Syed Muhammad Ilyas
The Asian OmbudsmanAssociation (AOA) in the 25th meeting of its Board of Directors held recently in Istanbul (Turkiye) approved the holding of an international symposium on the theme of “Ombudsmanship and the Citizen’s Rights”, in collaboration with the Federal Ombudsman of Pakistan in Islamabad on November 4-5, 2024.
The AOA is a 47-member strong non-political, independent, democratic and professional body of international character representing more than two thirds of the world population. Its permanent secretariat is located within the WafaqiMohtasib’s Secretariat in Islamabad. The Association draws its strength from the strong professional credentials of its membership functioning not only as the guardians of the human rights but also as the torchbearers of transparency and good governance,consistent with the international standards. It is recognized among the active regional bodies in terms of UNGA Resolution 77/224.
The Federal Ombudsman of Pakistan, Mr. Ejaz Ahmad Qureshi, it may be informed, was re-elected unopposed as the AOA President in September 2023, while the other positions are held respectively by the Heads of institution in Azerbaijan as Vice President, Hong Kong as the Secretary and Iran as Treasurer. The institutions in China, Japan, Korea, Tatarstan and Turkiye are also represented by their respective heads as members of the AOA Board of Directors.
It is pertinent to emphasize that Pakistan’s recognition as an important player in the international Ombuds community is, to a large extent, related to the growth and maturity of Ombudsmanship in the country. It enjoys a position of pre-eminence at the international Ombuds scene. It may also be pointed out that whereas the WafaqiMohtasib holds the position of AOA President, the Federal Tax Ombudsman (FTO) is the Secretary General of the OICOA. Till late last year, Provincial Ombudsman Sindh was one of the Directors of the global Ombuds body, International Ombudsman Institute (IOI)
The Symposium will be unique in the sense that it would be the first major international activity proposed to be undertaken from the platform of AOA itself. By jointly organizing the upcoming symposium, both the organizations i.e. AOA and the WafaqiMohtasib will gain tremendously in professional terms, enrich their knowledge base, diversify their experiences and enhance their capacity to plan and execute such mega events of international dimension. This would serve them in days to come.
Besides, this symposium will be attended by a good number of Heads of Institutions from the Asian Region, the OIC member states, member of the Forum of Pakistan’s Ombudsman (FPO) academia, human rights practitioners, in addition to the legal fraternity and civil society members. Invitations are also proposed to be extended to the UN Secretary General/President of the General Assembly or his representative at the appropriate level.
There will be sharing of experiences and best practices which would lead to a quantum jump in adopting the best strategies for attaining the development goals and agendas. The professionals having decades of standing in their respective fields, would bring fresh ideas expected to pave the way for a new dawn of hope and promise. Similarly, the meeting of minds and experts from the relevant fields would culminate in the exchange of ideas having potential to germinate, flourish and prosper, hastening transition to good governance and better quality of life for the people. It will also help create an informed citizenry expected to be fully conversant with rights and obligations.
The upcoming symposium is a major international activity that will pave the way for initiating a dialogue on enhancing the capacity of ombudsman and mediator institutions to operate in accordance with the relevant international standards for establishing and maintaining effective ombudsman institutions worldwide.
It will also highlight the relevance of ombudsmanship and its contribution in realizing the goals and targets of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
The symposium shall provide an opportunity to show case Pakistan’s rich cultural heritage and establish its stature as an important stakeholder in the global efforts to promote good governance, the rule of law and inclusivity. In a unique honour to the country, Federal Ombudsman of Pakistan was invited by the President of the General Assembly to the High-level Panel on Public Accessibility and Inclusivity on 22 May 2024 at the UNHQ.
Given the development challenges of the 21st century, good governance and public sector performance have acquired an important dimension. The UN Development Agenda 2030’s aspiration is to “Leave No One Behind” in the development processes, which makes efficient service delivery and good administration important pre-requisites. The AOA, on its part, remains committed to promoting conducive environment for good governance through professionalism and Ombudsmanship. Hopefully, the consequent sharing of experiences and best practices would further improve the capacity and service delivery operations of the WafaqiMohtasib’s Office.
As the journey towards the attainment of this vision proceeds, AOA’s membership has continued to expand contributing to the Association’s envisaged goals. Partnering with the WafaqiMohtasib for the event, the AOA would be able to attain its high water mark through the combined efforts which would lead to its successful culmination.
This will constitute a win-win for both.
It is important to emphasize that the WafaqiMohtasib is not merely a complaint resolution office, over the years, it has emerged as an architect of good governance in the country.
By systematically addressing and eliminating mal-administration and fixing the systemic issues in the government ministries and departments, it will lay the foundation of better governance and rule of law.Holding of the International Symposium would definitely add another feather to its cap and help achieve a major milestone in its journey towards securing an improved quality of life for the people.
