At KOLPING INTERNATIONAL Cooperation e.V., an independent ombudsperson is responsible for all external and internal complaints and can be contacted confidentially at any time.
The ombudsperson gives all those involved or interested in the work of KOLPING INTERNATIONAL Cooperation e.V. the opportunity to contact a person in a protected way and to report omissions or violations in the work of KOLPING INTERNATIONAL Cooperation e.V. and its leaders.
The current ombudsperson of KOLPING INTERNATIONAL Cooperation e.V. is Dr. Martin Bröckelmann-Simon. He can be reached by Email at ombudsperson@kolping.net. This address is accessible only to the ombudsperson, so that complaints can be submitted to the ombudsperson without the knowledge of the executive board or employees of KOLPING INTERNATIONAL Cooperation e.V.
The ombudsperson is elected by the Membership Meeting for a term of three years.
The ombudsperson’s working methods are further defined in a set of rules of procedure (available for download below).
“The ombudsperson is the contact person for internal and external complaints. The ombudsperson can be notified of incidents that give rise to the suspicion of criminal violations or violations of employment law by members and employees of KOLPING INTERNATIONAL Cooperation e.V. as well as their donors, contractual partners or other stakeholders. In particular, she/he investigates indications and complaints that suggest the suspicion of corruption, property or asset offences.
For all cases related to sexual abuse of minors and protegees, the ombudsperson will forward appropriate references to the Safeguarding Officer(s) of KOLPING INTERNATIONAL Cooperation e.V.
In the spirit of the guidelines of the German Central Institute for Social Issues (DZI), the central task of the ombudsperson is to receive information and complaints without disadvantaging the complainants..”
However, the ombudsperson deals exclusively with cases that directly affect the cooperative relationships between KOLPING INTERNATIONAL Cooperation e.V. and its partners. This does not include activities of associational institutions worldwide with which KOLPING INTERNATIONAL Cooperation e.V. has no financial cooperative relationship.
Furthermore, the ombudsperson is not a point of contact for complaints in the event of conflicts within national association levels (Kolping Families, diocesan or national associations) or within institutions that are not in cooperation with KOLPING INTERNATIONAL Cooperation e.V. Depending on their statutes, regional or national committees are responsible for these matters. If you have any questions, please contact the International Executive Committee at info@kolping.net.
