98th E-News Letter of Asian Ombudsman Association October 2025
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PAKISTAN WAFAQI MOHTASIB (FEDERAL OMBUDSMAN)’S INTERVENTION LEADS TO EFFECTIVE CONTROL OF AIR POLLUTION.Islamabad: 17 October, 2025 – Following the Wafaqi Mohtasib (Federal Ombudsman)’s intervention and notice of long queues of vehicles in Islamabad’s Red Zone for emission testing and consequent inconvenience to citizens, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), operating under the Ministry of Climate Change and Environmental Coordination has submitted a comprehensive plan of action for vehicular emission control in the federal capital area. |
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HONG KONG CHINA OFFICE OF THE OMBUDSMAN ANNOUNCES RESULTS OF DIRECT INVESTIGATION OPERATION INTO RESPITE SERVICES FOR SUPPORTING CARERS OF ELDERLY PERSONS AND PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES.The Ombudsman, Mr. Jack Chan, today (9 October ) announced the completion of a direct investigation operation into the respite services for supporting carers of elderly persons and persons with disabilities, with 25 major recommendations for improvement made to the Social Welfare Department (“SWD”). |
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REPUBLIC OF KOREA ACRC MEET PARENTS CALLING FOR IMPROVEMENTS TO SPECIAL-EDUCATION SCHOOL FACILITIES.To address the collective grievances raised by parents seeking improvements to the educational environment at a special-education school for students with developmental disabilities, the Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission (ACRC, Chairperson Ryu Chul Whan) visited Korea Yukyoung School in Songpa-gu, Seoul, on September 24, 2025. |
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ISLAMIC REPUBLIC OF IRAN GENERAL INSPECTION ORGANIZATION (GIO) MARKS THE 44TH ANNIVERSARY OF ITS ESTABLISHMENT.At the ceremony marking the 44th anniversary of the establishment of the General Inspection Organization of Iran (GIO), the President of the Organization emphasized:The GIO is advancing toward smart oversight, public-centered governance, and firm action against corruption / The Organization never obstructs the lawful activities of managers and institutions At the ceremony commemorating the 44th anniversary of the establishment of the General Inspection Organization of Iran, Justice. Khodaeiyan, the President of the Organization, elaborated on its new approaches and programs. |
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HONG KONG CHINA OMBUDSMAN ATTENDS ASIAN OMBUDSMAN ASSOCIATION MEETING AND SIGNS MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING ON BILATERAL COOPERATION WITH OMBUDSMAN OF THAILAND.The Ombudsman, Mr. Jack Chan, as the Secretary of the Asian Ombudsman Association (“AOA”), led a delegation to Nanjing to attend the annual Board of Directors Meeting and the 18th General Assembly of AOA held today (9 September), with the aim to promote exchanges and strengthen ties with Asian ombudsman counterparts and enhance the development of the ombudsman system, while telling good stories of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region’s advancement from stability to prosperity under the principle of “One Country, Two Systems” and leveraging its important role underpinned by strong support from the motherland and close connections with the world. |
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OMBUDSMAN PUNJAB (PAKISTAN) OMBUDSMAN PUNJAB HOSTS IOI ASIAN REGIONAL MEETING AND INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE 2025 IN LAHORE.The International Ombudsman Institute (IOI) Asian Regional Meeting and International Conference 2025 were successfully held in Lahore, marking a historic milestone as Pakistan hosted this prestigious global gathering for the first time. Presided over by the Honourable Ombudsman Punjab and IOI Second Vice President, Ms. Ayesha Hamid, the event brought together esteemed Ombudsmen and delegates from Macao, Bahrain, Timor-Leste, Japan, Azerbaijan, South Africa, Austria, Gibraltar, Indonesia, the Kyrgyz Republic, and Papua New Guinea and Philippines. |
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TURKIYE CHIEF OMBUDSMAN OF TURKIYE, ATTENDS THE 10TH MEETING OF THE EURASIAN OMBUDSMAN ALLIANCE.Chief Ombudsman of Türkiye, Mr. Mehmet Akarca, paid an official visit to Moscow upon the invitation of Ms. Tatiana Moskalkova, the High Commissioner for Human Rights in the Russian Federation, in order to participate in the 10th Meeting of the Eurasian Ombudsman Alliance as an obverver, on the theme “Protection of the Rights of Residents of Hard-to-Reach, Remote, and Rural Areas”; as well as the 9th International Scientific and Practical Conference on “Protection of Human Rights in the Context of the Digitalization of Society.” |
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PAKISTAN WAFAQI MOHTASIB (FEDERAL OMBUDSMABN)’S INSPECTION TEAM VISITS ISLAMABAD AIRPORT.Islamabad: 21 October, 2025 – Responding to growing number of complaints of maladministration and negligence against the officials of the FIA, ASF, ANF, Customs etc. posted at the Islamabad Airport, a Wafaqi Mohtasib Inspection Team visited the Airport today to look into such complaints and initiate urgent steps for their redressal. |
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AZERBAIJAN THE OMBUDSMAN INSTITUTION OF AZERBAIJAN HAS BEEN GRANTED FULL MEMBERSHIP OF ENOC.Ms. Nigar Aghayeva, Head of the Child Rights Protection Unit, and Ms. Ayten Tarverdiyeva, Head of the Unit on Protection of the Rights of PWDs in the Ombudsman Office of Azerbaijan, participated in the 29th European Network for Ombudspersons for Children (ENOC) Annual Conference and General Assembly, held in Bucharest, Romania. |
