30th Anniversary: Panel Three: Advancing Ethical Governance – Strengthening Integrity and the Principles of Good Administration

30th Anniversary: Panel Three: Advancing Ethical Governance – Strengthening Integrity and the Principles of Good Administration

Published October 09, 2025

Good governance cannot stand without integrity. Ethical conduct in public administration ensures not only that decisions are lawful, but also that they are fair, transparent, and accountable. Ombudsman institutions, by exposing maladministration and promoting the principles of good administration, are central actors in advancing ethical governance.

Investigations by Ombudsmen often reveal not only errors of legality but also practices that are unreasonable, unjust, or discriminatory. In such cases, the Ombudsman pushes administrations to live up to higher ethical standards, going beyond compliance to embrace equity and justice for every person.

Through recommendations, guidance, and public reporting, Ombudsmen encourage administrations to improve systems, adopt codes of conduct, and strengthen internal accountability mechanisms. They help foster a culture where fairness and integrity are seen not as optional, but as essential to the exercise of public authority.

This panel will explore how Ombudsman institutions can promote ethical standards, cooperate with other accountability bodies, and ensure that public power is exercised in the interests of the common good.

Panellists:

• Ms Maria Stylianou-Lottides, Commissioner for Administration and the Protection of Human Rights of Cyprus
• Mr Charles Deguara, Auditor General of Malta
• Ms Sabina Aliyeva, Commissioner for Human Rights of Azerbaijan
• Ms Maija Sakslin, Deputy Parliamentary Ombudsman of Finland
• Mr Vit Alexander Schorm, Deputy Public Defender of Rights and Defender of Children’s Rights

The session will be moderated by Mr Kurt Sansone, Executive Editor of MaltaToday, and will include a panel discussion as well as interventions from participants.