Mr Chan Jick-chi, Jack was appointed by the Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region as the Ombudsman of Hong Kong for a term of five years commencing on 1 April 2024 under The Ombudsman Ordinance (Cap 397).

Mr Chan is a seasoned and experienced former senior government official, who had served the Government for nearly 40 years. He served as a directorate officer in various bureaux and departments including the former Civil Service Branch; the former Security Branch; the University Grants Committee; the former Works Branch; the former Environment, Transport and Works Bureau; the Development Bureau; the former Home Affairs Bureau; and the Home Affairs Department. Mr Chan was appointed as the Under Secretary for Home Affairs in the fifth term of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government, and was appointed as the Acting Secretary for Home Affairs from 24 January to 30 June 2022.

Mr Chan was born and educated in Hong Kong. He first graduated from the University of Hong Kong and further studied in St Edmund Hall, University of Oxford, United Kingdom; the John F. Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University, United States of America; and National Academy of Governance, Beijing.

Mr Mohamed Benalilou, Mediator of the Kingdom of Morocco, was appointed on 13 December 2018. He has a BA in private law, Higher University Studies Diploma and a certificate of graduation from the Higher Institute of Judiciary Studies.

He had several Judiciary Missions among which: Counsellor Judge at the Supreme Court, Magistrate at the Administrative Court of Rabat, Investigating Judge at the Special Court of Justice in Rabat.

He occupied several tasks and administrative functions in the Ministry of Justice as Human Resources Director at the Ministry of Justice and also the Department of Studies, Cooperation and Modernization, Director of Cabinet of the Minister of Justice and Liberties, Member of the National Commission for Tax-related Appeal; Member of the Financial Intelligence Unit (UTRF) (Anti-money laundering body).

Aside from being the Mediator of the Kingdom of Morocco he is a member of the Supreme Council of Judiciary Power, and a Member of the Economic, Social and Environmental Council.

Among the Advisory Missions he was a member of the High Commission for National Dialogue on the Reform of the Justice System, Member of Government experts group suggested by the Member States for Review of the Implementation of the UN Convention Against Corruption (UNCAC), Member of Arab Group Government Experts for monitoring self-assessment related to the UN Convention Against Corruption (AGEG) and was a founding member of the Arab Network for Fighting Against Corruption and Promoting, Integrity and Transparency.

He was recently elected as the First Vice President of the International Ombudsman Institute (IOI). He is currently Vice President of the Association of Ombudsman and Mediators of the Francophonie (AOMF) and a Member of the Board of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation Ombudsman Association (OICOA).

He received a Royal decoration (National Order of Merit of Grand Officer).

Mr Ejaz Ahmad Qureshi took oath of his Office on 27 December 2021 as the 8th regular Wafaqi Mohtasib (Ombudsman) of Pakistan. He holds a Master’s degree in Political Science from University of the Punjab and one in Public Policy & Planning from Pennsylvania State University, USA. He joined Civil Service of Pakistan in 1972 after taking the Central Superior Services competitive examination.

He has held prestigious positions both in the Federal and the Provincial governments such as Chief Secretary, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK) Province, Chief Secretary, Sindh Province and Federal Secretary of the Ministries of Railways and the Environment. He remained Provincial Secretary of a number of departments and also served as Additional Chief Secretary (Development), Commissioner, Deputy Commissioner and Assistant Commissioner in various areas. During his service, he has also been the Consul General/Trade Commissioner of Pakistan in Canada and Pakistan’s Permanent Representative to the UN Body, International Civil Aviation Organization at Montreal. He was awarded ‘Tamgha-i-Eisar’ in recognition of his outstanding services during the earthquake of 2005. Before assuming the charge of Wafaqi Mohtasib (Ombudsman), he has served as Senior Advisor for over 12 years and as the National Commissioner for Children in the Wafaqi Mohtasib Secretariat, Islamabad.

