphasized that the digital presence does not replace the physical presence of the institution among citizens, especially those who are not heard by the state.

He raised three questions for his colleagues: how to ensure minimum standards of transparency for our institutions; how to reach citizens who do not trust the state; and how to maintain independence without becoming a political actor.

“An institution does not live in its buildings or statutes. It does not live on online servers either. It lives in the moment when a citizen believes that his complaint will change something. Between the law as it is written and the law as it is applied, there is a distance, where trust is gained or lost. Our role is to be present on the ground and reduce this distance,” emphasized Mr. Endrit Shabani.

The conference closed with the Rome Declaration 2026, a common framework for the international protection of human rights.