On January 13, 2023, during a visit to the Republic of Turkey, the Authorized Person of the Oliy Majlis for Human Rights (Ombudsman) Feruza Eshmatova met with more than 30 compatriots living in this country at the Embassy of Uzbekistan in Turkey.

At this meeting, compatriots were first informed about the ongoing reforms in Uzbekistan in terms of ensuring human rights, in particular, about the activities of the ombudsman institution, its legal framework and powers.

During the meeting, our compatriots raised such issues as education, medical care, citizenship, and the organization of language courses. At the meeting, it was emphasized that assistance would be provided to citizens, and all these issues would be considered by the Authorized Person of the Oliy Majlis for Human Rights (Ombudsman) and the Embassy of Uzbekistan in Turkey.

We remind you that in 2021, a memorandum of cooperation was signed with the Commissioner for Human Rights (Ombudsman) of the Oliy Majlis and the Chief Ombudsman of the Turkish Parliament. Within the framework of this document, the issues of considering the appeals of citizens of the Republic of Uzbekistan living in Turkey and taking measures to resolve their problematic issues are also defined.

Upon the initiative of the Sabunchu District Executive Power, with the support of Baku City Education Department, Human Rights Commissioner (Ombudsperson) of the Republic of Azerbaijan and the State Committee on Family, Women and Children’s Issues, an awareness raising event was organized bythe secondary schools No. 295, 130 and 142 within the framework of the project “Don’t be silent, make your voice heard!” in Nardaran Cultural Center.

The event started with the exhibition of paintings and wall newspapers prepared by the schoolchildren on the topic, then children performed videos and sceneson domestic violence, child marriage, truancy, marriage between relatives and their consequences and sang poems and songs.

Speaking at the event, the head of the Legal Awareness Unit of the Ombudsperson’s Office, Mugalib Mahmudov, gave information about the work carried out by Ombudsperson Sabina Aliyeva forensuring the rights of women, children, people with disabilities, as well as other vulnerable groups of the population, combating violence, ensuring gender equality, and “916” calls center, that provides 24-hour service regarding various legal violations.

In the end, schoolchildren and principals who actively participated in the project “Don’t be silent, make your voice heard!” were awarded with diplomas and gifts.

The Indonesian Ombudsman issued a Recommendation after the Provincial Government of West Kalimantan was proven to have committed maladministration in the form of protracted delays in settling the Government’s responsibilities regarding compensation for losses to shop owners who were affected by the collapse of the Sambas Regency Pier in 2014.

Chairman of the Indonesian Ombudsman, Mokhammad Najih said, since 2014 there has been no settlement action by the West Kalimantan Provincial Government to date, in which residents affected by the damage have also submitted their reports to the Indonesian Ombudsman since the incident of the collapse of the Sambas Pier.

The Reporting Party stated that in 2009, at the start of the construction of the Sambas Pier, light cracks had occurred in the shophouses around the Sambas Pier. The reporting party has also submitted a letter of clarification to the Regent of Sambas regarding the damage to the five shophouses due to the construction of the Sambas Pier.

However, on February 11, 2014, the Sambas Pier collapsed and sank into the Sambas River, which affected the shophouses around the pier construction. The complainant as a shop owner has submitted a request to the West Kalimantan Provincial Government Transportation Dinar for a request for shop development/repair and/or monetary compensation. However, until now there has been no clarity and there has been no process of repair and/or compensation in the form of money being given to the affected residents.

Najih explained that in order to complete the public report, the Indonesian Ombudsman issued a Recommendation to the Governor of West Kalimantan to settle the Government’s responsibilities regarding compensation for losses to shop owners who were affected by the collapse of the Sambas Regency Pier in 2014. “The recommendation was signed on December 30, 2022 and has been submitted in writing to the Governor of West Kalimantan through a Letter from the Chairman of the Indonesian Ombudsman dated January 9, 2023,” he said at a Press Conference at the Indonesian Ombudsman Office, South Jakarta, Tuesday (24/1/2023).

Head of Main Assistant for Resolution and Monitoring of the Indonesian Ombudsman, Dominikus Dalu explained, based on an analysis of laws and regulations, audit results, resolution and monitoring efforts as well as the Ombudsman’s opinion, the Ombudsman stated that the Provincial Government of West Kalimantan, in this case the Governor of West Kalimantan as the Reported Party, had committed maladministration in the form of protracted delays in legal obligations to provide services to settle Government responsibilities related to compensation for losses to shophouse owners affected by the collapse of the Sambas Pier.

