THEME:

Extending the Ombud Frontiers:
Better Governance, Enhanced Performance

SUMMARY OF OUTCOME OF EVENT

The International Ombud Expo 2019 brought together over 250 participants representing national and specialty ombud and grievance handling offices from 38 countries in an exhibition of the role and operations of these unique institutions in facilitating better governance and driving performance in governments and organisations across the world.

The 3-day international event, and first of its kind, was held from 28 to 31 October, 2019 at the Sheraton Hotel Abuja in the Federal Capital Territory of Nigeria.

Expo on YouTube Channel
Visit The Ombud Expo YouTube Channel

Convened under the theme: Extending the Ombud Frontiers: Better Governance, Enhanced Performance, the IOE 2019 was organised by an international collaboration of organisations and agencies consisting of the following: Federal Government of Nigeria; Public Complaints Commission and Ombudsman Office of Nigeria (PCC); Federal Capital Territory Administration of Nigeria (FCTA); International Ombudsman Institute (IOI); African Ombudsman and Mediateurs Association (AOMA);  Public Protector of South Africa (PPSA); African Ombudsman Research Centre (AORC); Caribbean Ombudsman Association (CAROA); Instituto LatinoAmericano Del Ombudsman – Defensorias Del Pueblo (ILO); Ombudsman of Bermuda; Commonwealth Secretariat; United Nations; and Governance and Management Services International (GMSI), who also served as the Secretariat and Project Manager of the Expo.

Ombudsman offices from the following countries participated in the Expo, namely: Angola, Bermuda, Botswana, Burundi, Cote d’Ivoire, Cameroon, Curacao-Netherlands, Jamaica, Djibouti, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Lesotho, Libya, Malawi, Namibia, Uganda, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, South Africa, South African Military Ombud, Pakistan, Senegal ICRC, Eswatini (Swaziland), Tanzania, The Gambia, Zambia, Nigeria, USA as well as the representatives of the Commonwealth Secretariat, London.

In all, 74 international and local organisations and agencies participated in IOE 2019.   A complete list is available on the Expo website below.

The first International Ombud Expo, 2019 involved, among other features:

  • Exhibition of the work of different ombud offices and oversight institutions;
  • Parallel Experts’ Sessions and Workshops on topical issues and the ombudsman practice;
  • Unparalleled insight into how ombud institutions execute their roles and make a difference in governments and organisations across the globe;
  • One-on-one interaction and sharing of experiences between and with ombud leaders, diverse functionaries, and a wide range of stakeholders;
  • Study tours of ombud, anti-corruption, human rights and related oversight organisations in Nigeria;
  • Meeting with wide ranging organisations which service and facilitate the role of ombud offices in different parts of the world;
  • Special celebration of the role and impact of women leaders in ombud and oversight institutions;
  • Honour recognition of the contributions of eminent former ombudsmen.

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The spread and popularisation of the ombud institution across the world over the last five decades has been unprecedented.  It is estimated that there are over 50,000 ombud offices, grievance-handlers, and complaint-bodies in operation in over 150 countries while the demand for more offices continues to grow by the day.  Thus, IOE 2019 provided a unique first-hand insight for policy makers, corporate leaders and organisation managers on role of ombud and grievance handling in tackling wide-ranging governance problems, managing conflicts, and boosting performance and productivity of governments and organisations around the world.

Follow the link below to view the full summary of the Expo:

International Ombud Expo 2019

Download the special IOE 2019 Newsletter: