The Office of Wafaqi Mohtasib having 15 Regional Offices in all the provincial capitals and other important cities of Pakistan is working day and night for resolution of public complaints against federal agencies throughout Pakistan; and new initiatives are being taken to increase the scope of activities of the Wafaqi Mohtasib Secretariat (WMS) for this purpose. This was stated by the Wafaqi Mohtasib Mr. Ejaz Ahmad Qureshi while addressing Khuli Katchchery (Public Hearing) during his visit to Mansehra recently.

Besides general public, the investigating officers of the Office of Wafaqi Mohtasib, Regional Heads of the federal agencies such as PESCO, SNGPL, NADRA, etc. were also present during the address of Wafaqi Mohtasib.  The Wafaqi Mohtasib informed that he has chosen Mansehra as his first ever Khuli Katachchery and similar katcheries will also be held shortly at various districts / tehsils to ascertain the serious problems faced by the general public and ensure redress of those problems by the respective agencies.

The Wafaqi Mohtasib also informed the audience that by virtue of the mandate available to him under the law, he has introduced a system of inspection of the offices of federal agencies. Under this initiative, the Advisors of the WMS visit those federal agencies against which the number of complaints are relatively higher, so as to evaluate their service delivery on-the-spot and to suggest short and long term measures to improve their working. The inspection reports are submitted to the Wafaqi Mohtasib for approval whereafter the recommendations of the reports are forwarded to the respective Ministries and Heads of the federal agencies for immediate implementation.

The Wafaqi Mohtasib also informed the audience that he is empowered to informally conciliate, amicably resolve and settle public grievances; and a pilot project titled “Informal Resolution of Disputes” has recently been initiated to resolve those disputes which do not essentially fall within his jurisdiction. Under this initiative, the Advisors of the WMS ensure amicable settlement of the private disputes of the consenting parties; and this facility is provided free of cost by all regional offices of the WMS without involving the hiring of lawyers by the parties concerned.

On this occasion, the Wafaqi Mohtasib also informed that he has been able to dispose of more than 106,000 complaints during the year 2021 and due to a massive awareness campaign launched by his Office, there has been an approximately 30% increase in 2022 in the number of complaints lodged.

On May 11, 2022, the Public Defender of Georgia and Prevention for Progress, a non-governmental organization, presented a joint report “Impact of Covid 19 on the Health and Other Rights of Prisoners and Staff of the Penitentiary System.” The study assesses the impact of special measures taken by the Special Penitentiary Service from March 2020 through 2021 on the rights situation of prisoners.

According to the study, the measures taken to stop the spread of the virus had a positive impact on the prevention of Covid 19. The above was also contributed by the allocation of quarantine spaces and isolation of suspicious patients. The importance of mass and regular PCR and rapid antigen testing of the staff and inmates played a key role in the early detection of the disease. According to the interviews with the medical personnel and prisoners, the vaccination process was proceeding at a good pace in the penitentiaries. In addition, compared to a similar study conducted in 2017, the percentage of respondents, who think that food quantity is inadequate, decreased in 2021.

The results of the study show that restrictions were overused during the pandemic period and no appropriate efforts were made to find possible alternative solutions. No appropriate steps were taken by the state institution to reduce the number of prisoners. During the evaluation process, special attention was paid to the medical issues. The study showed that the number of medical personnel decreased, which led to delays in the provision of medical care. Due to delays and reductions in outpatient services, the number of transfers of prisoners to civil sector hospitals increased, as well as the number of cases of emergency transfers to medical facilities. The reduction in the provision of outpatient psychiatric care also had a negative impact on the mental health of inmates, increasing the need for treatment in psychiatric facilities.

The pandemic and the measures taken negatively affected prisoners’ contact with the outside world. The study made it clear that the free phone minutes added as compensation during the period of restrictions were not sufficient to counterbalance the restrictions. Prisoners were restricted from contacting lawyers, psychologists and social workers, and they were unable to receive the relevant services. The number of rehabilitation programmes also significantly reduced. The study also showed that the living and working conditions of the employees, who were not allowed to leave the facilities, were difficult.

Unfortunately, very often in the life of women, and sometimes men, there are situations when they find themselves in a hopeless situation. It is very important at such a moment to provide a person with all kinds of help.

