• The Chairperson of the Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission (ACRC) was appointed as a Director of the International Ombudsman Institute (IOI) in a by-election conducted online from May 10 to 14.

Chairperson was unanimously elected IOI Regional Director by 13 Asian members in the by-election, which was carried out before the 12^th IOI General Assembly to fill a vacancy.

◇ International Ombudsman Institute (IOI)

The IOI is a non-profit institution established in 1987 for the purpose of advancing Ombudsman system and promoting the exchange and cooperation among ombudsmen in the world. It has 212 members from 120 countries, and is headquartered in Vienna, Austria, where the executive committee is operated. The general assembly is held every four years and the board of directors’ meeting is held every two years.

*Ombudsman: Ombudsman is of Swedish origin meaning mediator, arbitrator, and inspector, and the ombudsman institution was first established in Sweden in 1809 as a representative of the parliament to investigate judges and public officials of administrative organizations.

• Chairperson, as an IOI Director, will join important discussion of IOI board of directors, including on by-law revision, subsidy execution, and membership assessment. Most importantly, representing the Asian region, she will promote to the world the advancement of Ombudsman system in the region as well as strengthen the role of Asian members.  

• Chairperson will attend the 12^th IOI World Conference to be held on May 27, representing Asia Pacific Region, to make a presentation under the theme of “ACRC Giving Voices to the Voiceless in the Global Pandemic Situation.”

Chairperson will also participate in the IOI regional meeting on May 20 to express her appreciation to Asian members for supporting her and to review the region’s agenda for discussion by the 12^th IOI General Assembly. 

At the regional meeting, various Asian Ombudsman institutions of Seoul, Gangwon Province, Bucheon, Japan, China, Pakistan, and the Philippines will talk about a way forward for Asian Ombudsman institutions. 

• An ACRC Official said, “ The result of the election was largely thanks to the recognition by Asia members for ACRC’s efforts to protect the disadvantaged, such as the elderly, the physically challenged, the youth, through complaint handling and institutional improvement”

An ACRC Official added, “As an IOI director, I will make efforts to share with IOI members Korea’s experiences in the COVID 19 pandemic situation. As the head of national ombudsman institution of Korea, which plays a leading role among Ombudsman institutions, I will strive to strengthen communication and cooperation with other IOI members to present a direction for development of ombudsman system in Asia and the world.”