Commonwealth Ombudsman annual report 2008–2009

Pacific Ombudsman Alliance

The Pacific Ombudsman Alliance was launched in October 2008. Many of the Alliance members belong to the Australasian and Pacific Ombudsman Region (APOR) of the International Ombudsman Institute.

The Alliance has a dual focus. It strengthens regional cooperation and coordination between Pacific Island Ombudsman offices in the Cook Islands, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga and Vanuatu. The Alliance also works with small island states that do not have an ombudsman office, to develop complaint handling and other good governance mechanisms. Nations that have participated in Alliance activities are the Federated States of Micronesia, Kiribati, Nauru, Nuie, Palau, Republic of the Marshall Islands and Tuvalu.

The first meeting of the Alliance Board was held in the Cook Islands in March 2009. The meeting was hosted by the Cook Islands Ombudsman, Ms Janet Maki.

The elected members of the Board are the Commonwealth Ombudsman (who is Chair of the Board), the Cook Islands Ombudsman, the Chief Ombudsman of New Zealand, the Chief Ombudsman of Papua New Guinea and the Secretary to Cabinet in Kiribati (representing the small island states). The New South Wales Ombudsman participates in the Board as a non–voting ex officio member, as APOR's regional Vice–President. Mr Henry Ivarature, Governance Officer of the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat, also attended the inaugural meeting of the Board.

Mr Greg Andrews, Assistant New South Wales Ombudsman, and Stephen Ranck from our office provided secretariat support.

The Board agreed on a flexible five–year work program of support to members, with a focus on practical, hands–on initiatives. The Alliance publishes a quarterly newsletter for members and is developing a separate website to be launched in 2009–10.

Funding support for Alliance activities is provided by AusAID. NZAID, New Zealand's International Aid and Development Agency, has expressed interest in financially supporting future Alliance activities.