Mr. Muhammad Sohail Rajput, Ombudsman Sindh presided the follow-up session of Brand Ambassador Program on 22^nd July, 2024 at the Secretariat Provincial Ombudsman Sindh with the 10 selected students as Ambassadors for Ombudsman Sindh from the Hamdard University. Syed Umair Ali, Assistant Registrar, Hamdard University accompanied the students.

He said that the program intends to increase the outreach of Provincial Ombudsman Sindh and it is expected that the Ambassador will play a pivotal role in spreading awareness about the institution role and function through campus outreach, social media campaign and community outreach. The Ambassadors were given a briefing on the mandate of Ombudsman Sindh, types of complaints received, guidelines to Ambassadors to disseminate the message of Ombudsman Sindh.

The Ambassadors shared their knowledge about the working of Ombudsman obtained from various sources such as Ombudsman website, Facebook, instagram, etc. and raised questions about the working of Ombudsman which was answered by Ombudsman Sindh. They were also informed that 19 Regional Offices all over Sindh will also be directed to provide assistance to the Ambassadors as and when required by them.

The Ambassadors were asked to take small video clips, pictures from their mobiles while talking to student community and general public for posting on social media. They were told to give feedback three days prior to the second follow-up session after a month where they will be awarded certificates to acknowledge their contribution.

The Ombudsman, Mr Jack Chan, presented the 2023/24 Annual Report of the Office of The Ombudsman to the public today (3 July).  The Office fully met all 11 of its targets on service standards in handling enquiries, complaints, reassessments and complaint reviews and exceeded ten of those targets in the reporting year.

With the lifting of the mask-wearing requirement in March 2023, the year 2023/24 was the first full year since the COVID-19 pandemic where life in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region returned to normal.  The Office received 4,351 cases of complaints.  Pandemic-related complaints plummeted from 766 to 33 year on year. The Office also received 8,599 enquiries.

During the year, the Office completed 4,397 cases, including some carried over from the preceding year.  Among these cases, 2,053 were pursued and concluded, while the rest of the complaints (2,344) were closed after assessment due to insufficient grounds to pursue or being outside the statutory purview of the Office.

In the year, the Office conducted 95 full investigations, of which 52 (54.7%) were substantiated, partially substantiated, or unsubstantiated but with other inadequacies found, and the rest were unsubstantiated.  Among the 1,771 inquiry cases concluded, inadequacies were found in 335 (18.9%) cases. During the year, the Office conducted and completed ten direct investigation operations.

During the year, the Office made a total of 186 recommendations upon completion of full investigations and direct investigation operations.  Of these, a total of 169 (90.9%) were fully accepted by the government departments and public organisations for implementation, while 17 (9.1%) remained under consideration as of 30 June 2024, with no rejection expected.

In the year, the Office resolved 187 complaints by mediation. The average time taken was 13.5 days, with many cases only taking a few days. Over 92 per cent of the respondent complainants and participating government departments and public organisations were satisfied with the mediation service provided by the Office, and over 94 per cent were satisfied with the performance of the mediators. The Ombudsman will allocate more resources to mediation work and has instructed his officers to press ahead at full steam with the use of mediation to resolve complaints in the coming year.  By using mediation to alleviate public grievances and address contradictions in society, he aspires to foster harmony and social cohesion, improve people’s livelihood and contribute to the development of Hong Kong.

During the year, there were 79 complaints cases related to access to information (ATI).  Among the 72 ATI cases concluded, inadequacies were found in only 23 cases (32%).

As this year marks the 35th anniversary of the Office of The Ombudsman, Mr Chan said, “I will lead the Office to serve the public with vigour and dedication.  We shall set targets, strive for results, and perform our gate keeping role conscientiously for the continuous betterment of the community.”

The full text of the Annual Report can be viewed or downloaded from the Office of The Ombudsman website.

– ACRC to Host Anti-Corruption Training Program for Central Asia and Eastern Europe

Starting today (10, June), the Anti-Corruption & Civil Rights Commission (ACRC) will commence a specialized anti-corruption training program for officials from Azerbaijan, Uzbekistan, and Tajikistan. This program aims to share Korea’s best anti-corruption policies and systems, including the Comprehensive Integrity Assessment for Public Institutions and the Clean Portal.