Today, the Commissioner for Human Rights in the Republic of Tatarstan met with the founder of the center for assisting women victims of domestic violence, “Diva” Dina Valieva. The meeting was held at their center, which also has a sewing workshop, where girls and women who want to get a new specialty and gain financial independence study and work.

The center provides psychological and legal support, and anyone in need can get help from professional psychologists and lawyers. If necessary, assistance in finding employment is provided.

On May 25 this year, the Authorized Person of the Oliy Majlis of the Republic of Uzbekistan for Human Rights (Ombudsman) took part in the international conference “Protection of human rights in the Member States of the Parliamentary Assembly of Turkic-speaking Countries” in Baku, Azerbaijan. The conference is dedicated to the 20th anniversary of the Ombudsman Institute of the Republic of Azerbaijan.

The main goal of the conference, organized within the framework of the Assembly, is to establish a dialogue and strengthen cooperation between members of parliament and the Human Rights Ombudsmen, as well as to exchange views and study the best practices of countries in the field of human rights protection.

The event consisted of two sessions on the topics “The role of parliaments in the protection of human rights” and “The importance of improving legislation for the effective functioning of ombudsman institutions.”

Speakers at the conference focused on the work and results of human rights activities in their countries.

Speaking at the event, the Authorized Person of the Oliy Majlis of the Republic of Uzbekistan for Human Rights (Ombudsman) Feruza Eshmatova, talking about the activities of the institution, drew attention to the state policy and the results achieved in the country to ensure human rights.

She also noted the monitoring visits of the Ombudsman to penal institutions to prevent torture and its importance, the provision of additional rights and powers to work with public appeals, and the strengthening of the activities of the Ombudsman in the regions.

The Ombudsman, Ms Winnie Chiu, today (12 May) announced the launch of a direct investigation to examine the e-book lending service of public libraries under the Leisure and Cultural Services Department (LCSD).

Public libraries launched the first e-book collection in 2001. At present, the number of e-book collections offered by public libraries has increased to 12, comprising titles for adults and children. A wide range of Chinese and English e-books (including audiobooks) are available for readers of different ages.

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the LCSD has since 2020 temporarily closed its public libraries at intervals and adjusted its services (such as shortening opening hours and limiting number of library visitors). Meanwhile, public demand for e-books of public libraries has surged. The overall use of seven e-book collections rose significantly by more than 250% from 960,000 times in 2019 to 3.4 million times in 2020. Preliminary inquiry by the Office of The Ombudsman revealed that the waiting lists for some popular e-books were extremely long with hundreds of patrons, who would need to wait for months, if not years, to borrow the items.

Ms Chiu said, “The e-book lending service allows members of the public to access remotely a vast book collection free of charge, and enjoy the pleasure of reading even though borrowing printed books is infeasible during the pandemic. In fact, public interest in e-books has grown with more extensive use of the Internet and electronic devices. It has resulted in a decline in the checkouts of printed books from public libraries over recent years, while the opposite trend is seen in the use of e-books. The LCSD should keep pace with changes in the public’s reading habits by reviewing and enhancing the e-book lending service of public libraries, which will also be conducive to promoting a reading culture in Hong Kong. I, therefore, have decided to initiate this direct investigation to examine whether the e-book lending service of public libraries is appropriate and identify any areas for improvement.”

Mr. Ejaz Ahmad Qureshi, the Federal Ombudsman has said that show cause notice will be issued to the delinquent officers of the concerned Agency for non-implementation of findings regarding pensioners and workers.  He said that timely implementation of findings is of great importance, as a decision becomes meaningless if it is not implemented or its implementation is inordinately delayed. He was chairing a progress review meeting on implementation of findings at WMS at Islamabad. The head of implementation wing, Mr. Muhammad Humair Kareem Additional Secretary gave a detailed briefing.  He said that during the first four months of 2022, a total of 9,229 cases have been implemented.  The Ombudsman directed the Implementation Wing to give special attention to the cases of pensioners especially in EOBI cases, as the poor workers face great difficulties in getting their small amount of pension from EOBI.  He also directed to place more focus on Postal Life Insurance cases.  He emphasized upon Implementation Wing to demonstrate more dedication and make their best efforts in redressal of the grievances of the common man.  He said that according to new policy, he will himself look after such cases and no case of implementation wing will be closed until complete satisfaction of the complainant.

