Back-
Networking conference
On 28 and 29 April 2014 a representatives of Ombudsman Offices in member states of the Organisation of Islamic Countries (OIC) met in Islamabad.
Today there are 12 Ombudsman institutions in Pakistan including three for Protection against Harassment of Women at the Workplace. In April 2011 the Forum of Pakistan Ombudsman (FPO) was set up comprising all Ombudsmen with the objective of improving coordination among the members and standardizing their practices, as also for raising their capacity and enhancing the quality of their service-delivery. In view of its significance, need was felt to establish an Ombudsman Institution in all the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Member States and strengthening it through sharing of knowledge, experience and ideas. It was in this context that the first Conference on the Networking of Ombudsmen (CNO) in OIC States was held at Islamabad on April 28-29, 2014. The theme of the Conference was: "Strengthening the Institution of Ombudsman in OIC Member States by Sharing Knowledge, Experience and Ideas". There were also two sub themes, "Embracing Change;" and "Modernization, Cooperation and Synergy". The event was inaugurated by the President of Pakistan Mr. Mamnoon Hussain and chaired by Mr. Abdur Rauf Chaudhry, Federal Tax Ombudsman, who was also the President of the Forum of Pakistan Ombudsman (FPO). The concluding ceremony was graced by the speaker of the National Assembly, Sardar Ayaz Sadiq. A galaxy of Ombudsmen from OIC Member States including delegates from member states got together and applied their collective wisdom to deliberate on the theme and agenda items.
The Islamabad Declaration was adopted unanimously by the participants of the Conference forming Association of the Ombudsmen of OIC Member States further setting up a Steering Committee comprising members from Guinea, Indonesia, Iran, Jordan, Morocco, Niger, Pakistan, Sudan and Turkey under the chairmanship of Mr. Abdur Rauf Chaudhry, FTO and the President of the FPO. The committee would draft the constitution, by-laws, rules and procedures to govern the business of the association and finalize its report within one year of this conference session.
IOI members from Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Gambia, Guinea, Iran, Jordan, Marocco, Pakistan, Sudan as well as Uganda participated in the conference.
Source: Forum of Pakistan Ombudsman
