Wafaqi Mohtasib opens online meeting to mark 30th anniversary of the establishment of aoa

Islamabad
Wafaqi Mohtasib (Federal Ombudsman), Mr. Naveed Kamran Baloch has said that Ombudsman Institutions across the globe are playing a critical role in providing free and expeditious redressal of grievances to the people, besides promoting good governance, rule of law and efficient public administration.
He was inaugurating an online meeting organized to mark the 30th anniversary of the establishment of the Asian Ombudsman Association (AOA), at the Wafaqi Mohtasib Secretariat today in his capacity as the Association’s President. The other member countries, including Azerbaijan, Türkiye, China, Thailand, Uzbekistan etc. joined online and read out their special messages issued on the occasion.
Wafaqi Mohtasib noted that these bodies have the potential to transform the fate of the teeming millions particularly in the developing countries. Expressing his satisfaction over achieving this milestone, he observed that “the sapling which was planted three decades ago, stands today as a dynamic and robust 47-member organization, representing two-thirds of the world’s population”. “Its evolution is indeed most remarkable, inspiring confidence in the goals and objectives of Ombudsmanship and upholding commitment to working together in the best interest of the Asian regional fraternity”, he added.
The Wafaqi Mohtasib further maintained that it is about time to institutionalize sharing of knowledge, experiences and best practices to foster a culture of efficiency, inclusivity and transparency in public administration with a view to safeguarding the rights of citizens in our respective societies. On the occasion, he also reiterated Pakistan’s adherence to the goals and objectives of the Association.
While highlighting the Association’s international standing and stature, he stated that it can be gauged from the fact that the UNGA Resolution 79/177 recognizes the AOA among the active regional ombuds bodies, which is a matter of deep satisfaction. He also referred to the complementarity between the goals of ombudsmanship and the SDGs and observed that it is reflective of the Association’s abiding commitment to the principles of the UN Charter.
It may be recalled that Pakistan alongwith certain other likeminded countries played a pioneering role in the establishment of the Asian Ombudsman Association, following convening of the First Asian Ombudsman Conference in Islamabad on 15-16 April 1996, which led to the formation of AOA and Pakistan is also its current President. It may also be mentioned that the AOA’s Secretariat is located in the Wafaqi Mohtasib (Federal Ombudsman) Office premises in Islamabad.