Tehran to host int'l AOA meeting

(ISNA)- Tehran plans to host the 13th International Asian Ombudsman Association (AOA)
on Monday to be attended by 20 foreign states.

22 delegations from 20 countries and as well as representative of the United
Nations Office for Drug and Crime (UNODC) are attending the event.

The event aims at discussing ombudsman, fighting corruption and holding some
training courses. Iran's Judiciary Chief Sadeq Amoli Larijani will deliver
speech at the opening ceremony of the event. The attendees would modify the AOA
articles of association and appoint a new head for the organization.

The Asian Ombudsman Association (AOA) was established on April 16, 1996 as a
non-governmental, non-political, independent and professional forum for
Ombudsmen in Asia. The idea to form the AOA surfaced In 1995, during the
meeting of the Board of Directors of International Ombudsman Institute (IOI),
where it was emphasized that Asia should organize a regional body for promoting
the principles and practices of Ombudsmanship. Pakistan, supported by China
took the initiative to establish the AOA and the then Wafaqi Mohtasib
(Ombudsman) of Pakistan, Justice Abdul Shakurul Salam, was elected as the first
Chairman of the Board.

Iran, Pakistan, Japan, Yemen, Macao, Malaysia, North Korea, China, Indonesia,
Thailand, India, Uzbekistan, Vietnam, Russia, Azerbaijan, Kyrgyzstan and
Tatarstan are members of the association.