The Anti-Corruption Training Institute, under the auspices of the ACRC (Chairperson Ryu Chul Whan), will conduct a 10-day Multilateral Anti-Corruption Capacity Building Training in the Russian language.

This training will benefit 15 officials from anti-corruption organizations, including the Prosecutor General’s Office of Azerbaijan, the Anti-Corruption Agency of Uzbekistan, and the Agency for State Financial Control and Anti-Corruption of Tajikistan.

The training encompasses a range of topics, featuring globally recognized anti-corruption systems:

• Comprehensive integrity assessment for public institutions
• Corruption impact assessment
• Protection systems for whistleblowers reporting corruption and public interest violations
• Digital anti-corruption systems
• Techniques for investigating corruption cases
• International trends in anti-corruption.

Participants will also gain insights into Korea’s major e-government systems that enhance administrative transparency. These include the Clean Portal for reporting corruption and public interest violations, the Korea Online E-procurement System, and the Public Service Ethics Program. The training will highlight cutting-edge investigative techniques such as digital forensics and anti-money laundering systems.

Since 2013, ACRC has been organizing anti-corruption capacity-building training courses for public officials worldwide through its Official Development Assistance (ODA) program.

As Korea’s anti-corruption policies have been recognized for their excellence, including receiving the 2012 United Nations Public Service Awards for Comprehensive Integrity Assessment for Public Institutions, the demand for anti-corruption training courses has steadily increased. To date, 368 foreign officials from 70 countries have participated in the training sessions.

In response to escalating interest, ACRC launched a Russian-language course for Central Asian and Eastern European countries in 2020. In addition, a French-language course for African countries was introduced in 2023, with plans underway to launch a Spanish-language course for Latin American countries in September 2024.

“The world is increasingly interested in Korea’s achievements in anti-corruption policy and our unique experience in achieving economic development and democracy simultaneously,” said Ryu Chul Whan, Chairperson of the ACRC.

“We are committed to sharing our comprehensive integrity assessment for public institutions and advanced digital anti-corruption systems, such as the Clean Portal, with other countries to enhance national integrity and foster global democracy.”

• Problems of Overseas Pakistanis be resolved on top priority-Wafaqi Mohtasib
• Over 70,000 complaints of Overseas Pakistanis redressed during the current year

The Wafaqi Mohtasib, Mr. Ejaz Ahmad Qureshi has instructed all Departments dealing with the Overseas Pakistanis to redouble their efforts for early resolution of their problems. He has further directed the NADRA to set up its offices in Bahrain and Baghdad and asked the ASF to issue entry passes to the OPF officials performing duties at the “One Window Facilitation Desks”.

The Wafaqi Mohtasib observed that the Overseas Pakistanis are the backbone of Pakistan’s economy and they are a major source of foreign exchange in the country and deserved to be facilitated in all respects. He gave these instructions on receipt of a report with regard to the Overseas Pakistanis with special reference to the problems being faced by them.

It may be pointed out that the Secretary, Wafaqi Mohtasib Office, Mr. Afzal Latif yesterday chaired a meeting of the Senior Officials of the Ministries and Government Departments dealing with the Overseas Pakistanis, which considered ways and means to reach out to the Overseas Pakistanis and improve the delivery of services to them.

During the meeting, the Grievance Commissioner for the Overseas Pakistanis gave a detailed presentation on the problems being faced by them. He said that over 70,000 complaints received so far during the current year have already been addressed.

It may also be mentioned that a full-fledged office of the Grievance Commissioner for the Overseas Pakistanis has already been working in the Wafaqi Mohtasib’s office wherein any Overseas Pakistani can lodge his complaint with regard to any of the problems or injustice being faced by him.

The CCAC received a complaint from a resident, indicating that some workers of an integrated resort enterprise of Macao had disclosed that they had paid placement fees in order to be recruited as stewards. After investigation of the CCAC, it came to light that the supervisor of the stewarding department of the aforesaid enterprise was suspected to solicit bribes from some Chinese mainland residents who intended to work in Macao in return for assisting them to work in the enterprise, which involved an amount of nearly RMB190,000.