As head of the first ombudsman institution in the country (established in 1983), he has made extraordinary contribution in the growth and progress of the federal ombudsman’s institution in Pakistan. He successfully established four new Regional Offices and three Complaint Collection Centres within the short span of three years, expanding the institution’s outreach to 24 cities across the country. Incidence of complaints has risen from 110,405 at the start of his tenure in 2021 to over 200,000 in the current year, testifying the centrality of the ombudsman forum as a means for providing free and expeditious justice against administrative excesses of the government agencies.

He was re-elected as the President of the 47-member strong Asian Ombudsman Association (AOA) in September 2023. He has taken many steps to raise the stature of the Asian Ombudsman Association as a professional platform of ombudsman and ombudsman-like institutions in the region. He is also member of the Forum of Pakistan Ombudsman (FPO), OIC Ombudsman Association (OICOA) and the International Ombudsman Institute (IOI).

Dr Cheung Kwok-kwan has been the Deputy Secretary for Justice since 1 July 2022.

Dr Cheung was a solicitor in private practice in Hong Kong with the qualifications of China-appointed Attesting Officer and Civil Celebrant of Marriages before joining the Department of Justice. He was a Non-Official Member of the Executive Council, and a member of the Legislative Council as well as the District Council.

He has also served as a member of Hong Kong Housing Authority, the Non-Executive Director of Hong Kong Mortgage Corporation Limited, the court member of the University of Hong Kong, a member of Standing Committee on Disciplined Services Salaries and Conditions of Service, and the Chairman of Practice and Examination Committee of Hong Kong Estate Agents Authority.

Ms Bridget Hewson is the New Zealand Parliamentary Deputy Ombudsman. She has held that position since 2013, supporting five New Zealand Ombudsmen over that time. As Deputy Ombudsman, Ms Hewson is responsible for operational leadership, organisational performance and risk management of the Office with all core Ombudsman functions and business groups reporting to her.

Ms Hewson has a deep understanding of public integrity, information law and governance issues in New Zealand. She has led public interest investigations and inquiries into the actions, decisions and practices of government agencies and been a member of advisory and steering groups considering the integrity and transparency of government, intelligence, and oversight bodies’ work practices. Ms Hewson holds a Bachelor of Laws and Bachelor of History from Victoria University, Wellington, as well as a post graduate qualification in public leadership from Harvard University.

Ms Csenge Borbély serves as the Head of Cabinet within the Office of the Commissioner for Fundamental Rights of Hungary, a single-headed institution under the leadership of Dr Ákos Kozma. Since joining the office in 2019, she has supported Dr Kozma’s commitment to fundamental rights and access to justice for all citizens, especially vulnerable members of society such as persons with disabilities, children, and the elderly. Ms Borbély has been instrumental in translating vision of the Commissioner for Fundamental Rights of Hungary into operational successes and has overseen key initiatives that reflect Hungary’s dedication to human rights.

Under Dr Kozma’s leadership, the Office of the Commissioner for Fundamental Rights has become a dynamic force in promoting and protecting fundamental rights throughout Hungary. Dr Kozma has led the office in expanding its mandates in critical areas such as police oversight, equal treatment, disability rights, and whistleblower protection.  

Mr Lee is a Deputy Law Officer of the Civil Division of the Department of Justice (DoJ) of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region.

Mr Lee focuses his practice on civil law, both litigation and advisory, with a proven track record of representing a diverse range of bureaux and departments of the Government in relation to town planning, environmental, land, building and housing matters. 

He is also leading a team of Government Counsel in promoting Hong Kong’s alternative dispute resolution services locally and beyond. The major initiatives that Mr Lee has been involved in include promoting the “Mediate First” Pledge campaign and organising the Mediation Week cum Mediation Conference, both being the flagship events of the DoJ. He helps drive the development of the mediation and arbitration services of Hong Kong in different sectors, including establishing unified Greater Bay Area mediator accreditation and related standards and rules.

