CY President Chang Po-ya, accompanied by CY Members Teresa J. C. Yin, Chang Kuei-mei, Lin Sheng-fong, Kao Yung-cheng and Chen Hsiao-hung, attended the 30th Australasian and Pacific Ombudsman Region (APOR) Conference held in Auckland, New Zealand, Nov. 28 to 30, engaging in discussions with participating ombudsmen from around the region on government supervisory-related issues.
The Control Yuan is a formal member of the International Ombudsman Institute, of which APOR is a chapter. The IOI, founded in 1978, serves as a bridge linking 180 independent ombudsman institutions from over 90 countries, promoting good governance and human rights. The organization facilitates information exchanges and experience-sharing among members and engages in related capacity building, including through training, workshops and regional subsidies for members.
The theme of the 30th APOR Conference, hosted by the Office of the Ombudsman, New Zealand, was “Holding governments to account in a changing climate.” During the gathering, participants discussed a range of topics, including how ombudsman and integrity institutions can address disadvantages still encountered by women and about the Ombudsman’s role in dealing with environmental challenges. The second day of the conference was dedicated to training regarding the Optional Protocol to the Convention against Torture (OPCAT) and the establishment of National Preventive Mechanisms (NPMs) to monitor places of detention and deprivation of liberty, as well as training on ethics and how to address conflicts of interest.
The APOR Conference is held every one or two years. The Auckland conference was attended by all the APOR members and included speeches by IOI President Peter Tyndall, IOI Second Vice President Chris Field, IOI Secretary General Günther Kräuter, and New Zealand Minister of Justice Andrew Little, illustrating the importance placed on the role of ombudsman institutions in the region.
In addition to attending the APOR conference, the Control Yuan delegation also visited New Zealand’s Human Rights Commission (HRC) and the Auckland South Corrections Facility, to gain a better understanding of New Zealand’s well-functioning OPCAT mechanisms. During the visit to the HRC, the delegates engaged in exchanges of views and experience-sharing with their hosts on human rights and the ombudsman systems in their respective countries.
The CY delegation also made an inspection visit to the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Auckland in order to gain a better understanding of the current situation regarding Taiwan’s foreign relations, trade, overseas compatriot, cultural, and other related work in New Zealand.