Botswana to host global Ombudsman Expo

The Government through the Office of the Ombudsman is expected to host the second International Ombudsman Expo 2024 this year from July 29 to August 2, 2024 in Gaborone.

According to the Ombudsman, Advocate Stephen Tiroyakgosi, the International Ombud Expo 2024 will bring together over 500 Ombud offices, human rights bodies, grievance handlers, integrity organisations and related oversight and governance institutions from over 100 countries.

The Expo is anticipated to offer an unparalleled perspective to the development and enhancement of various institutions. It is projected to attract over 3 500 exhibitors and participants from the six continents of the world.

Issues to be discussed issues include; Realising AU Agenda 2063 on Silencing the Guns in Africa; Advancing human rights; Human rights and Artificial intelligence; Ombudsman role in environmental protection; securing compliance with the Ombudsman recommendations; tackling corruption and promoting integrity in governments; Institutionalising sectoral Ombudsman and other oversight agencies including in Universities across the world; in banking and finance and others.

One of the critical things the Expo will do, according to Advocate Tiroyakgosi is to demonstrate effective oversight and governance by displaying how institutions tackle a wide range 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.

It will also provide first-hand insight for policy makers, legislators corporate leaders on the role of the Ombud.

Advocate Tiroyakgosi says the expo is not designed to result in recommendations but to enhance learning and provide participants with cutting edge knowledge and innovative ideas to develop their operations better.

“That said, an evaluation was conducted at the end of the first Expo, all respondents were unanimously agreed on the immense value of the experience and the need for it to hold periodically in future.”

Ombudsman of Bermuda, Victoria Pearman’s view is that the concept of the International Ombud Expo is an exciting and valuable innovation.

“We were very interested when we learned about a first of its kind. The Expo was an opportunity to see first-hand what others are doing across a wide array of not just countries but different types of ombudsman, new specialised areas and other kinds of complaint handling bodies. Seeing the literature, visual displays and ability to discuss helped to get deeper insight into the work colleagues are doing,” she said.

Zambia’s Public Protector, Caroline Sokoni on the other hand believed that the event was highly educative as it enabled exchange of ideas and experience.

“Our institution benefited a lot in terms of learning the best practices from other participants, and some of these ideas are being implemented already to enhance our effectiveness and visibility.”

For the Ombudsman of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan, Aqal Badshah Khattak, the expo should be held every year on rotation basis among member countries and Ombudsman institutions.

Botswana volunteered to host the 2024 instalment following the International Secretariat in London. And this instalment will take the same format as the inaugural expo, where there was a celebration of Women Ombuds

Leaders across the worked over the last 250 years.

It is here that outstanding individuals like Justice Florence Mumba who is Africa’s first female Ombudsman and General Themba Mantanzima, who was Africa’s first Military Ombdusman, are celebrated.

The hosting of the Expo is expected to significantly contribute to the country’s aspirations of becoming a Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions (MICE) Destination of repute.

The inaugural expo that Botswana participated in was held in 2019 in Abuja, Nigeria under the theme, ‘Extending the Ombud Frontiers: Better Governance, Enhanced Performance.

The Office of the Ombudsman in Botswana exhibited its operations there. The then Ombudsman, Augustine Makgonatsotlhe was also one of the leader speakers in the main discussion.