Chief Ombudsman of Türkiye Mr Şeref Malkoç was born in Trabzon. He completed his primary, secondary and high school education in Trabzon. While he was in high school, he was the regional chairperson of National Turkish Student Association (MTTB) secondary education committee. He graduated from the Faculty of Law at İstanbul University in 1982. He practiced law in Trabzon for 10 years. During this period, he also worked as an executive in many NGOs including Yavuz Selim Foundation and Trabzon House of Culture. He gave lectures on Constitutional Law at the Faculty of Economics and Administrative Sciences of Karadeniz Technical University (KTU).

He worked as the Trabzon Provincial Chairperson of Welfare Party (RP). He was elected as a Member of Parliament, representing Trabzon province in the Grand National Assembly of Türkiye (TBMM) during 20^th and 21^st parliamentary terms, between 1995 and 2002. As a Member of Parliament, he served as the spokesperson of the Justice Committee, Vice Chairman of the Constitutional Committee and Vice Chairman of Turkish-German Inter-Parliamentary Friendship Group. He prepared the defenses for RP and Virtue Party (FP) closure cases and defended these Parties in front of the Constitutional Court. He was Vice Chairman for RP, FP and Felicity Party (SP). He also served as an Advisor to Prof Dr Necmettin Erbakan, the Prime Minister of the 54^th Government of Türkiye, for around 10 years.

He also worked as an executive for several national and local radio and TV stations. He was the representative of the Justice and Development Party (AK Party) for two years in the Supreme Election Council. During his tenure, he contributed to the 30 March 2014 Local Election, and Presidential Election on 10 August 2014 as well as General Elections of 7 June and 1 November 2015. His articles and op-eds on Constitution and Presidential System were published in various journals and newspapers. He wrote a book titled “The New Constitution and The Presidential System in 40 Questions”. He also worked as a Chief Advisor to H.E. Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, the President of Türkiye.

Mr Malkoç was elected as the Chief Ombudsman by the General Assembly of Grand National Assembly of Türkiye on 15 November 2016. After completing his 4-year term, he has been re-elected as Chief Ombudsman of Türkiye on 11 November 2020.

The Chief Ombudsman Mr Malkoç has paid visits to tens of Universities located in 81 cities and given lectures on the topic of “Justice and Human Rights.” During his tenure as the Chief Ombudsman, he also visited 81 provinces of Türkiye. During these visits, he came together with citizens, listened to their problems, and brought together the citizens and the local administrators of that province. Through his hard works in Türkiye as well as abroad, he contributed to the promotion of the culture of ombudsman.

Chief Ombudsman of Türkiye Mr Şeref Malkoç is the President of the Organization of Islamic Countries’ Ombudsman Association (OICOA) and the Member of the Board of Directors of Asian Ombudsman Association (AOA) and European Ombudsman Institute (EOI).

Mr Ryu Chul-whan is the chairperson of the Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission (ACRC) of the Republic of Korea. Prior to joining the ACRC, he was a managing partner at law firm Lawhana and a director of the Samil School Foundation and the Munhwa School Foundation. He served as a judge in Jeonju, Incheon, and other district courts, and as a judge of the Seoul High Court and presiding judge of the Seoul Central District Court. Since assuming the role of the Chairperson in January 2024, he has been striving to resolve violations of civil rights and effectively prevent corruption. In May 2024, he was also elected as one of the Asia regional directors of the International Ombudsman Institute (IOI). He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Law from Seoul National University.

Mr Jeong Jae-chang is the director for Complaints Investigation Planning Division of the Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission (ACRC) of the Republic of Korea. Prior to joining the ACRC, he worked at the Ministry of Government Legislation. He served as a director for Administration & Education Appeals Division, Protection & Reward Division, and Welfare & Labor Complaints Division at the ACRC. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Economics and Master’s degree in Public Administration from Seoul National University.

