960412

First Asian

Ombudsman

conference

opens on 15th

ISLAMABAD: The First Asian Ombudsman Conference, convened by Pakistan will be held here on April 15.

Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto will inaugurate the two-day international moot to be attended by about 40 delegates from 16 Asian countries.

The Ombudsman or heads of similar institutions from China, Japan, Malaysia, South Korea, Hong Kong, Iran, Turkey, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Jordan, Maldives, Iraq, Sudan, Yeman and Macau will attend the conference.

The conference, spread over six sessions, will deliberate on promoting the concept of Ombudsman and its development besides exchange of information and experiences between the Ombudsman and Ombudsman-like institutions in the Asian countries.

It will also explore the possibilities of setting up an Asian Ombudsman Association and draw up plans for arranging periodic conferences of these institutions.

It may be mentioned here that there are organisations or institutions to which ordinary people can contact for redressal of their grievances. Such institutions exist in about 75 countries of the world.

Mr. Justice (Rtd) Abdul Shakurul Salam, Ombudsman of Pakistan, has been elected to represent the Asian region on Board of Directors of the International Ombudsman Institute (IOI).

Region-wise, North-America, Europe, Africa, Australasia Pacific have Ombudsmen Associations, Asia, the largest continent, is without one, which could provide institutional support in promoting the concept of Ombudsman.-APP