24/06/2026
The conference Deinstitutionalization: 30 Years of Fighting for Human Rights – From Institutions to Community (14 October 2026, Hotel Terme Brežice) brings together voices, experiences and knowledge that co-create a future where everyone has equal rights. Find out more about the conference here.
Dr. Simona Drenik Bavdek is the Human Rights Ombudsman of the Republic of Slovenia and an associate professor of constitutional and international law. She is a member of the Board of Directors of the European Network of National Human Rights Institutions (ENNHRI) and the Executive Committee of the Mediterranean Association of Ombudsmen (AOM). She has more than twenty years of experience in the fields of human rights, international law, and the functioning of national and international monitoring mechanisms.
Prior to her election as Ombudswoman, she served as Deputy Director of the Center for Human Rights at the Human Rights Ombudsman of the Republic of Slovenia, and she has also worked at the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs and the Ministry of Justice. As an author, co-author, and editor, she has contributed to numerous professional and academic publications in the fields of human rights, international law, and the functioning of national human rights institutions.
Dr. Simona Drenik Bavdek will participate in the panel discussion “Human Rights Under Scrutiny—Violence, Accountability, and Deinstitutionalization,” where she will present the Ombudsman’s findings regarding the state of rights for people with disabilities, the state’s response to reported violations, and the importance of alternatives to repressive measures in providing support to people with disabilities.