Ms Caroline Sokoni began her professional career after admission to the Bar, in 1989 as a State Advocate under the Ministry of Justice. She holds a Bachelor of Laws Degree from the University of Zambia and a Master’s in Criminology from Queen Mary and Westfield College, University of London. Ms Sokoni served under the Ministry of Justice from 1989 to 2001 as a criminal prosecutor, and from 2001 to 2004 was appointed by the government to work with the Water Resources Action Programme as Task Team Leader of the Legal and Institutional Framework. During the same time period, she served simultaneously for two years, as Vice President of the Town and Country Planning Tribunal. Before being appointed as National Ombudsman, she also was appointed to act as Director of Public Prosecutions for nine months at the peak of the fight against corruption in Zambia. During her tenure of service in the Prosecutorial Service and in the Water Sector Reform Program, Ms Sokoni contributed to laying down the foundation for the following legislative reforms:

1. She served as a member on the Technical Committee on the Review of Laws, Enforcement Mechanisms and Support Systems in relation to Gender Based Violence and Child Abuse, culminating in the enactment of the Anti-Gender Based Violence Act No. 1 of 2011.
2. Ms Sokoni contributed to the writing the Draft National Prosecutions Policy. Although the policy was not adopted, it however informed the process for the drafting and passing of the National Prosecution Authority Act No. 34 of 2010.
3. As Task Team Leader of the Legal and Institutional Framework for the Water Resources Action Programme, Ms Sokoni was part of the Team which laid down the ground work for the Water Resource Management Act which was enacted in April of 2011.
4. In November 2004, Ms Sokoni was appointed as Zambia’s National Ombudsman. She led the effort to transition the Zambian Ombudsman institution from an Executive to a Parliamentary system and the effort resulted in the passing of the Public Protector Act No. 15 of 2016.

Apart from her position as Public Protector of Zambia, Ms Sokoni serves as the Secretary General of the Africa Ombudsman and Mediators Association (AOMA), and secondly as Treasurer on the International Ombudsman Institute (IOI) Board.

Mr Concincion was first elected and appointed Ombudsman of Curaçao by the Parliament of Curaçao in October 2015, for a six year term. In 2021, he was reappointed by the Parliament of Curaçao for a second and final six year term. As Ombudsman, Mr Concincion is responsible, among other things, for the independent and impartial national supervision of the administrative state bodies of Curaçao with regard to compliance with the standards of good and proper governance.

Mr Concincion has held the position of Children’s Ombudsman of Curaçao since 20 November 2020, the date on which the position of Children’s Ombudsman was created by the State. In this role, he is responsible for the national and independent supervision of the implementation of the International Convention on the Rights of the Child.

Mr Concincion currently serves as Regional President for the Caribbean and Latin America Region of the International Ombudsman Institute and has been a Board Member of the International Ombudsman Institute since 2019. Mr Concincion is also a member of the Caribbean Ombudsman Association, an organisation of which he served as Vice President from 2017 to 2019.

Mr Concincion began his career in public service more than two decades ago, holding various legal and management positions before becoming Ombudsman of Curaçao. He has, among other things, also taught administrative law at the largest national university on the island of Curaçao.

Mr Joo Yong-hak is currently serving as the Chairman of the 3rd term of the Seoul Metropolitan Citizens’ Ombudsman Commission. Mr Joo has built a distinguished career in public administration and governance, contributing extensively to academia and numerous public institutions.

Mr Joo earned his PhD in Public Administration from Hankuk University of Foreign Studies, where he also completed his Master’s degree in Public Administration. Additionally, he holds a Bachelor’s degree in Spanish Literature from the same institution, demonstrating a broad academic background.

Throughout his professional career, Mr Joo has held several notable positions. Since May 2024, he has been a Director of the International Ombudsman Institute (IOI). From February 2017 to February 2018, he served as an Auditor for the Korean Association for Local Government Studies. He also served as Auditor for the Korea Youth Counseling and Welfare Institute, an organisation under the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family, from June 2011 to March 2014. Between October 2009 and October 2012, Mr Joo was an Auditor for the Korea Research Institute for Local Government. Prior to this, he contributed to local governance and public policy development as Senior Expert of the Council of Mayors, Governors, and District Heads of Korea from May 2000 to June 2006, where he actively supported local autonomy and decentralisation.

Mr Joo is widely respected both domestically and internationally for his extensive experience and expertise in public administration and governance.