The Ombudsperson of Azerbaijan Sabina Aliyeva paid an official visit to Turkey to attend the signing ceremony of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on the establishment of the Association of Ombudsmen and National Human Rights Institutions (NHRİs) of the Turkic States.

The MoU was signed by the ombudspersons of Azerbaijan, Turkey, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, and Kyrgyzstan and the heads of NHRİs in Bursa, which was declared the Cultural Capital of the Turkic World in 2022.

Speaking to Turkish media after the signing ceremony, S. Aliyeva said that the Memorandum will make an important contribution to strengthening cooperation in the field of effective protection of human rights and freedoms, increasing the exchange of knowledge and experience. It was noted that this Association of Turkic States, will also play an important role in maintaining peace and order in the region.

The Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission (ACRC, Chairperson Jeon Hyun-Heui), a national corruption control tower in Korea, plans to continue to push for anti-corruption reform for more transparent and fair society with an aim to join the top 30 countries in the global ranking in Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) based on the achievements of anti-corruption reform it has made over the last five years.

 ACRC has made various achievements such as the improvement in CPI for five consecutive years and recording an all-time high in the said index, etc. by drawing up the pan-governmental five-year anti-corruption master plan for the Moon administration, revamping norms and institutions including enacting the Act on the Prevention of Conflict of Interest Related to Duties of Public Servants (the Conflict of Interest Prevention Act) and implementing policies aimed at spreading a culture of integrity and fairness in everyday life.

 Above all, reflecting higher level of expectations of the people for public servants’ integrity, ACRC reformed anti-corruption norms and institutions including the code of conduct for public servants and anti-corruption assessment.

 After nine years of promoting the legislation of the Conflict of Interest Prevention Act, the Act was finally enacted in May last year and is scheduled to be in force on the 19th of next month. The scope of duties subject to the Improper Solicitation and Graft Act was also expanded through the revision to the Act made last December to include duties of selecting scholarship students, examining dissertation, and conferring a degree.

 In 2018, the Code of Conduct for Public Servants were revised to prohibit public officials’ abuse of authority, and the Corruption Risk Assessment of public organizations’ bylaws has been conducted to identify and remove legal provisions the reform that may result in unfair privileges or undermine fair performance of duties in public organizations for three years starting in 2020.

 In addition, with the Comprehensive Integrity Assessment System being completely overhauled for the first time in 20 years, the anti-corruption efforts in public organizations at various levels are to be assessed in a comprehensive manner as of this year.

 Furthermore, ACRC has promoted various policies for anti-corruption norms and regulations to take root as part of a culture of integrity and fairness in everyday lives of public servants and citizens.

 ACRC has also carried out annual inspections of hiring irregularities in public organizations since 2017, detected a total of 679 cases of irregularities, and provided relief and aid for around 3,500 victims, while strengthening inspections of actual conditions of compliance with behavioral norms by public servants, such as the Improper Solicitation and Graft Act and Code of Conduct, so that those norms can be more deeply permeated into their lives.

 ※ Hiring fairness of public institutions: (2017) 45.4 points → (2020) 62.0 points (based on the survey conducted in May 2021 of how fair public institutions’ hiring process is perceived to be)

 ※ The percentage of respondents saying that “the implementation of the Improper Solicitation and Graft Act has brought a positive impact in our society”: (2016) 84.3% of the general public, 87.8% of public servants → (2021) 87.1%, 96.3% (based on the survey conducted in Sep. 2021 of perceptions about the Act after five years of its implementation)

 ACRC inspected the current status of integrity education in each public institution to see to it that they faithfully promote integrity education in order to reinforce the anti-corruption capacity of the public sector, supported poor-performing public institutions in securing implementation capabilities, strengthened education for high-ranking officials with tailored programs, and provided consulting services for public institutions with low integrity levels. Also, ACRC offered integrity education not only to public officials but also to the general public including the future generation.

 ※ The number of public officials taking integrity education courses: (2017) 19,805→(2019) 24,619 →(2021) 88,329

Not being complacent about the anti-corruption feats it achieved over the last five years, ACRC will push ahead with more systemic and comprehensive anti-corruption policies so that corruption and unfairness will not hamper economic revitalization and undermine the foundation for fair society.

