Ombudsman Nilda Arduin at UN Headquarters.
NEW YORK--Ombudsman Nilda Arduin recently attended the launch of the International Ombudsman Institute (IOI) publication on the IOI’s history held in the United Nations Headquarters in New York in celebration of IOI’s 40th anniversary.
Arduin is IOI Regional President for the Caribbean and Latin American region.
The event was also a platform for exchanges between IOI, UN and other stakeholders, as well as to discuss the role of Ombudsman institutions in implementing the Agenda 2030 and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG), identifying challenges, opportunities and best practices in this context.
Since her election to the IOI Board in 2012, Arduin has consistently argued that the needs and vulnerability of the region should not be overlooked by the stronger nations due to their size and/or economical position. The region requires due attention to meet the goals targeted to transform the world.
After the launch, Arduin attended the IOI Executive Board meeting in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, followed by a General Board Meeting and a Regional Board Meeting. The Regional Board Meeting was particularly important with regard to exchange of thoughts and best practices applied in Latin America with regard to monitoring of the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development Goals.
The plan of action for people, planet and prosperity to structurally deal with the 2030 Agenda is hardly being discussed or visible in St. Maarten, according to a press statement from the Ombudsman Bureau.
Special attention was requested for (possible) threats faced by Ombudsman institutions as a result of natural disasters as experienced in the Caribbean last year. The threat of losing relevance instead of support nationally or locally to execute their mandate to protect the rights of the people in the wake of devastation has been acknowledged, and possible actions available through the IOI discussed.
Arduin thanked the IOI Board for assisting the region in the aftermath of the 2017 hurricanes with a grant to remain visible through an infomercial, a financial contribution to the Office of the Complaint Commissioner in the British Virgin Islands to help restore its infrastructure, and assistance to the Caribbean Ombudsman Association Caroa to improve web communication among Ombudsman institutions in the region.
