Nanjing, China – September 2025
The Wafaqi Mohtasib (Ombudsman) of Pakistan, Mr. Ejaz Ahmad Qureshi, underscored the vital role of ombudsman institutions in promoting good governance, rule of law, and effective public administration while addressing the 26th Annual Meeting of the Board of Directors and the 18th General Assembly of the Asian Ombudsman Association (AOA) in Nanjing, China.
Mr. Qureshi, who also serves as President of the 47-member AOA, called for greater sharing of experiences and best practices among ombudsman institutions to strengthen grievance redressal mechanisms and enhance citizen trust.
“Ombudsman institutions provide free and expeditious redressal of grievances and help streamline systems for effective service delivery,” he stated.
The AOA Board of Directors — including heads of ombudsman offices from Pakistan, Azerbaijan, China, Hong Kong, Iran, Japan, Korea, Tatarstan, and Türkiye — reviewed the Association’s activities over the past year and discussed strategies for strengthening the AOA Secretariat’s Resource Centre in Islamabad.
The General Assembly was followed by an International Workshop on “Effective Ombudsmanship for People’s Livelihood”, attracting wide participation from across Asia and beyond.
Delivering the keynote address, Mr. Qureshi highlighted that ombudsmanship safeguards citizens’ rights and contributes to achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). He emphasized the importance of regular exchanges of knowledge and practices within the global ombudsman community as a driver for human progress and institutional accountability.
