The Ombudsman of Sint Maarten, Dr. Nilda Arduin, recently attending the annual IOI Board Meeting in Vienna, confirmed that an Anti-Corruption Training Course for Caribbean Ombudsmen, sponsored by the International Ombudsman Institute (IOI) will be held in the region next year.
Dr. Arduin, a Regional Director together with the Regional President Lynette Stephenson, the Ombudsman of Trinidad and Tobago, recently attended the IOI Board Meeting, where a decision was taken that the IOI will fund a much needed and desired Anti-Corruption Training Course to the tune of 22000 euros for Ombudsmen of the region, as well as sponsor a total amount of 5000 euros in scholarships for Ombudsmen, who want to attend, but cannot afford the travel and accommodation expenses. An additional amount of 7000 euros is available for translation purposes to accommodate attendees, such as participants of possibly Haiti, who may not master the English language sufficiently to follow the course.
Both Dr. Arduin and the Ombudsman from Trinidad and Tobago, who are IOI Board Members are pleased that the international body of Ombudsman recognized the need of Ombudsmen in the region to be better equipped to investigate acts of corruption in their respective communities.
Coming away from the Meeting in Vienna, Dr. Arduin stated: “Though the Members of IOI have diverse mandates, and are at different levels of development as countries and institutions serving the people of the respective nations, Ombudsmen have a common assignment to protect the rights of the people, required in a democracy; emphasizing that the value and importance of the IOI as a promoter of democracy worldwide should not be underestimated. The collective and individual contributions through IOI sponsorship of training, subsidy of projects, and the interaction and networking among the Membership have proven to be pivotal for the development and progress of Ombudsmanship and democracies worldwide, including the Ombudsman Institute of Sint Maarten.”
Dr. Arduin has been the recipient of a scholarship of the IOI to follow a training course in Vienna on systemic investigations, shortly after being appointed Ombudsman in October 2010. The benefits of being a Member of such an international organization are visible by way of the achievements of the Bureau within a relatively short time.