The Chief Ombudsman of Thailand, Mr. Somsak Suwansujarit, as Asian Regional President of the IOI hosted the IOI Asian Regional Meeting 2023 on July 10th, 2023 at the Centara Grand at Central Plaza Ladprao Bangkok, Thailand.

The annual meeting took place in the vibrant city of Bangkok, uniting Ombudsman institutions across the Asian region with a shared goal to fortify their role and significance. This prestigious gathering provided a unified platform for the participants to engage in a profound exchange of knowledge and experiences, fostering a spirit of cooperation and support the Venice Principles and the UN Resolution on Ombudsman institutions at both the organizational and regional levels.

At the meeting between the IOI President and Asian members, Mr. Chris Field, the IOI President who actively engaged as the IOI Representative, chaired the morning session. With his valuable delivery of the IOI essential matters, the members received an insightful presentation, wherein he highlighted the organization’s remarkable progress and continued endeavors.

In the afternoon session presided over by the IOI Asian Regional President, the representatives from 11 institutions discussed the results of the survey ‘Measuring needs for the IOI services among IOI Asian member institutions 2023’ developed by the IOI Asian Secretariat. The meeting’s focal point centered on crucial matters of capacity-building and collaborative initiatives, encompassing various areas such as staff internships, IOI’s cooperation with the United Nations on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and the strategic allocation of regional subsidies for targeted objectives.

Following a productive and fruitful discussion, the IOI Asian Secretariat will submit the summary of members’ recommendations to the IOI Secretary-General to enhance service-related matters, aligning them precisely with the unique needs of the IOI Asian member institutions.