Upon investigation, the CCAC found that the supervisor of the stewarding department involved was responsible for issues including personnel recruitment. Since last year, he kept identifying those Chinese mainland residents who had an intention to work in Macao through his cohabiting girlfriend and a middleman by touting that “interviews were not required” or “one could work in a company directly”. Soliciting a placement fee of RMB15,000 to RMB25,000 from each person, he used his power to assist at least nine Chinese mainland residents to enter the enterprise successfully. According to the investigation of the CCAC, a vast majority of the job seekers from the Chinese mainland who had paid the placement fees were immediately recruited without being required to have an interview, with some even failing to meet the minimum academic qualification requirements and being illiterate, which obviously violated the entry requirements and regulations of the aforesaid integrated resort enterprise.

During the investigation of the CCAC, some destroyed evidence to hide the act of receiving the placement fees and also abetted the other persons involved to conceal the relevant situation.

According to the law of Prevention and Suppression of Bribery in the Private Sector, the aforesaid supervisor of the stewarding department, his cohabiting girlfriend and the middleman were suspected to have committed passive bribery in the private sector, and the nine residents from the Chinese mainland who were recruited upon their payment of placement fees were suspected to have committed active bribery in the private sector. The case has been referred to the Public Prosecutions Office for handling.

Pointing out that this is the second bribery case involving a private enterprise it has detected recently, the CCAC once again urges the general public to uphold integrity and be law-abiding. Should private institutions find illicit acts such as active bribery or bribe soliciting performed by their personnel, they are advised to report to the CCAC immediately, so as to make collective efforts to safeguard the fair and clean employment environment of Macao.

This year marks the 35^th anniversary of the establishment of the Office of The Ombudsman in Hong Kong, China. To commemorate this important milestone, our Office will be hosting the first International Ombudsman Summit with the theme “Ombudsman in a Changing World: Learning from the Past; Preparing for the Future” on 3 December 2024 at the Hong Kong Palace Museum.

The Summit serves as a platform for Ombudsmen and institutions worldwide, local and international professionals and academia to exchange insights and experiences, stimulate discussion and exploration and foster connection and collaboration.

On the evening of the Summit Day, we will host the Hong Kong Ombudsman 35^th Anniversary Reception. Together with the Summit participants, members from diverse sectors will be invited to celebrate and witness our endeavour and dedication in enhancing public administration over the years.

An array of social and art and culture programmes will also be arranged on 2 and 4 December. More information is available on the dedicated website: www.ios2024.ombudsman.hk. Stay tuned for further updates.

–  Problems faced by the Business Community being resolved on top priority basis – Wafaqi Mohtasib

– Addresses Chamber of Commerce and Industry at Sheikhupura

Sheikhupura, July 9, 2024: The Wafaqi Mohtasib, Mr. Ejaz Ahmad Qureshi has termed the businessmen and industrialists as being pillars of the country’s economy since they provide jobs to a large number of people, which ultimately help move the wheels of the national economy.

These observations were made by him while addressing a function organized by the Sheikhupura Chamber of Commerce and Industry here today, which he attended as the Chief Guest in pursuance of the directions given by the Hon’ble President. It was attended, among others, by the Wafaqi Tax Mohtasib Dr. Asif Mehmood Jah, Ms. Fauzia Viqar, Federal Ombudsperson Protection Against Harassment of Women at the Workplace (FOSPAH), Wafaqi Banking Mohtasib, Siraj-ud-Din Aziz besides the representatives of the Punjab Mohtasib, Federal Insurance Mohtasib and leading personalities belonging to Commerce and Industry in the region.

The Wafaqi Mohtasib said that in view of the important role of the Chamber of Commerce, a separate portal is being set up with the cooperation of Chamber of Commerce for fast track resolution of the problems being faced by business community. “The complaints lodged through this portal, if not resolved within 30 days, will be automatically transferred to the Wafaqi Mohtasib’s Office for further action”, he observed.

The Wafaqi Mohtasib further stated that the services of his office are always available for early redressal of their complaints. He said that complaints can also be lodged online while 22 Regional Offices and Complaint Centres are busy redressing public complaints in various parts of the country.

