UK | 9th International Conference of Ombuds Institutions for the Armed Forces held in London

From 9 - 10 October 2017 the Service Complaints Ombudsman for the Armed Forces in the United Kingdom co-hosted the 9th International Conference of Ombuds Institutions for the Armed Forces (ICOAF) in conjunction with the Geneva Centre for the Democratic Control of the Armed Forces (DCAF).

The annual conference, held at The Tower of London, drew over 90 delegates from 40 countries, making it the highest attended ICOAF to date.  This serves to highlight that it has become an “important international forum for promoting and ensuring democratic oversight of the armed forces”.

Under the broad umbrella of “The Moral Compass of the Armed Forces: How Ombuds Institutions can Break Down Barriers to Achieve Change”, delegates explored a range of issues including:

• Maximising the role of ombuds institutions within legal and ethical boundaries;
  
  
• Mental health;
  
  
• Building an inclusive armed forces: addressing the needs of diverse groups;
  
  
• Duty of care in international missions;
  
  
• Are Armed Forces personnel reluctant to complain?

The breadth and scope of the delegates in attendance ensured a dynamic exchange of ideas over the two days as reflected in the conference statement.

Nicola Williams, Service Complaints Ombudsman, said: “ICOAF is the only platform of its kind for independent Ombuds institutions for the armed forces to share good practices, and learn from each other on a variety of challenges facing us as Ombudsmen in this specialist sector. At 9ICOAF we explored a range of moral and ethical issues, and ethics are at the heart of all Ombuds institutions’ purpose. We achieved a lot over the two days and I look forward to continuing this work in my own organisation and with my international colleagues over the next year”.

Source: Office of the Service Complaints Ombudsman for the Armed Forces, UK