Ms Lam In-sang obtained a Bachelor’s Degree in Chinese-Portuguese/Portuguese-Chinese Translation and Interpretation, a Bachelor’s Degree in Law and a Master’s Degree in Criminal Justice.

Ms Lam joined the Public Prosecutions Office of Macao in 1998. Starting from 2017, she worked as Chief Clerk of Judicial Officers in the Prosecutorial Office at the Court of Final Appeal and Court of Second Instance. In 2019, she was appointed Adviser of the Commission Against Corruption. Since 2021, she has been appointed as Deputy Commissioner cum Director of the Ombudsman Bureau of the Commission Against Corruption. 

Mr Paul Dubé is Ontario’s seventh Ombudsman, sworn in on 1 April 2016 and reappointed to a second five-year term as Ombudsman as of 1 April 2021. He has overseen the largest expansion of jurisdiction in Ombudsman Ontario’s history to more than 1,000 provincial government and public sector bodies, including municipalities, universities, school boards, French language services and services provided in the child protection sector. His Office handles more than 27,000 public complaints annually, and his recommendations have prompted widespread reforms, including improvements to inspection processes at long-term care homes, de-escalation training for police, enhanced tracking of inmates in segregation, reductions in backlogs at the Landlord and Tenant Board, urgent assistance for people with developmental disabilities in crisis, and better-quality child welfare services.

Ombudsman Dubé was Canada’s first Taxpayers’ Ombudsman, appointed in 2009 to promote fairness in the Canada Revenue Agency’s treatment of taxpayers. As an independent and impartial Taxpayers’ Ombudsman, Mr Dubé oversaw the review of thousands of taxpayer complaints with a view to resolving them at the lowest level possible. He published five Annual Reports as well as eight Special Reports on systemic issues of fairness and service. All of his recommendations were accepted and implemented.

Ombudsman Dubé continues to be actively involved in the ombudsman community. He has been President of the North American chapter of the International Ombudsman Institute since November 2016 and served as the President of the Canadian Council of Parliamentary Ombudsman (CCPO) from 2022 to 2023. He also served two terms as a member of the Board of Directors of the Forum of Canadian Ombudsman. In June 2021, he received the Ontario Bar Association’s Tom Marshall Award of Excellence, honouring his contributions to public sector law in Ontario and beyond.

Dr Mokhammad Najih was born in Central Java, Indonesia. His passion in law led him to enter the legal field. He received graduate and postgraduate degree in law from Universitas Brawijaya and Universitas Diponegoro in Indonesia. He then continued and received his doctoral from University Kebangsaan Malaysia in 2016.

Before elected as Chairman of Ombudsman of Indonesia for period 2021-2026, Dr Najih dedicated his life as lecturer at Faculty of Law, Universitas Muhammadiyah Malang (UMM), and became Head of Postgraduate Study Program.

Besides Chairman of Ombudsman of the Republic of Indonesia, Dr Najih is also the Chairman of Southeast Asian Ombudsman Forum (SEAOF), an Ombudsman Forum established with Ombudsman of Philippines and Ombudsman of Thailand in 2020, for the Period of 2023-24.

Dr Najih received Satyalancana Karya Satya medal from President for his dedication to the country. In his free time, Dr Najih enjoys writing books and journal of law.

Mr Nakai Tohru is the Deputy Director-General, the Administrative Evaluation Bureau (AEB) of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications (MIC) of Japan.

The AEB provides the ombudsman function through its Administrative Inspection and Administrative Counseling Service. Around 135,000 complaints from citizens are received a year by the AEB and 5,000 administrative counselors who are commissioned volunteer citizens. AEB’s Administrative Counseling Service is reinforced its independence and neutrality by the Administrative Grievance Resolution Promotion Council which is advisory committee of specialists from various fields.

Mr Nakai graduated from the Faculty of Law, Kyoto University and joined the Cabinet Office in 1993. After duties of the Counsellor for Cabinet Bureau of Personnel Affairs and the Director of the Secretarial Division of MIC, he took up the role of Deputy Ombudsman of Japan in July 2024 and has been leading Administrative Inspection and Administrative Counseling Service.