The Wafaqi Mohtasib informed that during 2023, the institution disposed of more than 194,000 cases. He said that the rice being produced in the Sheikhupura region is known the world over for its premium quality. It has helped Pakistan not only to emerge as being one of the major rice exporters in the world, but also enabled it to earn the much needed foreign exchange, he said.

Earlier, the Chairman, Sheikhupura Chamber of Commerce and Industry and other representatives highlighted their problems particularly those emanating from the rising prices of gas the electricity, which were threatening their exports. The Wafaqi Mohtasib assured that he would bring their concerns to the quarter concerned with a view to finding some solution.

The workshop, chaired by Sindh Ombudsman Mr. Muhammad Sohail Rajput aimed to select ten (10) students from SMIU as Brand Ambassadors. These students will disseminate information about the Ombudsman’s role and functions among their peers and the general public.

Addressing a large audience at the Sir Shahnawaz Bhutto Auditorium, Rajput highlighted the Ombudsman Office’s role in providing administrative justice. He detailed the initiative’s objectives, which include promoting civic responsibilities and increasing community outreach through students, who are seen as future leaders. The programme, supported by the Regional Subsidy of the International Ombudsman Institute (IOI), aims to bridge the gap between the Ombudsman office and the community, fostering good governance, transparency, and accountability.

Rajput expressed pride in being at the historic SMIU, the alma mater of Pakistan’s founder, Quaid-e-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah. He emphasized the need to establish stronger linkages between the Ombudsman office and academia, a culture not yet fully developed in the country.

SMIU Vice Chancellor Dr. Mujeebuddin Sahrai Memon welcomed the Ombudsman and his team, highlighting the university’s activities and achievements. He emphasized SMIU’s role in producing skilled youth and mentioned the university’s ten (10) student societies that train future leaders.

Dr. Memon assured full cooperation from the Department of Social and Development Studies in raising awareness about social work and justice. Advisor Rehana G. Ali Memon and Masood Ishrat, Registrar at the Provincial Ombudsman Secretariat, gave a detailed presentation on the Brand Ambassador Programme and working of Ombudsman Sindh. Thereafter question and answer session was held where Honorable Ombudsman Sindh replied to the questions raised by students.

The Human Rights Defender Ms. Anahit Manasyan’s message on the International Day in Support of Victims of Torture.

“June 26 marks the International Day in Support of Victims of Torture declared by the United Nations.

As a National Prevention Mechanism, the activities of the Human Rights Defender are aimed at preventing torture and other forms of ill-treatment in our country.

In the annual and ad hoc reports, the Defender has always emphasized the lack of compensation, and other support mechanisms for non-material damage caused by ill-treatment. This is a priority issue that should be properly addressed by the state.

It is also very important to provide psychological, medical and social-rehabilitation services to torture survivors and their family members.

The Defender’s Office continues to receive complaints and alarming-calls regarding the alleged cases of torture in penitentiary institutions, the Police, and investigative bodies.

This circumstance is very concerning. The state should take clear steps to prevent torture cases. Moreover, it is necessary to respond to those cases quickly and adequately, to be consistent from the viewpoint of ensuring an effective investigation and bringing the culprits to justice. In that regard, there are various problems in our state that need to be overcome as soon as possible.

I am sure that we should unite our efforts with our daily work to create such an environment in Armenia where torture and other forms of ill-treatment will be excluded.

“We are privileged to have participated in this dissemination session on the role of PDHJ, as many people with disabilities are still unaware of PDHJ and its functions,” said Rosalia Pereira, Manager of the Program of the Timor-Leste Disability Association (ADTL).On June 4th and 5th, the PDHJ Promotion team conducted an information session for 50 individuals from the community of persons with disabilities from ADTL at the PDHJ central office, sharing relevant information about the role of the PDHJ.

The Deputy Ombudsman for Human Rights, Maria Marilia da Costa, stated during the session’s opening that the Provedor plays an important role in protecting citizens’ rights, including those of persons with disabilities, ensuring their rights are not violated by public authorities.

“Please take full advantage of this session to learn about your rights so that you can file a complaint with the PDHJ when your rights are violated,” said the Deputy.

The PDHJ is an independent institution tasked with responding to citizens’ complaints against public authorities, ensuring that actions are in accordance with the law, preventing violations, and restoring justice.