“Based on the opinion and findings of maladministration, the Indonesian Ombudsman made recommendations to the Reported Party to settle compensation for losses to five shop owners as members of the community affected by the collapse of the Sambas Pier,” said Dominikus.

Furthermore, Dominikus explained, it was recommended that the Governor of West Kalimantan ask for an assessment from the appraisal team (assessment team/assessor of the amount of loss) as an effort to determine the amount of loss. Then, the Ombudsman also recommended that the Governor of West Kalimantan coordinate with the Representative Office of the West Kalimantan Province and the West Kalimantan High Prosecutor’s Office to process the use of the budget that can be issued by the West Kalimantan Provincial Government in the context of providing compensation for losses to shop owners as affected residents.

Furthermore, the Ombudsman asked the Governor of West Kalimantan to coordinate with the Ministry of Home Affairs for the mechanism and technique of providing compensation for losses to the people affected by the 2014 Sambas Pier collapse.

Finally, for the Governor of West Kalimantan to coordinate with related parties involved in the development process of the Sambas Pier project. After that, in the recommendation, the Ombudsman asked for compensation for losses to the complainant as an affected citizen.

The Federal Ombudsman Office has extended its services to merged districts of former Tribal Agencies and opened its two offices, one in Sada, district Kurrum and another at Wana, South Waziristan to provide speedy relief and justice in those areas. These areas deserve our full attention and should not be neglected. This was stated by the Hon’ble Federal Ombudsman Mr. Ejaz Ahmad Qureshi while addressing to the notables, heads of different government agencies and media in a press conference held at WMS Regional Office, D.I. Khan. He said that four Offices in Peshawar, D.I. Khan, Swat & and Abbottabad were functioning to the fullest capacity in settled areas, however, the coverage to erstwhile tribal areas was the need of the hour.

The Ombudsman said that through innovative measures and simple procedures, 164,174 with 49% increased complaints were handled during the year 2022 without taking additional budget and employing human resources. He said that there was 95% increase was recorded in online disposal of 91,496 cases, which shows people’s trust on this Secretariat. He said that on the vision of justice at doorstep, hearing of complaints was also conducted online when requested by the complainant. Performance target for Investigation Officers and Advisors has been enhanced to more than 100% during 2022, he added. He said that speedy and inexpensive justice was ensured through 27 frequent inspections of public service organizations and conducting 68 Khuli Katchehries through the 17 Regional Offices around the country. He further stated that complaints worth over Rs.3 billion were addressed by this office during the last year, otherwise these cases would have added burden to the civil courts.

He said that Government expenditure per complainant in disposing of complaint through Wafaqi Mohtasib construes negligible amount, thus it the most cost-effective way of providing relief to the common man.

Federal Ombudsman Mr. Ejaz Ahmad Qureshi being welcomed at Regional Office,

D.I. Khan to address Tribal Notables, Heads of different Agencies and Media persons.

On December 26, 2022, Mr. Somsak Suwansujarit, Chief Ombudsman of Thailand and Gen. Anuphong Phaojinda, Minister of Interior, presided over the signing ceremony of  the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to effectively enhance the capacity in handling complaints in order to address people’s grievance or unfairness. With Associate Professor Issaree. Hunsacharoonroj and Mr. Songsak Saicheua, Ombudsmen of Thailand, along with the executives of both organisations attending the signing ceremony. Pol. Col. Keirov Kritteeranon, Secretary-General of the Office of the Ombudsman represented the Office of the Ombudsman and Mr. Chaiwat Chuenkosumn, Deputy Permanent Secretary for Interior represented the Ministry of Interior to sign the MoU.

As the Office of the Ombudsman is located in the capital of Thailand without any branches in other regions, the Ministry of Interior works closely with provincial administration and local administration to deliver public services from the central government to the people. In addition, the important roles of the Ministry of Interior are to perform its duties in treating suffering, and nourishing happiness for Thai citizens.

Therefore, this MOU between the Ombudsman of Thailand and the Ministry of Interior came into existence from the awareness of the importance of developing collaboration with other organisations to redress grievance or unfairness, to protect the rights and liberty of the people across the country, as well as to improve swift and effective public services.

The integration of working methods and cooperation under the jurisdiction of both organisations can be categorized into three fields of operation as follows:

1. To jointly develop systems for connecting database and transferring complaints and to introduce the systems to the public service centers (Damrongdhama Centers located in Districts and Provinces of Thailand, Damrongdhama Center of Department of Provincial Administration, Damrongdhama Center of Ministry of Interior and the Office of the Ombudsman).
2. To promote an effective delivery of public services in solving people’s grievance or unfairness and to become a network for good governance and justice within the society.
3. To jointly improve a better understanding of both organizations’ staff and the public about the mandates, operational procedures for the protection of rights and liberty and to solve problems relating to grievance or unfairness in accordance with the instructions and principles that will be cooperatively developed in the future.

