Pacific Ombudsman Alliance

The Pacific Ombudsman Alliance is an organisation of Pacific Ombudsmen and similar bodies. The POA also includes representatives from governments who do not have Ombudsmen, but who are interested in introducing complaint-handling or improving public governance. Under its charter, the aim of the POA is:

to provide a service delivery and mutual support organisation for Ombudsman and allied institutions of countries that are members of the Pacific Islands Forum.

The activities for each year are planned by a monitoring and evaluation team that meets each December in Port Moresby. Activities normally include long and short term placements of staff in each other's offices, holding or developing training, and delegations of senior officers.

Solomon Islands Ombudsman Joe Poraiwai (in yellow) with Commonwealth Ombudsman Allan Asher (in checks) at the annual members meeting in Honiara in July 2011.
Solomon Islands Ombudsman Joe Poraiwai (in yellow) with former Commonwealth Ombudsman Allan Asher (in checks) at the annual members meeting in Honiara in July 2011.

With funding from AusAID, the Commonwealth Ombudsman provides the secretariat support for the Pacific Ombudsman Alliance. The POA members, or the POA Board, decide which activities to support with the aid funding. Activities include long and short term placements, sponsoring officers to conferences and training, assistance with legislative reform and individual mentoring of Ombudsmen. The POA also supports links between those of its members who have similar responsibilities or challenges.

More information about the POA can be found at www.pacificombudsman.org. The website also has the POA founding charter, and previous copies of the regular newsletter of POA, Network News.