Furthermore, in order for the Conflict of Interest Prevention Act slated to come into force on May 19th to be smoothly established in early stages, ACRC produced and distributed the operation guideline and work manual for the effective implementation of the Act, and will continue to promote the Act-related education and promotional activities targeting public institutions for the months to come.

On top of this, to spread a culture of fair hiring in the public sector, ACRC is stepping up its inspections of hiring irregularities in all public institutions and pushing for the revision bill to the Improper Solicitation and Graft Act to prohibit public officials’ solicitations to the private sector, along with the revision to the Code of Conduct for Public Servants to strengthen the control over the abuse of power in the public sector.

In the future, ACRC will check and remove factors vulnerable to corruption in local areas after the local elections, and beef up the integrity education for the spread of a culture of integrity by creating new educational courses for integrity and ethical management for public corporations with a huge influence in people’s lives.

ACRC Anti-Corruption Bureau General Director Han Sam-Seok said, “all the fruitful outcomes of anti-corruption policies ACRC has pushed for under the rapid circumstantial changes, including the corona virus pandemic and industrial sophistication thanks to the fourth industrial revolution, over the past five years can be attributed to citizens and public officials cooperating with ACRC with great interest,” adding that “ACRC will continue to play its role as an anti-corruption control tower to complete its on-going anti-corruption reform in collaboration with citizens and public officials to realize fairer and more transparent society aspired to by the people.

For 10 years now, residents of the Republic of Tatarstan have been using the opportunity to report various problems through the SIS RT “Public  Control”.

As of May 05, 2022, since the beginning of the functioning of the SIS RT “People’s Control”, 422,149 notices have been published, of which:

• 372,514 notifications resolved (88%),
• 19,242 notifications have work planned (5%),
• on 26,236 notifications, a reasoned refusal was given (6%),
• 4157 notifications are in progress (1%).

For the second year in a row, on the basis of ” Public Control”, a competition is being held to attract residents of the Republic of Tatarstan to identify errors in the names and inscriptions in the Tatar language.

Last year, the contest aroused great interest not only among residents of the republic, but also in other regions of Russia. The winner was a resident of the city of Moscow, who sent more than 2,000 notifications to the system.

According to the results of the competition, 10 winners will be determined who sent the largest number of photographic materials in notifications in the category “Mistakes in names and inscriptions”, or written appeals received by the Institute of Language, Literature and Art. G. Ibragimov of the Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Tatarstan. They will be awarded with valuable gifts

The Ombudsman, Ms Winnie Chiu, today (12 May) announced the launch of a direct investigation to examine the Government’s enforcement against defective sewage works of New Territories Exempted Houses (NTEHs).

NTEHs built in accordance with the Buildings Ordinance (Application to the New Territories) Ordinance are generally exempted from certain provisions of the Buildings Ordinance. Certificates of exemptions, including those for drainage works, must be obtained from the Director of Lands before NTEHs are built. The certificate of exemption in respect of drainage works stipulates that the works should comply with the Drainage and Health Requirements for Village Type Houses. Where no public sewers are provided in the rural area concerned, applicants for building NTEHs should build sewage disposal systems including septic tanks and soakage pits pursuant to the above requirements.

Currently, the Environmental Protection Department (EPD), the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD) and the Lands Department (LandsD) handle complaints about defective sewage works of NTEHs in accordance with the Water Pollution Control Ordinance, the Public Health and Municipal Services Ordinance and land lease provisions respectively. The Office of The Ombudsman has from time to time received complaints about ineffective enforcement of the above departments, where the problem could only be resolved if the NTEH owner concerned carried out rectification works voluntarily.

Ms Chiu said, “Defective sewage works of NETHs such as septic tanks may cause environmental nuisance and pollution, affect the nearby rivers and even spread diseases. The responsibility of maintenance and repair no doubt falls on individual owners. However, the Government is duty bound to follow up on complaints properly and cause owners to fulfil their responsibility through enforcement action. Hence, I have decided to launch a direct investigation to examine the Government’s enforcement against defective sewage works of NTEHs, including the current effectiveness of enforcement and inter-departmental collaboration, and will make recommendations for improvement to the Government where necessary.”