In terms of the cooperative development of the Information linkage system, both organisations currently have developed the system, namely Ombudsman Complaint Coordination (OCC) to connect the database and transfer complaints between the organisations. After the end of the MOU signing ceremony, the video conference was held to introduce the governors of all provinces in Thailand, as well as the staff of Damrongdhama Centers to the knowledge and instructions of Ombudsman Complaint Coordination. The system will facilitate the process of transferring of complaint cases from Damrongdhama Centers to the Office of the Ombudsman swiftly and this process will truly elevate the capacity in redressing people’s grievance or unfairness all over the country.

Mst. Nasreen Akhtar widow of Muhammad Dawood Bhutto, approached the Provincial Ombudsman Sindh for delay in payment of Group Insurance in respect of her deceased husband who was Agriculture Officer (BS-17) in Agriculture Department, Government of Sindh and expired during service.

2. To redress the grievance of the complainant Ombudsman Sindh issued directives to the authorities concerned to initiate enquiry in the matter. As a consequence of Ombudsman’s intervention the scrutiny process was expedited by the agency. Finally with constant persuasion and concerted efforts of Ombudsman Institution she was able to get Group Insurance claim amounting to Rs. 1.2 Million from State Life Insurance Corporation of Pakistan (SLICP) after four years.
3. The complainant appreciated the role of the Ombudsman for taking prompt action and providing speedy justice to her.

PAKISTAN POST LAUNCHES COMMEMORATIVE POSTAGE STAMP TO MARK THE 40TH ANNIVERSARY OF WMS.

WAFAQI MOHTASIB’S INSTITUTION IS FUNDAMENTALLY THE POOR MAN’S COURT

Addressing a widely attended Press Conference on the occasion the 40th year of the establishment of the Ombudsman institution in Pakistan, Mr. Ejaz Ahmad Qureshi, the Federal Ombudsman stated that maladministration and bad governance are two sides of the same coin. Both breed in an environment of favoritism, discrimination and corruption. Addressing maladministration, therefore, is essential for ensuring sanctity of human rights and achieving the ultimate goals of good governance and the rule of law. He added that the Office of the Federal Ombudsman was established vide the President’s Order No. 1 on 24 January 1983 with the explicit objective to diagnose, investigate, redress and rectify any injustice done to a person through maladministration by the government agencies.

Mr. Ejaz Ahmad Qureshi stated that the institution of Ombudsman has evolved over the years and is recognized today as an essential feature of every modern democratic society. The structure, scope and powers of Ombudsman, however, vary from one society to another and is directly related to the larger social, political and legal systems being followed in that country. The ombudsman institutions, around the world, act in support of supreme judiciary and contribute in making dispensation of justice more accessible and inexpensive. He added that the Wafaqi Mohtasib’s institution is fundamentally the poor man’s court. It is not an alternative to the supreme judiciary but plays a complementary role. The complainants are not required to hire the services of a lawyer nor have to face lengthy legal processes as the cases are disposed of within the prescribed limit of 60 days.

Reviewing the performance of the Wafaqi Mohtasib’s institution during the last forty years, Mr. Qureshi stated that more than 1.9 million households have benefitted from the services of this Office since its inception. He recognized the services of his illustrious predecessors who have contributed in developing this institution into a premier institution of administrative accountability in the country. Comparing the number of complaints received during the year 2022, he said that the receipts rose from 110,405 in 2021 to the highest ever number of 164,174 (49% increase) and disposal reached an all-time high of 157,770, marking an increase of 47.7% over the figures of the year 2021. He said that 137,423 complaints of Overseas Pakistanis were resolved with the increase of 133% as compared to 2021. He further stated that people’s trust has immensely increased resulting in a dramatic increase in the registration of complaints and complaints worth over Rs.3 billion of disputed amounts were addressed by this office during the last year, which otherwise would have added burden to the civil courts. He said that Government expenditure per complainant in disposing of complaint through Wafaqi Mohtasib construes negligible amount, thus it the most cost-effective way of providing relief to the common man.

