THEME:
Trusted Institutions:
Righting Injustices, Bolstering Quality Governance
VENUE:
BOTSWANA CONFERENCE & EXHIBITION CENTRE
ANDGRAND PALM HOTEL CASINO AND CONVENTION RESORT
GABORONE, BOTSWANA
SUMMARY OF OUTCOME OF EVENT
The Government of Botswana through the Office of the Ombudsman hosted the Second International Ombud Expo 2024 from 29th July to 2nd August 2024 in Gaborone, Botswana. Building on the exceptional success of the inaugural event and subsequent United Nations General Assembly Resolution 75/186 of December 2020, the event brought together ombud offices, human rights bodies, grievance handlers, integrity organisations, and related oversight and governance institutions from across the world in an exhibition and showcasing of their role, operation, and performance impact.
The Second International Ombud Expo 2024 was officially opened by the Honourable Slumber Tsogwane, the Vice-President of the Republic of Botswana.
Advocate Stephen B. Tiroyakgosi, Chief Host of the Expo and the Ombudsman and Human Rights Commissioner of Botswana delivered the formal Welcome Address to the Expo while Mr Oduetse Tautona, Deputy Mayor of Gaborone, welcomed delegates on behalf of the Host City, Gaborone. Other lead speakers at the Opening Ceremony were: Honourable Antonia Florbela Rocha Araujo, First Co-Host of the Expo and President of the African Ombudsman and Mediators Association (AOMA); Honourable Joseph Whittal, Second Co-Host of the Expo and President of the Network of African National Human Rights Institutions (NANHRI); Dr Roger Korangteng, Representative of the Secretary-General of the Commonwealth Secretariat, London; and Professor Victor Ayeni, Director of Governance and Management Services International and Creator of the International Ombud Expo.
Further, Special Goodwill Messages were received from leading international organisations and networks in the field, namely: Honourable Nashieli Ramírez Hernández, President of the International Ombudsman Institute (IOI); Honourable Sarah Klaper, President of the International Ombuds Association (IOA); Dr Amelia Lopez, President of the Latin American Ombudsman Institute – People’s Defenders (ILO); Honourable Gwendolien Mossel, President of the Caribbean Ombudsman Association (CAROA); and Hadja Salamatu J. Mamman, National Secretary of the Public Complaints Commission and Ombudsman of Nigeria on behalf of the Host of the preceding First International Ombud Expo 2019 in Abuja, Nigeria.
In all, 130 international and local organisations and institutions as well as 543 individuals registered and participated in the event. The list of organisations and institutions that participated in the Expo is provided below.
With the generous support of the Government of Botswana, the Second International Ombud Expo 2024 was organized by the Office of the Ombudsman and Human Rights Commissioner of Botswana in collaboration with 48 international and local agencies and organisations. Governance and Management Services International United, Kingdom served as the International Secretariat and Project Manager of the Expo. In appreciation of this phenomenal international collaborative effort, the logos and brand images of the organisers, partners and sponsors are displayed below.
Under the theme: Trusted Institutions: Righting Injustices, Bolstering Quality Governance, Expo 2024 featured, among other things, the following highlights:
- Exhibition and showcasing of the work of different oversight, regulatory and governance institutions around the world;
- Appreciation of the role of ombud and related oversight and regulatory bodies in tackling wide-ranging governance problems, righting injustices, managing conflicts, and boosting performance and productivity of governments and organisations;
- Exposure to the critical performance factors of governance and oversight bodies and how they execute their roles and make a difference in governments and organisations;
- Sharing of experiences with organisational leaders and diverse functionaries of oversight, regulatory and governance institutions;
- Special Discussion Session facilitated by the Commonwealth Secretariat, London on the ‘The Intersection of Human Rights and National Oversight Institutions;
- Eminent Expert Sessions organised and facilitated by the International Ombuds Association (IOA);
- Total of 32 parallel workshops and expert discussions on various topical themes over 3 days; and;
- Special celebration of Ombud Trailblazers which showcased and appreciated the role and contributions of the pioneer incumbents of ombuds offices and institutions across the world.
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 continue 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.
What Offices Exhibited
The rich display of the work and experiences of offices and organisations included the exhibition of:
- Reports and official publications
- Audio visual displays on role, operations and performance
- Media reports and excerpts
- Campaign publication of organisation’s services and other literatures
- Physical evidence of achievements and success stories
- Technology use and business processes
- IT software
- Documentary visuals, videos and other online sources
- Interactive videos
- Training and capacity development materials
- Book publications and other intellectual materials
- Cultural artefacts
Recognition of Pioneers
The Expo concluded with a public recognition of the achievements of three eminent former ombudspersons, namely:
- Justice Florence N. Mumba, Africa’s first woman ombudsperson and former Investigator-General of Zambia;
- Ms Alba M. T. Martijn, former Ombudsman of Curacao and former President of the Caribbean Ombudsman Association (CAROA);
- Lt. General T. T. Matanzima, Africa’s first and former Military Ombud of South Africa.
In conferring the honours, IOE’s overriding objective was not only to convey a collective appreciation but also reassure every serving ombudsman that even after they relinquish office their contributions and immense personal sacrifices on behalf of the rest of us will never be forgotten.
Key Benefits for Participants and Offices
Participants and exhibitors in IOE 2019 benefited in many ways, including:
- A rare comprehensive experience in one location of ombud-types, complaints handlers, grievance offices together with organisations that service and facilitate their roles;
- Exposure to a rich display of how ombud and grievance handling offices effectively tackle a wide ranging of governance concerns, help reduce corruption, manage conflicts, enhance customer service, drive innovation, defend and promote human rights as well as boost performance and productivity of governments and organisations;
- Participation in parallel workshops and experts’ sessions on topical issues. See Programme of Event;
- Capacity enhancement of participating officials and functionaries through sustained exposure to the success stories of counterpart institutions from across the world;
- Ombud brands awareness and showcasing of the work of ombud and related oversight institutions as an indispensable feature of any well-functioning government and organisation determined to surpass their performance bottom-line;
- Exchange of best practices on the role and operations of different ombud-types and how they realise sustainable performance in an often unpredictable governance and organisational landscape;
- Opportunity for offices and institutions to benchmark and evaluate themselves against and benefit from the lessons of experiences of counterparts from elsewhere;
- Fostering strategic relationships and networking towards enhancing the role and performance of amongst ombud organisations;
- International media spotlight and coverage for participants and exhibitors through the event and in the record of the event now permanently available in world wide web.
For a detailed record of the first International Ombud Expo, follow the links to the event summary, pictures and video content:
Gaborone IOE EXPO 2024 Picture Gallery
Gaborone IOE Expo 2024 Videos
Download the consolidated Programme of Event –
Pioneer Incumbents Gallery in GMSI website
Follow the link to Directory of Ombud Trailblazers –
NB: Expo organisers will like to encourage offices that still have not done so to foreword a photo image with short brief of their pioneer incumbent to: ioe2024@gmsiuk.com
PARTICIPATING ORGANISATIONS & AGENCIES
INTERNATIONAL ORGANISATIONS AND AGENCIES
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