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UZBEKISTAN OMBUDSMAN TOOK PART IN THE 10TH ANNIVERSARY MEETING OF THE EURASIAN ALLIANCE OF OMBUDSMEN.On October 22, 2025, in Moscow, the 10th anniversary meeting of the Eurasian Alliance of Ombudsmen was held, dedicated to protecting the rights of people living in remote and rural areas. The meeting was attended by the ombudspersons of Russia, Armenia, Bahrain, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Serbia, Mongolia, Tajikistan, Iran, Sri Lanka, and Uzbekistan. |
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TURKIYE ANNUAL REPORTS OF THE OMBUDSMAN INSTITUTION FOR 2023 AND 2024 DISCUSSED IN THE GRAND NATIONAL ASSEMBLY OF TÜRKIYE (GNAT).During the Plenary Session of the Grand National Assembly of Türkiye (GNAT) on 2 October 2025, the Joint Committee, which consists of the members of the Petition Committee and the Human Rights Inquiry Committee, discussed the 2023 and 2024 Annual Reports of the Ombudsman Institution. Chief Ombudsman Mr. Mehmet Akarca, Ombudsmen Mr. Ertunç Erkan Balta, Ms. Fatma Benli Yalçın, Mr. Abdullah Cengiz Makas, Mr. Özcan Yıldız, and Secretary General Mr. Mehmet Doğan attended the session. |
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TIMORE LESTE QUADRILATERAL COOPERATION: TRAINING OF TRAINERS ON GOOD GOVERNANCE.Dili, October 2025 – In a spirit of collaboration, the Ombudsman for Human Rights and Justice (PDHJ), the Anti-Corruption Commission (CAC), the Inspector General of State (IGE), and the Public Function Commission (CFP) joined forces in a Training of Trainers (ToT) under the Quadrilateral Agreement. |
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GEORGIA OMBUDSMEN’S ROLE IN REALIZATION OF THE RIGHT TO GOOD GOVERNANCE.On October 15-16, 2025, the Public Defender of Georgia, Levan Ioseliani, and the First Deputy Public Defender, Tamar Gvaramadze, participated in the International Conference dedicated to the 30th anniversary of the Parliamentary Ombudsman of Malta. |
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REPUBLIC OF KOREA RESTORING LIVELIHOOD AND PROMOTING A CULTURE OF INTEGRITY IN THE PUBLIC SECTOR – ACRC TAKES THE LEAD.”The Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission (ACRC, Chairperson Ryu Chul Whan) held a field meeting on Sept. 23 at the Nonghyup Hanaro Mart in Yangjae, Seoul, with representatives from the agricultural, livestock, and fishery sectors, including the National Agricultural Cooperative Federation (Nonghyup), National Federation of Fisheries Cooperatives (Suhyup), and related organizations. |
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ISLAMIC REPUBLIC OF IRAN PRESIDENT OF THE GENERAL INSPECTION ORGANIZATION ADDRESSED PUBLIC REQUESTS AT GHOLHAK GRAND MOSQUE.Concurrent with the 44th anniversary of the establishment of the General Inspection Organization, a public service desk was set up to address the concerns of worshippers at Gholhak Grand Mosque, attended by the President of the General Inspection Organization of Iran and the Organization’s Deputies for Economic and Production Affairs, following the Maghrib and Isha prayers. |
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AZERBAIJAN THE OMBUDSMAN’S NEW REGIONAL CENTER WAS INAUGURATED IN SHEKI, AND A RECEPTION OF APPLICANTS WAS HELD.An opening ceremony for the new location of the Ombudsman’s North-West Regional Center was held at the Sheki “ASAN service” center. Prior to the ceremony, Azerbaijan’s Ombudsman, Sabina Aliyeva and Sheki’s Head of the Executive Authority, Elkhan Usubov, visited the memorial of National Leader Heydar Aliyev and the Martyrs’ Alley to honor them. |
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GEORGIA WORKING MEETING BETWEEN PUBLIC DEFENDER AND LAWYERS WORKING IN THE FIELD OF CRIMINAL JUSTICE.On October 9-10, 2025, a working meeting was held between the Public Defender’s Office of Georgia, the Georgian Bar Association and the Legal Aid Bureau. The meeting was personally attended by Public Defender Levan Ioseliani, Chairman of the Bar Association Davit Asatiani and Director of the Legal Aid Bureau Davit Simonia. |
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OMBUDSMAN PUNJAB (PAKISTAN) STRENGTHENING COLLABORATION THROUGH KNOWLEDGE SHARING AND INNOVATION.Following the successful conclusion of the IOI Asian Regional Meeting and International Conference 2025 in Lahore, the Office of the Ombudsman Punjab had the honour of hosting distinguished delegates from Azerbaijan, Timor-Leste, the Philippines, and Indonesia at its Head Office in Lahore, Pakistan. The visit reflected the shared commitment of Ombudsman institutions to deepen cooperation, exchange expertise, and strengthen citizen-service mechanisms worldwide. |
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UZBEKISTAN OMBUDSMAN PARTICIPATES IN THE INTERNATIONAL HUMAN RIGHTS CONFERENCE IN WARSAW.As reported earlier, on October 6, 2025, the traditional “Warsaw Human Dimension Conference 2025” organized by the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) commenced its work in Warsaw, Republic of Poland. |
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GEORGIA PUBLIC DEFENDER’S 11TH REGIONAL OFFICE OPENED IN DUSHETI.On October 21, 2025, the Public Defender of Georgia, Levan Ioseliani, opened the 11th Regional Office in the Dusheti municipality, Mtskheta-Mtianeti region. The human rights situation in the region and the activities of the Public Defender to protect and promote the rights and freedoms of the population living in Mtskheta-Mtianeti were the topics discussed at the event. |