Mr. Qureshi stated that the institution has expanded its operations by opening three regional offices in Mirpurkhas, Khuzdar and Swat and two Sub Offices at Wana (South Waziristan) and Sada (Kurram District) during the year 2022. He added that the ever increasing of complaints received was in fact a direct consequence of the massive support that the Ombudsman’s Office always receive from the print and electronic media in rising awareness about the scope and extent of its services to the general public. It was also a clear manifestation of the confidence and trust reposed by the people in this institution.

Referring to the initiatives, he has taken during the first year of his term of office, Mr. Qureshi stated that the institution has diversified its activities by undertaking inspections of various agencies against whom persistent complaints were pouring in order to improve their service delivery. An Informal Resolution of Disputes (IRD) project was initiated in April last year to informally conciliate and settle disputes between the two parties with their mutual consent. So far, 1114 cases have been disposed of while 266 cases were in process. He added that periodic inspections of different agencies by a team of his senior officers such as Passport Office, Islamabad International Airport, NADRA, Polyclinic, PIMS, CDA Facilitation Centre, Railway Stations and Utility Stores in different cities has helped improve their service delivery.

Referring to the legal framework, which governs the operations of the Wafaqi Mohtasib’s institution, he added that the efficiency and efficacy of its operations was directly related to the enabling statutory provisions. These include, powers to undertake any investigation of his own motion into any allegation on the part of any agency, and stay operation of the impugned order/decision for a period not exceeding 60 days. Likewise, the Ombudsman enjoys same powers mutatis mutandis as the Supreme Court to punish for contempt.

Mr. Qureshi stated that while focusing on resolving individual complaints, equal emphasis is placed on ascertaining the root causes of corrupt practices and injustice. Accordingly, study reports have been prepared in the context of systemic reforms in regard to 28 government agencies and recommendations submitted to the government for ameliorating their operations. Recently, first ever empirical study focusing on street children in the ICT has been completed.

Highlighting the success of ombudsmanship in Pakistan, Mr. Qureshi added that the concept has been replicated into other areas of governance i.e. insurance, taxation, banking and harassment against women at work place. Accordingly, 14 Ombudsman institutions including at provincial level are functioning in the country.

The Federal Ombudsman further stated that his Office has played an important role in promoting ombudsmanship in Asia and the Muslim world. He is the current President of the Asian Ombudsman Association (AOA), which maintains its Secretariat in the Wafaqi Mohtasib premises. The AOA is a non-political, democratic and professional body of international character with 44 members representing more than two third of population of the world.

Mr. Ejaz Ahmad Qureshi concluded that Pakistan’s active role in the global ombudsman fraternity projects an international face of the country promoting the cause of good governance, rule of law and inviolability of human rights.

Recognizing the significance of the role of ombudsman institution and its successful journey of four decades in providing speedy & inexpensive relief to a common man, Pakistan Post has issued a Commemorative Postage Stamp of Rs. 20/- on this occasion. The launching ceremony was held on the side lines of the today’s Press Briefing. The postage stamps are available in all the Post Offices in the country.

Federal Ombudsman Mr. Ejaz Ahmad Qureshi unveiling the plaque of commemorative
postage stamp issued on the 40th Year of the establishment of the Institution.

Federal Ombudsman Mr. Ejaz Ahmad Qureshi addressing Press Conference on the occasion

of the 40th Year of the establishment of the Wafaqi Mohtasib’s Institution on 24 January 2023.

On December 13, 2022, acting Public Defender Tamar Gvaramadze and Deputy Public Defender Ekaterine Skhiladze participated in the Conference on Dignity, Freedom and Justice for All, which was held in connection with the International Human Rights Day.

At the conference, representatives of the legislative and executive bodies of the Georgian government, the Public Defender’s Office, civil society and international organizations discussed the situation of human rights in the country and vision for the future.

Starting from December, the CCAC specially launched the promotional video clip series entitled “Know More about Administrative Complaints” to introduce to the citizens about the purposes of the ombudsman’s functions of the CCAC and its scope of application. The video clips are broadcast in different electronic media including CCAC’s relevant external service offices and bus compartments so as to teach the public how to optimise the use of the complaint system to resolve problems and encourage them to properly understand the practical functions of the CCAC as a watchdog in the ombudsman’s work.

From December 9, 2022, in accordance with paragraph 3 of Article 9 of the Organic Law on the Public Defender of Georgia, Tamar Gvaramadze, First Deputy Public Defender, will serve as acting Public Defender until the election of a new Public Defender.

Currently, work is still ongoing on the process of electing a new Public Defender in the Parliament of Georgia.

As the public is aware, the term of office of the 6th Public Defender of Georgia, Nino Lomjaria, expired on December 8, 2022.