On July 11th, 2023, the International Seminar under the theme, “Asian Ombudsman as a Mechanism for Promoting Fair Administration, Good Governance and the Rule of Law” was held in conjunction with the IOI Asian Regional Meeting 2023 in Bangkok, Thailand.

The Seminar commenced with an opening ceremony, featuring warm welcome remarks from the IOI Asian Regional President and Chief Ombudsman of Thailand, Mr. Somsak Suwansujarit. Afterward, the distinguished participants were privileged to receive special lectures from notable speakers. The IOI President, Mr. Chris Field PSM, graced the occasion with his participation, along with the Former President of the National Assembly of Thailand, Mr. Chuan Leekpai, and the IOI Asian Regional President. Together, they delivered enlightening lectures that stressed the important role performed by Asian Ombudsman institutions as a mechanism for promoting Fair Administration, Good Governance, and the Rule of Law.

This Seminar served as a unified platform for an exchange of best practices, experiences, and technical expertise through engaging panel discussions. It also delved into the essential keywords and key elements outlined in the Venice Principles and the UN Resolution on the role of Ombudsman (A/RES/77/224) to illustrate how Ombudsman institutions in the Asian region can effectively support the two aforementioned documents.

Esteemed speakers from the IOI Asian member institutions: Ombudsman of Thailand, Wafaqi Mohtasib (Federal Ombudsman) of Pakistan, Ombudsman of the Republic of the Philippines, Ombudsman of the Republic of Indonesia, Provedor for Human Rights and Justice of Timor-Leste, Provincial Ombudsman Sindh (Pakistan), Administrative Evaluation Bureau (Japan), and Seoul Metropolitan Citizen’s Ombudsman Commission (the Republic of Korea) took the stage and delivered captivating presentations. These insightful talks centered around two tailored sub-topics: (1) The importance of Ombudsman’s accountability, independence and transparency in establishing a peaceful society and (2) Ombudsman’s networks and stakeholders for the promotion of fair administration, good governance and the rule of law.

The exchange of ideas and experiences shed light on the indispensable contributions made by Ombudsman institutions in fostering responsible governance and ensuring justice for the citizens they serve.